B.C. still open to pipeline talk
British Columbia may have dealt a major blow to the proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline, but the province’s environment minister said the Clark government is ready to talk with Alberta about a toll or other measures to get a “fair share” from the $5.5-billion project — if its environmental concerns are met.
In its formal submission to the National Energy Board last week, B.C. said it couldn’t support Enbridge’s planned line from the oilsands to the Pacific coast in its present form because it failed to adequately address environmental concerns.
B.C. has set five conditions for approving oilsands pipeline projects, four of which deal with environmental and First Nations considerations.
The final condition is B.C. receive “a fair share of the fiscal and economic benefits” from any heavy oil project commensurate to the risks it bears.
In an interview Monday, B.C. Environment Minister Terry Lake stressed his province’s ecological concerns are paramount, but said B.C. will likely propose ideas on how it could receive economic satisfaction from the project.
“I think we all should just have an open mind,” said Lake, who acknowledged a provincial levy on pipeline products could be one potential option.
“From my point of view, there are all kinds of different ways you can get to this. It could be a toll. Certainly we’d want to make sure there’s a toll that looks after the environmental protection side of things, to pay for the regulatory regime and have a spill response fund in place,” he said.
“If there was some sort of fund that was for future legacies of British Columbians, I don’t know, that’s the kind of thing you hear people talk about.”
Lake noted it will be up to his premier to ultimately decide what B.C. would be interested in from its negotiations with Alberta.
Premier Alison Redford and B.C. Premier Christy Clark have had a fractious relationship because of the pipeline issue. But with last month’s B.C. election now in the rear-view mirror, both provinces appear eager to mend fences.
Clark and Redford — along with Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall — are expected to meet in the next two weeks to discuss energy issues.
The three premiers are also slated to meet in Winnipeg last this month as part of the annual Western Canadian premiers meeting.
Clark’s press secretary, Mike Morton, said a meeting was a “high priority” for the B.C. leader. Redford told reporters last week that she has talked to Clark and only the details of the meeting needed to be worked out.
“We think it’s important for B.C. and Alberta to carry on the conversations we’ve had and I know she and I are looking forward to that very soon,” Redford said Friday.
Alberta has categorically ruled out any sharing of provincial resource royalties, but appears ready to consider other proposals to deal with B.C.’s economic interests.
But Energy Minister Ken Hughes was keeping quiet Monday about how the government will deal with the issue.
“If there’s going to be progress in the dynamics of the relationship between British Columbia and Alberta, it won’t be done in the media,” he said.
“If there’s going to be progress, it will be through quiet discussions and everybody reflecting on their respective interests they have in common.”
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