Art Meyer, president of Enbridge’sGateway Pipeline Inc. claims that his company made its decision to route itspipeline through Kitimat based on how “environmentally sensitive” theroute would be.  What he fails to mention is that whether the pipelineruns through Kitimat or Prince Rupert, either route would mean a lifting of theoffshore moratorium on tanker traffic in the Queen Charlotte Basin.

Since, as Gerald Graham has written, “there is basically no way toeffectively contain and recover spilled oil offshore under the kinds ofconditions routinely experienced in the Queen Charlotte Basin, particularly duringwinter,” one wonders what his criteria were exactly. Anyone remember ExxonValdez?

If built, these pipelines could devastateimportant ecosystems by aiding fossil fuel production.  They coulddestroyimportant habitat, wilderness and recreation areas in the places theyrunthrough. They are being proposed to facilitate the development of theAlberta tar sands and  the opening of Alaska’s and northern Canadafor massive gas drilling and new gaspipelines.

Mr Meyer seems confident that FirstNations affected by the pipeline will go along with his plans. That’s not whatwe are hearing from the First Nations we work with. Sounds to me like Enbridgehas a severe case of counting its chickens before they hatch.

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