The Ottawa Citizen reports, “Jamie Kereliuk, business leader applications at the National Energy Board, (says) TransCanada is expected to file a description of the Energy East project within the next six to eight weeks. The company has told the NEB it is targeting late summer to file its official application for the project. …When the application is certified as complete, the NEB has 15 months to hold public consultations, collect feedback from people that may be affected by the initiative and compile a report that can be turned over to the federal government.”
“TransCanada’s proposal would see its Energy East pipeline carry as much as 1.1 million barrels of crude oil daily through the southern tip of the city, and across the Rideau River, on its way from Alberta to refineries in Eastern Canada. …The proposal also calls for the construction of large pumping stations, required to keep thick crude oil moving through the pipeline, are proposed to be placed near Pakenham and Stittsville. The Pakenham pumping station would be located southwest of the intersection of Upper Dwyer Hill Road and Kinburn Sideroad. The Stittsville station would be located just north of Fallowfield Road, about halfway between Dwyer Hill and Eagleson roads.”
“Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been a strong supporter of the Energy East Pipeline, as well as other pipeline initiatives including Keystone XL and the Northern Gateway Pipeline in British Columbia. According to documents filed as part of the 2014 annual budget, the pipeline is part of the government’s plans to see Canada begin pumping as much as 5.8 million barrels of oil each day by the year 2035, a 75 per cent increase over 2012 levels, with 86 per cent of the total coming from Alberta’s oilsands. Currently, the oilsands account for 57 per cent of Canada’s oil production.”
“The passing of Bill C-38, a 450-page bill called the Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act, in July 2012 has reduced the National Energy Board’s role to that of an adviser. …The board is responsible for collecting information, verifying its validity, consulting with Canadians and ultimately preparing a report for the federal government with recommendations on how to proceed. The final decision regarding the Energy East pipeline will lie in the hands of the federal government.”
“Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Ontario Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli have both expressed a desire to work with TransCanada on its proposal. Neither has endorsed the project, however both have expressed an interest in making sure the pipeline is safe and meets all environmental and safety requirements. The Ontario Energy Board has been asked to perform its own consultations about the project and report its findings back to the provincial government.”
The Council of Canadians is working to stop the Energy East pipeline.
From April 7-16, we will be visiting communities across Ontario to talk about this pipeline. This tour will feature Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow, Eriel Deranger of the Athabasca Fort Chipewyan First Nation, a local speaker, and a video presentation about the diluted bitumen pipeline spill in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Tour dates
April 7 – Kenora
April 9 – Thunder Bay
April 12 – North Bay
April 13 – Ottawa
April 15 – Kemptville
April 16 – Cornwall
The admission to these events is free. To RSVP on Facebook please click here.
