Toronto — Today, promising a united front on the Energy East pipeline, Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne and Québec premier Philippe Couillard set a series of conditions for the Energy East pipeline. The Council of Canadians sees this as a sign that opposition to the pipeline is growing and further emboldens our efforts to stop the pipeline.
“Energy East will be defeated. There is growing opposition in both Ontario and Quebec to this broken pipeline plan. Today, we see that reflected in the actions of the premiers of the two largest provinces,” says Andrea Harden-Donahue, Energy and Climate Justice Campaigner with the Council of Canadians. “Energy East would put Ontarians and Quebeckers on the front lines of a possible massive oil spill and unleash climate pollution equivalent to adding 7 million cars on the roads. It would also spike natural gas costs. This pipeline is all risk and little reward for Ontario and Quebec.”
The Council of Canadians has been working with over 51,000 supporters in Ontario and Québec to expose the project’s risks. They have shown that the pipeline’s oil would primarily be an export pipeline that would have little benefit for Eastern Canadian refineries or consumers. The pipeline would help drive further expansion in the tar sands, threatening to set Canada even further back on meeting climate pollution targets. As well, given TransCanada’s terrible track record on pipeline ruptures — five ruptures just this year — it would put waterways at risk.
The Council of Canadians organized an Ontario tour along the pipeline route, encouraged participation in the Ontario Energy Board pipeline review, and supported opposition to the proposed export terminal in Cacouna, Quebec, which puts a protected beluga whale habitat at risk.
For this, the Council of Canadians has become a key target for TransCanada’s dubious public relations plan prepared by Edelman, the world’s largest PR firm with ties to the Tea Party. In these documents, Edelman suggested doing opposition research on opponents starting with the Council of Canadians.
“There is no benefit to Ontario and Quebec in allowing this project to proceed,” adds Mark Calzavara, Ontario and Quebec regional organizer with the Council of Canadians. “We must say ‘no’ to this unnecessary, unwanted and dangerous pipeline.”
Watch our four-minute video handimation about the project here: www.canadians.org/energyeast101
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