The BC Liberal government announced today that in its current form, it could not support Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion.
In a statement, the Ministry of Environment says the company has not provided enough information on spill response and prevention plans for both water and land based incidents.
In 2012, the province outlined 5 requirements for new heavy oil pipelines in BC, one of which is “world class spill response.”
The Minister of Environment Mary Polak says the province has submitted its final written assessment to the National Energy Board, but it continues to evaluate the pipeline project
Environmental groups have applauded the decision, with the Sierra Club saying the BC Government “put themselves on the right side of history”
“What we need is fewer pipelines and more solar panels, less fracking and more wind turbines.” Sierra Club climate and energy campaigner Larissa Stendie said “Premier Clark’s government can lead by shifting towards a thriving post-carbon economy that provides more well-paying jobs and helps keep the planet within 1.5⁰C of warming.”
The multibillion-dollar project would almost triple the capacity of the existing pipeline that runs from Edmonton to Vancouver, resulting in a seven fold increase in tanker traffic in Vancouver’s waters.
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