Pipeline too risky, activists tell panel
A North Coast environment group believes the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline should not proceed because of the risk the project has for sensitive species.
In their final argument for the National Energy Board's Joint Review Panel, the Kitimat Valley Naturalists said the company behind the $6.5 billion plan to link the Alberta oilsands with Kitimat via a pipeline and export terminal failed to properly identify indicator species in its environmental review application.
The group is asking the panel to deny Northern Gateway's application because they fear the consequences of a spills are too much to risk.
"Enbridge has failed to consider the cumulative effect of their project, its construction, and the compounded effect of all the other current and past industrial users," the group wrote in a three-page letter. "Together this development could wipe out at-risk species like our river sockeye salmon and our recovering eulachons."
In its evidence, Northern Gateway has pledged to include state-of-the-art technology to ensure the pipeline is safe and reduce the chances of a spill. But those promises don't satisfy the Kitimat Valley Naturalists.
"Enbridge has a naive faith in technology," the group wrote. "Human error and multiple adverse factors make spills a certainty. Enbridge fosters an attitude of foolish confidence."
The naturalist organization also brought up the floatation properties of diluted bitumen, one of the products proposed to by shipped through the pipeline. The weathering circumstances which would cause dilbit to either stay on the surface of water in the event of a freshwater or marine spill, or sink to the bottom of the body of water, was a matter of intense debate throughout the cross-examination phase of the hearings and will likely be a topic during the final oral arguments.
Northern Gateway has argued that under normal weathering conditions, dilbit would float, while pipeline opponents said it would sink, hampering clean up efforts if there was a spill.
"Enbridge failed to provide firm evidence that bitumen will float," the Kitimat Valley Naturalists concluded. "In fact, their own data and field data proves bitumen will sink, making substantial recovery near impossible with their proposed containment booms. Once oil reaches the
estuary/delta mud flats, it will be unrecoverable."
Meanwhile, the Heiltsuk First Nation has followed in the footsteps of the Gitxaala First Nation and have withdrawn their request to have oral arguments over the constitutional validity of the environmental review process.
If the pipeline is eventually approved by the federal cabinet, the Gitxaala plan to renew their constitutional objections at that stage, possibly through court action.
All parties in the process must submit their final arguments in writing by Friday. Oral arguments will begin in Terrace on June 17.
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