Dear Editor,
The B.C. public’s anti-pipeline stance and resultant delays may have been fortuitous. We’re now left with an opportunity to build a publicly acceptable pipeline system and gain the export revenues so vital to our sputtering economy!
The two pipeline proposals (Enbridge, Kinder Morgan) resulted in much public concern about potential marine bitumen spills that could seriously impact our multibillion-dollar environmentally related tourist businesses.
A simple, doable, common-sense plan would be to combine the two pipeline systems from Alberta to terminate at Port Simpson, which offers relatively wide open access to world markets and eliminates added bitumen traffic in Burrard Inlet, the Salish Sea and Douglas Channel.
Energy East is proposing to transport about two million barrels of oil, through one existing and extended pipeline system to the east. Much of the oil to be refined in eastern refineries, creating many good-paying refinery jobs, so why do we need two pipelines, in B.C., to transport about half as much oil?
We now know that First Nations must be part of the solution, and if called, they can play a significant part in helping to care for these pipelines as they traverse lands and waters that they care for, respect and love.
Carl Shalansky, by email
