Police have been arresting protesters on Burnaby Mountain today. Here's the latest from Kinder Morgan.
UPDATE FOR WORK ON BURNABY MOUNTAIN
Trans Mountain Workers Arrive on Burnaby Mountain
BURNABY, BC (November 20, 2014, (1:00 pm PST): As of 12:45 p.m., Trans Mountain staff and contractors have arrived at Burnaby Mountain to begin preparing the work sites for our geotechnical field studies.
Trans Mountain is pleased that the majority of the individuals occupying the area complied with the order and continue to exercise their rights to express their views in a respectful manner, while allowing our team to begin the work safely.
Our crews will be respectfully relocating any items that are in the designated work area. It will be secured and handed over to RCMP.
The arrival of our crews follows the RCMP’s enforcement of the BC Supreme Court order, issued on November 14, 2014; the same day the Court granted a request by Trans Mountain for an injunction to complete required fieldwork. Trans Mountain acknowledges the RCMP for their professionalism and for carrying out their duties while protecting the safety of the public and our employees.
The remaining studies are an important part of providing detailed design input into what we consider is the best and least disruptive route through Burnaby. Trans Mountain is committed to completing the work.
The studies require drilling two six-inch test holes, approximately 250 metres in depth, in order to take core samples at two locations on Burnaby Mountain. When the studies are undertaken, Trans Mountain is committed to minimizing any impacts and restoring, or compensating, for any disturbance to Burnaby Mountain.
Ultimately, if the Project is approved, there will be no surface disturbance on Burnaby Mountain because the tunnel, at its deepest point, will be approximately 160 metres below surface. The tunnel option through Burnaby Mountain is a result of the consultation with the community, their request to see the existing pipeline rerouted, and our objective to minimize disruptions to landowners, neighbours and road users. We believe tunneling is the best option and are committed to minimizing impacts to the conservation area and park uses, and mitigation and restoration.
About Trans Mountain Expansion Project
In spring 2012, Kinder Morgan Canada announced it will move forward with its proposed plans to expand the existing Trans Mountain Pipeline system – between Edmonton, Alberta and Burnaby, British Columbia – following strong commitments received from its customers. To date, as part of a comprehensive stakeholder engagement program we’ve consulted with thousands of individuals through 93 open houses or workshops along the pipeline and marine corridors and more than 1,234 meetings between project team members and stakeholder groups. For almost 60 years, the 1,150—km Trans Mountain pipeline system has been safely and efficiently providing the only West Coast access for Canadian oil products, including about 90 per cent of the gasoline supplied to the interior and south coast of British Columbia. For more information, please visit www.transmountain.com.
