Local MP Kennedy Stewart is hosting a meeting for Burnaby residents who are interested in getting involved in the National Energy Board hearing for Kinder Morgan's pipeline expansion plan.
"(People) are going to have a very small window of time to register to participate in this process, that's why they need to get involved now. It doesn't matter if they are for the pipeline or against the pipeline, ... they have to get ready to go now," Stewart said. "January and February are going to be very critical months for Burnaby residents."
Stewart, who is opposed to the pipeline, set up a website, LetBCDecide.ca, to help people learn more about the hearing process and how to participate. The meeting is on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Confederation Community Centre at 4585 Albert St.
The National Energy Board will start accepting applications for intervenor status on Jan. 15, and the deadline is Feb. 12. To be eligible as intervenors, applicants should be directly affected by the proposal or have relevant information or expertise.
On Dec. 16, Kinder Morgan filed its application with the National Energy Board. The board's next step is to determine whether the application is complete, which should take three to four months. Once it's complete, the board will issue a hearing order, which should include more information on when and where the hearing will take place and a list of parties involved. The board has 15 months to decide if the project is in the country's best interests.
Kinder Morgan wants to twin the pipeline, which runs oil from Alberta to Burnaby, and expand the Burnaby Mountain tank farm and the Westridge Marine Terminal, where tankers fill up with crude. The plan, if approved, would mean more than 400 tankers filling up in North Burnaby each year.
To register for Stewart's public meeting, go to LetBCDecide.ca and click on Events to register. For more information on the hearing process, go to www.neb-one.gc.ca.
