S TANDARD TERRACE
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VOL. 26 NO. 37
www.terracestandard.com
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Pipeline opposition solidifies ENBRIDGE’S plan to ship Alberta crude oil via a pipeline through northern B.C. to a marine terminal at Kitimat for export to Asia passed a first test last week with a federal review panel recommending acceptance of the project. But supporters say there’s much work yet to be done and those opposed are predicting continued – and increasing – actions to stop the project. The panel’s recommendation for acceptance is now
being considered by the federal cabinet which has up to 180 days to respond. Enbridge officials say they are now studying the panel’s report which contains 209 conditions addressing construction, environmental protection and myriad other issues. “The [National Energy Board’s] Joint Review Panel conducted the most comprehensive and science-based pipeline review in Canadian history and their report reflects the input of thousands
of Canadians. Their report is an important step towards that goal,” said Enbridge official Janet Holder who is in charge of the Northern Gateway project. Although the panel did acknowledge the potential for environmental impacts, it ranked the potential for spills, for example, as low. It felt that the overall benefit of exporting oil outweighed, on balance, the potential for environmental effects. The federal cabinet can either accept or reject the
panel’s recommendations and either direct the National Energy Board to issue what are called issues of public convenience or direct it to dismiss the application. If it chooses to, and before it makes its decision, the federal cabinet can order the board to reconsider its recommendation or any of the 209 recommendations. “If the [federal cabinet] orders reconsideration, the National Energy Board will reconsider and decide whether or not to make
changes to what is contained in the report,” states the board on its website. Greg Knox of Terracebased SkeenaWild, a regional environmental group, is surprised the board determined the chances of environmental impacts are low. “You can’t clean up oil,” said Knox of the potential of a marine spill. “It’s impossible. The most successful response is to clean up 5 – 15 per cent of the oil. And that’s under really good conditions.”
Knox said that while the project has acceptance from the National Energy Board, Enbridge has failed to gain the approval of First Nations and the public. It’s left him predicting the chance of mass civil disobedience should the federal cabinet approve the project. Skeena – Bulkley Valley NDP MP Nathan Cullen is also looking at the next phase as supporters and opposers gather their forces together.
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Mayor is disappointed
Anna Killen PHOTO
■■ Old school For the third year in a row, ultimate hockey dad Brian Reimer has turned his Terrace backyard into an outdoor rink – complete with advertisements on the boards, flood lights, a centre line and blue lines, and a net to catch stray pucks, the 50x100 foot rink took him nearly a month to complete. After a warm few weeks, it was finally cold enough on Dec. 18 for this group of atoms to take to the ice – friends who play on four different teams, the group gathered to warm up before official practice at the Sportspex on the old school rink. “We’ll be out here until 10 or 11 o’clock some nights,” said Reimer, noting that the ice is harder than it is with indoor rinks, meaning skates need to be well-sharpened.
TERRACE Mayor Dave Pernarowski says he’s disappointed in the decision by a federal review panel to recommend construction of Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline. “I don’t know that I was entirely surprised, but I was a little bit disappointed that the review panel just seemed to miss the point that was being brought forward to the panel through all the discussion,” said Pernarowski of widespread opposition to the project expressed at the panel’s hearings held in the northwest and elsewhere. During the fall 2011 civic election, Pernarowski ran on a platform of being opposed to the pipeline project but voted to stay neutral in February 2012 when city council formally expressed its opposition. Pernarowski acknowledged that if the federal government approves the project, which he thinks is likely considering the statements it has already made, that the dialogue between council and Enbridge will take on a whole new pitch. It will “no longer be a ‘do you think this is a good project’” dialogue but instead a “we’re doing the project and we want to get social licence to continue working in the community discussion,” said Pernarowski. He said that in the new year council will discuss what its orientation will be moving forward, but suspects that council will still be opposed.
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Christmas cheer
Coal freeze
Kings reign
Holiday events around Terrace spread love and warmth this season \COMMUNITY A14
The provincial gov’t freezes Klappan coal licence applications \NEWS A4
The Terrace River Kings are first in the western division of the CIHL \SPORTS A22