Dear Editor:
Kinder Morgan is finally beginning its public consultations in regards to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. I can only hope they listen to the concerns of residents who live in the path of the pipeline before they start expanding and increasing the flow of oil from Canada to the world abroad.
As Canadians and as the stewards of the environment most at risk, there are some questions that we should be asking both Kinder Morgan and Enbridge, things that neither they nor supportive governments have been able to answer about the projects and philosophy behind oil exports.
We used to build things in Canada. We have a long history of manufacturing being one of the keystones of our economy. Manufacturing and refinement of goods brought Canadians good jobs and the security needed to build the middle class of this country. What economic gains are being made when we ship our resources and the jobs that go with them to other nations?
We still have that capacity in Canada, and even in British Columbia, yet the government and the oil companies want to ship oil overseas, all so that we can purchase the refined product back.
How much does it cost Canadians to pay other nations to refine our oil?
The B.C. coastline is among the most beautiful and biologically diverse in the world, and the risks are high that a spill will occur in the case of these pipelines being created. What kind of protections and guarantees are being made to ensure that spills don't happen, and how are the companies going to fix the situation when there inevitably is a spill?
Trevor Ritchie, Burnaby
