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LETTER: Pipeline claims warrant debunking

Dear Editor: Over the past several weeks there have been several letters/articles in the North Shore News regarding the Kinder Morgan Canada pipeline expansion project.
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Dear Editor:

Over the past several weeks there have been several letters/articles in the North Shore News regarding the Kinder Morgan Canada pipeline expansion project. The two I address have errors and are misleading, in my opinion, to the average reader.

In your Nov. 22 edition, Pipeline Expansion Won’t Guarantee a Better Oil Price, Doug Taylor claims that the KMC expansion will not improve the economics of oilsands projects. If this is correct, then why are so many oil companies signing long-term multimillion-dollar contracts to use the line? Secondly, 100 per cent of Western Canada’s oil and gas exports go to the United States, our only customer and often not a friendly one – think softwood lumber. The energy companies know that having all your eggs in one basket is insane, and the KMC expansion is a first step to reduce this.

In your Nov. 10 edition, Eco-Tour Operators, Tsleil-Waututh Dismayed as Oil Terminal Expansion Work Gets Underway (news story), eco-tour operators and the Tsleil-Waututh Nation are “upset and dismayed” and “surprised” that work has started “so early” on the tanker terminal on Burrard inlet and that a floating security fencing was put in place. Well, anyone who reads the local newspapers, or the TMPL Expansion website should not have been surprised. As for the security fencing, the five protesters arrested trespassing on the KMC installation facilities explains in part the reason for that.

Rueben George of the TWN claims in that article that someone building a balcony on their house goes through more permitting than KMC has. In my opinion, this statement is total hyperbole. He then complains: “There’s no consultation at all,” presumably referring to KMC.

I attended a meeting at Capilano University Nov. 29, 2012 where Ms. Carleen Thomas (a then TWN councillor) stated that TWN refused to participate with KMC because it might be viewed as consultation (from my written notes). Well, it takes two to tango.

John Hunter
North Vancouver

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