Dear Editor
Hurrah! Kinder Morgan’s twinned pipeline has won approval from both the federal and provincial government. Typically, Mayor Corrigan comes forward and says he plans to waste more of Burnaby taxpayers’ money trying to stop it.
To be able to proceed, Kinder Morgan is conforming to some of the most stringent environmental regulations in the world. They are using the most modern science and engineering on the planet to minimize risk.
It is a sign of progression that our very climate-sensitive federal and provincial governments finally recognized this extraordinary feat.
In addition, while the environmentalists fought to have the risks reduced, Canada introduced a nation-wide carbon tax, as well as additional carbon taxes on oil sands.
It is time for the environmentalists to stop this absurd nonsense. First they protested there was insufficient consultation – and the process got delayed several years while more consultation happened. Then they protested that risks of spills were increased, so rules, regulations and processes were put in place to put the risk of a spill at an exceptionally low potential.
There were other arguments along the way – threats to the sea life, real estate – but for every protest, a requirement was set up to mitigate it.
Now Corrigan and his extremist supporters are left redrawing the line again and admitting what was probably known from the beginning: They never wanted the pipeline twinned, at all.
It is time for them to admit they’ve done their job, and they’ve done a great job – Burnaby will be the end point for one of the most environmentally safe pipelines in the world.
If you really want to stop oil being transported along pipelines, then accept that we do not have sufficient alternatives to oil for energy right now and start supporting the growth of real clean energy projects to ensure the pipeline won’t need to be twinned in another 65 years’ time.
Sally Gillies, by email
