Edmonton-based Prairies-NWT organizer Bronwen Tucker, the Council of Canadians Edmonton chapter, and Climate Justice Edmonton protest outside the Kinder Morgan terminal in Edmonton, June 5. Photo by David Bloom/Edmonton Journal.
Texas-based transnational Kinder Morgan has filed a construction schedule for the next six months with the National Energy Board for its controversial 890,000 barrel per day Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline.
The Canadian Press reports:
-
“The company says work has been underway since last fall at the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, B.C., and will continue along with additional work in the Lower Mainland.” -
“It says it will begin this month [meaning July] to develop the Westridge Marine Terminal tunnel portal at Burnaby Mountain and relocate existing infrastructure to expand the Burnaby Terminal.” -
“It also says work on a 290-kilometre stretch of pipeline between Edmonton and Jasper National Park will start in August and include surveying, staking and flagging the right-of-way.” This would include clearing trees and vegetation in the area. -
“In September, surveying, staking and flagging the right-of-way will begin in North Thompson, B.C., on a 120-kilometre stretch between Mount Robson Provincial Park and Blue River.”
On that second point, the Trans Mountain website lists, “Tunnel portal construction and tunnel boring, installation of pipelines within the tunnel.” On February 15, Burnaby Now reported, “Kinder Morgan can start construction on its Burnaby Mountain tunnel, the National Energy Board announced. …The Texas-based company wants to build a 2.6-kilometre tunnel between its Burnaby Terminal and Westridge Marine Terminal.”
Furthermore, Jasper National Park and Mount Robson Provincial Park are part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) ‘Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks’ World Heritage Site. The Jasper Fitzhugh has previously reported that the existing Trans Mountain pipeline has already spilled six times along its 158 kilometre route through Jasper National Park since 1954.
It’s not clear from the news report if Kinder Morgan has all the permits required to proceed with this work.
The Canadian Press recently reported, “[Kinder Morgan] needs more than 1,100 construction permits and has applied for 756. B.C. has only approved 221, one more than was approved as of May 29.”
That said, on June 24 the news agency quoted federal Natural Resources minister Jim Carr stating, “We expect before too long, within weeks rather than months, that there will be much more construction than there has been.” On June 27, Reuters reported, “Kinder Morgan said it is seeking permits to start work on its Burnaby Terminal expansion, a major component of the project.”
The Council of Canadians opposes the Trudeau government’s plan to purchase the Kinder Morgan pipeline. CBC has reported, “If no new buyer [for the pipeline] is reached by July 22, Kinder Morgan will present the $4.5 billion offer from Canada to its shareholders for a vote before the end of July. If shareholders approve the sale, the paperwork will be completed sometime in August or September.”
To sign our No Kinder Morgan Buyout petition, please click here.
#StopKM #StoptheKMbuyout