Why should we here in Burnaby be concerned that as of Nov. 26, 2014 the Trans Mountain Pipeline LP has a new owner?
This happened when Kinder Morgan Inc. acquired 100 per cent ownership from Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP.
So what you may say, same owners?
I had the same response until I read a submission by economist Robyn Allan that she made to the National Energy Board.
It seems that Kinder Morgan should have applied for leave to the NEB and they failed to do so. According to Allan, Kinder Morgan was in violation of the NEB Act when it undertook exploratory drilling on Burnaby Mountain.
It appears to me that the National Energy Board failed to act on this violation of the NEB Act under section 74 indicating that the NEB is not competent to carry out their responsibility of looking after the public interest.
We are fortunate to have dedicated people like Robyn Allan intervening on our behalf and keeping the NEB honest. Robyn Allan has put a notice of motion to the NEB asking them to compel Kinder Morgan to immediately file an application for leave to transfer the ownership of Trans Mountain.
She calls for the application to be conducted under a public review process and that all work cease on the Part 3 hearing because there are a number of public interest concerns related to the KMI acquisition.
A number of these are named in her submission, such as liability, insurance access to funds particularly in the event of spills and lower taxes.
Allan points out, "The NEB has been kept in the dark by Kinder Morgan regarding important liability and related oil spill issues."
In an article in The Tyee, an online newspaper, she explains how changing ownership can reduce the taxes they would have had to pay under the new ownership.
Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder Morgan Pipeline Expansion (BROKE), as an Intervenor with the NEB, will be registering their concerns with the NEB in support of Robyn Allan's motion.
Individuals can also take action and call upon NEB chair, Peter Watson, and ask him to account for why, when the NEB was formally made aware on Nov. 24, 2014 that Trans Mountain would be changing hands on Nov. 26, his office took no action.
Elsie Dean, Burnaby
