The Tsleil-Waututh Nation is opposing Kinder Morgan’s formal application Monday to the National Energy Board to twin the Trans Mountain pipeline.
The risk of a spill is “too great to accept” and Kinder Morgan’s clean-up plan isn’t satisfactory, said Carleen Thomas, project manager intergovernmental relations for the Tsleil-Waututh’s Sacred Trust Initiative.
The process so far hasn’t met the constitutional requirement for First Nations consultation, Thomas added. “We expect government-to-government consultation and we have reached out to (Natural Resources) Minister Joe Oliver and we’ve asked for his ministry to look to create a parallel process for First Nations because the NEB process doesn’t fulfill the obligation of the federal government in terms of constitutionally protected rights and title,” she said.
Thomas said the band is likely going to apply for intervener status for the upcoming hearing into Kinder Morgan’s application.
“We find ourselves to be pretty much between a rock and a hard place. The process is flawed but we need to do the things we need to do to protect all our bases,” she said. “It’s so easy to categorize this as a First Nations issue or an environmental issue, but it’s really important that we’re doing it for those generations to come.”
If the NEB approves the expansion, Kinder Morgan will twin it’s TransMountain pipeline from central Alberta to its Burnaby terminal, which would almost triple the capacity of the pipeline to a total of 890,000 barrels of oil and diluted bitumen per day. Tanker traffic in Burrard Inlet bound for refineries in the United States and Asia would go from about five per month now to more than 30.
“For the past 18 months we have engaged extensively with landowners, Aboriginal groups, communities and stakeholders along the entire proposed expansion route, and marine communities, and have carefully considered the input received during this period of study and dialogue,” said Ian Anderson, president of Kinder Morgan Canada in a press release. “Our engagement efforts will continue beyond this filing leading up to the NEB hearing as we consider further input that is critical to our planning on this project.”
