Two Burnaby politicians withdrew support from the Chevron refinery's attempt to secure a more steady supply of crude oil, claiming the company is now supporting Kinder Morgan's pipeline expansion plan.
Chevron's Burnaby refinery relies on crude oil transported by Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline, but high demand from other pipeline customers has curtailed the refinery's oil supply. That led to the company's application for priority destination designation.
Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan and Burnaby-Douglas MP Kennedy Stewart were granted intervenor status for Chevron's application, but neither attended the hearings, claiming Chevron changed positions on the pipeline expansion, something Corrigan and Stewart adamantly oppose. Both politicians said support was contingent on Chevron remaining neutral about Kinder Morgan's proposal.
"We spent quite a lot of time applying for intervenor status to support Chevron, because we thought it was important to keep the local refinery open," Stewart said.
Kinder Morgan wants to twin the existing line, nearly tripling capacity. In an emailed statement to the NOW, Ray Lord, spokesperson for the Burnaby refinery, said support among key local stakeholders has been important for Chevron throughout the application process.
Lord said during the tolling hearing, Chevron did indicate support for the expansion of the pipeline.
Chevron's National Energy Board hearing started March 26. The board can't say when a decision will be announced.
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