KENNEDY STEWART, MP CALLS FOR SCRUTINY ON KINDER MORGAN’S TRANS MOUNTAIN EXPANSION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 21, 2011
KENNEDY STEWART, MP CALLS FOR SCRUTINY ON KINDER MORGAN’S TRANS MOUNTAIN EXPANSION
Yesterday’s call for Open Season could double pipeline capacity to 600,000 bpd
BURNABY, BC – New Democrat Kennedy Stewart (Burnaby–Douglas) is calling for public scrutiny on Kinder Morgan’s Open Season call yesterday, which would lead to the expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline from 300,000 bpd to 600,000 bpd.
Stewart, the Associate Natural Resources Critic for Western Canada, calls on the Minister for Natural Resources to ensure the highest appropriate set of reviews from both the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the National Energy Boards. “Having a meaningful consultation with industry is important, but why not start talking to environmental groups or the affected communities?” asks Stewart. “Right now, Burnaby and British Columbia will be expected to take huge environmental risks, but see very little in economic gains or new jobs. British Columbians should be involved in this conversation.”
Stewart is in the process of conducting his own community consultations, including a constituency-wide survey that will arrive on doorsteps in the coming days. His recently commissioned Mustel poll in September 2011 found only 31% of British Columbians supported the twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline, with 35% wanting to keep the single pipeline as is and 11% wanting to remove the pipeline entirely.
Kinder Morgan’s Open Season call for the Trans Mountain Pipeline will lead to binding 15 and 20 year transportation agreements. It also opens the door for the completion of the pipeline looping from Edmonton to Greater Vancouver and the expansion of Burnaby’s Westridge Terminal.
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For more information, please contact:
Jaclyn Moneypenny, Office of Kennedy Stewart, 613-996-5597 or kennedy.stewart.a2@parl.gc.ca
Ryan Sudds, Office of Kennedy Stewart, 604-360-4921 or kennedy.stewart.c1@parl.gc.ca
