LandKeepers News Archive
Green Groups Back First Nations on Enbridge Pipeline
March 25 2010 | News Articles | Toronto Sun
Four environmental groups, including Greenpeace, said they will back efforts by B.C. First Nations to stop the transportation of tar sands oil from Alberta to tankers waiting on the B.C. coast for transport to overseas markets.
Nine Coastal First Nations from Vancouver Island up to the Alaskan border on Tuesday announced their opposition to Enbridge’s 1,200-kilometre pipeline stretching from the oil patch north of Edmonton to Kitimaat, B.C.
The Northern Gateway pipeline will carry more than half a million barrels of crude oil through wilderness areas such as the Great Bear Rainforest.
“The Great Bear Rainforest is recognized worldwide as a global treasure that requires protection,” said Stephanie Goodwin of Greenpeace. “We stand with three out of four British Columbians who support a ban on oil tankers inside coastal waters.”
The environmental groups pledged action to stop the pipeline and pointed that protests in 1977 succeeded in blocking plans to bring oil tankers to B.C.’s north coast.
Canadians have committed to taking action in the coming months including marches, demonstrations, swimming the Athabasca River, selling Enbridge stock, gallery exhibits, and cycling the length of the Great Continental Divide, the groups said in a joint statement.
Enbridge has said its Northern Gateway Project will create more than 4,000 construction jobs and generate tax revenue for both provinces. Enbridge has also said ships have safely carried petrochemicals out of the B.C. port for a quarter-century.
The company in an emailed comment Thursday said it’s in the final stages of preparing its regulatory application for the project, which will be put forward to the National Energy Board in coming weeks.
Enbridge said it had carried out extensive consultations with local communities over the past two years on the potential impact of the pipeline.
“The results of our consultation efforts are considered and incorporated where possible into the project design and routing to ensure we meet best practices with regards to safety and environmental protection.”
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