Kinder Morgan has announced that it wants to nearly triple -- not just double -- the amount of oil flowing to its pipeline into Burrard Inlet.
The energy giant is seeking approval to increase the capacity of the Trans Mountain pipeline to 850,000 barrels per day, a much bigger expansion than local politicians and residents had believed. Right now the pipeline brings in about 300,000 barrels per day, and it was thought the proposed twinning project would boost that by a little more than two times.
Ben West of the Wilderness Committee said the expansion means Kinder Morgan's project would actually be bigger than Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway pipeline or plans for the Keystone XL line to the U.S.
"What Kinder Morgan is trying to do is to turn Burrard Inlet and the Vancouver harbour into a major export facility for the oilsands," West told CTV News.
"What we're seeing is a proposal that would drastically transform our inlet and the amount of risk we face of an oil spill."
He estimates that the expansion would increase tanker traffic in the inlet from one or two tankers a week to about one each day.
The Trans Mountain pipeline runs from Edmonton to Burnaby, which saw a major spill in 2007 after the line was ruptured. A storage facility in Abbotsford also saw a small spill earlier this year.
A Kinder Morgan spokesperson said that the company will work with area residents and politicians on the twinning proposal. While the company won't reduce the planned capacity, it would consider moving the route if necessary.
