Burnaby mayor and council unanimously opposed the proposed Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion at Monday night's meeting.
Coun. Paul McDonell said there were too many unknowns regarding the expansion.
He also noted that tanker traffic would increase - from 70 tankers per year to about 300, he said.
"I don't see much gain for the city, with this going through," he said. "There are so many questions left unanswered."
Mayor Derek Corrigan said he has questions about the method of transport, and wants to know why east-west pipelines wouldn't be a better answer, or a pipeline to the U.S., to transport oil directly rather than by tankers across water.
He noted that the city already accommodates Kinder Morgan's Westridge Marine terminal, as well as the Chevron Refinery.
"No one can suggest we're not doing our part to feed the need for gas, diesel and jet fuel in the Lower Mainland," he said.
Burnaby's planning and building director, Basil Luksun, prepared a detailed 20-page report on the proposal, which was presented to council.
"The proposal, as presented, would have significant risks and impacts on Burnaby's economic, social and environmental well-being," the report stated.
The benefits for the city, region and province are not enough to balance the risks, Luksun added.
The proposal to twin the pipeline would more than double its current capacity for transporting 300,000 barrels per day to 750,000, according to the report.
The report includes a summary of Kinder Morgan's current transportation services relating to Burnaby; an overview of the proposal; a review of risks, impacts and potential benefits to the city; and a review of the regulatory framework for pipeline development and operation at national, provincial, regional and local levels.
Issues such as environmental and public health impacts, land use, issues with major and minor spills, emergency response, and the local risks and impacts, were addressed in the report.
Council agreed to send letters opposing the proposal to the federal and provincial ministers of the environment and the National Energy Board.
They also agreed to ask Premier Christy Clark to review the risks and benefits of crude oil exportation from B.C., and ask the provincial environment minister do a thorough assessment of the pipeline expansion proposal.
A spokesperson for Kinder Morgan said the company is communicating with the City of Burnaby throughout the consultation process on the proposed expansion.
"We have met with city staff about the proposed expansion and next steps - in particular the consultation process we are embarking on," Lexa Hobenshield wrote in an email to the NOW.
"We are in the early days of our expansion process," she added. "This process could take roughly five years - 18 to 24 months of consultation, up to 24 months of regulatory review and about 18 months of construction if the proposal is approved. If approved, the proposed project would begin operating in 2017."
The company has safely and efficiently transported petroleum products to Greater Vancouver for nearly 60 years, she said.
Kinder Morgan is starting its consultation process, communicating with local communities, First Nations and Aboriginal groups, environmental organizations and interested parties, Hobenshield wrote.
For more information from Kinder Morgan, contact the company's toll-free voicemail box at 1-866-514-6700.
