Line 9 Reversal, phase 1
The Montreal Gazette reports, “As National Energy Board hearings begin in London, Ont., into Enbridge Inc.’s plan to use existing pipelines to bring oil from Alberta to Ontario refineries, a public relations war is raging between the oil industry and environmental groups over the risks of transporting diluted bitumen versus conventional crude.”
“This week, Enbridge is before the National Energy Board in London for hearings (on) reversing the flow of oil in (the Sarnia to Westover) part of Line 9 (a Montreal to Sarnia pipeline), so that the refinery in Nanticoke, Ont., can have access to Alberta oil… And last week, Enbridge announced it would also seek permission from the NEB to reverse the flow from Westover, Ont., to Montreal, to provide Alberta oil to refineries in Montreal and Lévis.”
The Hamilton Spectator highlights, “Protesters have halted a hearing into a proposal to ship tarsands oil through Flamborough. …The three-day hearing opened Wednesday morning, but was immediately stopped when Native and environmental protestors began chanting in a London, Ont. hearing room.” A media release by the protest organizers states, “After successfully disrupting meeting, Haudenosaunee representatives explained that they had not been consulted about the pipeline plans, which would negatively impact their lands. …’This project cannot go forward without the free, prior and informed consent of the Haudenosaunee who would be directly impacted by a pipeline rupture,’ said Metis activist Sakihitowin Awasis who led the mic check that was repeated by over two dozen activists in the room. The Mic Check continued: ‘The people believe the NEB hearings are illegitimate, inaccessible and undemocratic.'”
And the Montreal Gazette notes, “In a report released Wednesday to coincide with the NEB hearings, Toronto-based Environmental Defence charged that oilsands oil increases the chances that aging, weakened pipelines will rupture. The report says oilsands oil creates greater risk of spills because it is more acidic, is transported at higher temperatures and is more abrasive and more viscous than conventional crude oil.”
Along with the Six Nations community members who organized yesterday’s protest in London and Environmental Defence, Equiterre and David Suzuki have publicly spoken against the Line 9 reversal. Last week, the controversial group Ethical Oil expressed its support for Line 9.
