If you’ve been worried about the possible effects of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, you’ll want to check out the latest news starting on our front page today.
The National Energy Board has released its draft set of conditions for the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion – and it’s outlined a whopping 145 things the company will be expected to do if the federal government approves the project.
Among them are a number of conditions that deal with the concerns of residents right here in our backyard. For instance, the NEB is asking Kinder Morgan to update the risk assessments for its terminals, including the Burnaby tank farm.
Kinder Morgan is also expected to hire an independent body to conduct a review of fire protection and firefighting plans at all its terminals, including Burnaby Mountain and the Westridge Marine Terminal.
The company is being asked to address concerns about a proposal to tunnel through Burnaby Mountain – including consulting with residents and businesses that may be affected by construction – and to come up with a groundwater seepage plan for the mountain.
It must come up with evacuation plans for people who could be affected by any tank farm incidents, including people at Simon Fraser University.
The list of conditions goes on, and on, and on, addressing in some way just about any objection that’s ever been raised to the expansion plans.
Kinder Morgan has called the list of conditions “rigorous but achievable.”
The question now is whether that’s good news or bad news.
For those who are sitting on the fence about the pipeline expansion but have concerns about a particular issue, the conditions may be sufficient to quell their fears and help make the project acceptable.
For those who simply believe the pipeline expansion is the wrong approach to take, it’s unlikely that a list of conditions – no matter how rigorous – will do anything to change their minds.
Now we want to know: Where are you on this one?
Do these draft conditions ease your mind? Or do they just help to convince you that the National Energy Board is getting ready to say Yes to the pipeline regardless of what local residents think?
This is a discussion we need to have as a community – and that there happens to be a federal election campaign going on makes it a perfect time to have it.
So speak up. We’ll never get a better chance to have this discussion than now.
