Engineering firm working for Enbridge and review panel
An engineering firm hired by the National Energy Board to provide expert advice on the proposed Northern Gateway project has recently agreed to work with Enbridge, the company proposing to build the controversial pipeline.
In a filing posted on its website, the federal government's Joint Review Panel (JRP) said it received notification from BGC Engineering that the company had been contracted by Enbridge to work on non-Northern Gateway pipeline projects. To prevent a possible conflict of interest, BGC said it will keep the information for the two projects separate and limit access to the details of the work of both contracts.
"The panel is satisfied, in light of the nature of the work and the safeguards discussed above, that
such dealings would not affect BGC’s ability to continue to provide objective and unbiased
assistance to the panel and secretariat staff regarding the Northern Gateway project," JRP secretary Sheri Young wrote.
The JRP hires consultants to help it better understand the evidence which is presented, but doesn't commission them to gather any outside evidence.
ForestEthics Advocacy senior energy campaigner Nikki Skuce isn't as convinced it's a good idea to have the same company advise the JRP on plans to build an Alberta to Kitimat pipeline and work for that project's proponent at the same time.
"It’s not clear how BGC plans to create these undefined safeguards, but it doesn’t seem possible that they will be strong enough to overcome the bias and conflict of interest that seem apparent," Skuce said, adding she thinks Northern Gateway has tried to influence decision makers already through its lobbying of the federal government and hiring former National Energy Board chairman Roland Priddle as a consultant.
"I don’t think these overlaps help with instilling public trust in the process," she said.
Northern Gateway spokesman Ivan Giesbrecht said his company doesn't see any conflict and emphasized the work BGC will do for Enbridge relates to the safety of the company's existing pipeline network and has nothing to do with the proposed project. He said the company's "strict conflict of interest code" will ensure the process is transparent.
"It is important to note that in its decision regarding the matter, the Joint Review Panel has also found there to be no conflict of interest," Giesbrecht said.
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