Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow will be in Vancouver on December 5 to celebrate the third anniversary of the Save the Fraser Declaration.
As explained by the Yinka Dene Alliance, “The Save the Fraser Declaration is an Indigenous law ban on tar sands pipelines through First Nations traditional territories in the Fraser River watershed – including the rivers flowing into the Fraser River like the Stuart, the Endako and the Salmon Rivers. It also bans tar sands oil tankers in the ocean migration routes of Fraser River salmon on the north and south coasts of British Columbia. It bans the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline and supertanker project, and all other similar projects, from the traditional territories of the Nations who have signed it. The Save the Fraser Declaration is an exercise of Indigenous law, Title, and Rights, and has status under First Nations law, Canadian law, and International law.”
A federally-appointed Joint Review Panel of the National Energy Board and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is due to issue its decision on the Northern Gateway pipeline before the end of this month. While the Joint Review Panel’s decision will be an important announcement, it’s still Stephen Harper’s cabinet that will make the final decision, which is expected in mid-2014.
Northern Gateway involves two 1,200-kilometre underground pipelines. One pipeline would move 525,000 barrels a day of bitumen from Alberta’s tar sands to Kitimat on the coast of the Pacific Ocean (to then be transported on the ocean by 225 super tankers a year), the other would move 193,000 barrels a day of condensate, which is used to dilute the bitumen from the tar sands so that it can flow through the pipelines.
The Yinka Dene Alliance and the Coastal First Nations have opposed the pipeline, as has the Council of Canadians and numerous other groups.
This past June, the Globe and Mail reported, “(A Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers) forecast shows tar sands production rising to 3.2 million barrels per day by 2020 – up 60,000 from the 2012 estimate – while non-tar sands output surges to 1.6 million barrels per day by 2020, a lift of over 200,000 over last year’s outlook. Virtually all of the growth is expected in Alberta. …Even if every new pipeline is built, CAPP predicts oil companies will run out of room in fewer than 15 years, by 2026.” By every pipeline that means the approval of the Northern Gateway, Keystone XL, Energy East, and the expansion of the Kinder Morgan and Alberta Clipper lines.
In terms of these other pipelines, the Financial Post reports, “TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL pipeline is in line for a decision by U.S. President Barack Obama in the spring of 2014, and Kinder Morgan is expected to file a regulatory application for its TransMountain pipeline expansion in December, with a regulatory decision due in 18 months. TransCanada is expected to file for regulatory approval of its Energy East project in early 2014.”
Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow has stated, “Going after these pipelines is the most important fight we can have right now. Pipelines are the bloodlines of the tar sands. If we allow these pipeline to go ahead, it’s going to mean that the industry is setting energy policy in Canada. These pipelines mean that you’ll need to keep them full and that means a massive expansion of the tar sands and that means that we will never be able to get the alternative energy future we need.”
Blogs noting our activism against the Northern Gateway pipeline:
Kelowna, Nelson chapters protest the Northern Gateway pipeline
2,200 rally in Comox against the Northern Gateway pipeline
The People’s Summit on the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project in Kelowna, BC
Reflections on the ‘no pipelines, no tankers’ tour
Maude Barlow speaks at ‘no pipelines, no tankers’ protest in Victoria, Oct. 22
Council of Canadians backs Unist’ot’en clan opposition to pipelines
We Stand With the ACFN to Stop Pipelines At the Source
Council protests Enbridge pipeline at UBCM convention
Belperio, Grewal, John raise concerns about Gateway pipeline
Thousands protest Northern Gateway pipeline in Vancouver
Activists call Northern Gateway pipeline hearing a ‘climate crime scene’
Adrangi at Enbridge shareholders meeting
Adrangi travels to Unist’ot’en Camp to oppose pipeline
Adrangi challenges Harper’s new tanker rules as ‘greenwashing’
Adrangi to speak in Kelowna on pipelines, Nov. 16
