S TANDARD TERRACE
1.30
$
$1.24 PLUS 6¢ GST
VOL. 27 NO. 10
www.terracestandard.com
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Area politicians pan pipeline By ANNA KILLEN AND JOSH MASSEY TERRACE MAYOR Dave Pernarowski says the Northern Gateway oil pipeline project threatens the environment and the northern way of life, and he doesn't believe the federal government's June 17 conditional approval of the project is the final say on the matter. “It wasn't surprising given the previous decision by the joint review panel, however I don't think
the federal government's approval at this point in any way finalizes this issue. I think they are still up against a lot of opposition in British Columbia,” said Pernarowski of last week's federal announcement, which gave approval to the controversial project, provided the 209 conditions laid out by last year's joint review panel are met. “I think our community continues to strongly oppose a project like this that could have harmful impacts to our environment and to
Power line work wraps up
INSPECTION TEAMS are now going from tower to tower along the 344 kilometre length of BC Hydro's Northwest Transmission Line, methodically checking each one prior to the line being energized sometime next month. The checks are part of the commissioning of the $736 million 287 kilovolt line, construction of which was officially completed June 7, says Jim Shepherd, the BC Hydro manager in charge of the project. “They're looking at each of the 1,092 towers – the foundations, testing each of the bolts, the sag on the [conductor] line to see if it's correct,” said Shepherd. And while the towers are being inspected, so to is the equipment at the BC Hydro's existing Skeena Substation south of Terrace, which connects the line to the provincial power grid, and the new one built where the line ends at Bob Quinn on Hwy37 North. “There are 40 steps and 85 pieces of major equipment,” said Shepherd of substation work checks. The Northwest Transmission Line also includes a fibre optic communications system that is also being checked to make sure it works, Shepherd added. “We're doing all of this very, very carefully,” he said of the transmission line which is engineered for a life span of 70 years.
Cont’d Page A4
Farm to table Community supported agriculture boxes begin shipping out \COMMUNITY A10
our way of life in northern British Columbia,” he said. Terrace council voted against the project in 2012 with a 5-2 vote, with Pernarowski voting to stay neutral until a later point in time. When a new council forms after November’s local government elections, another motion related to Northern Gateway could be brought forward, said the mayor, who is not running for re-election. Pernarowski was just one of several northern leaders who spoke
out against the federal government's announcement, which was released without much government fanfare after market's closed on June 17. The $6.5 billion Enbridge Northern Gateway plan, over 10 years in the making, would see a twin set of pipelines built from Alberta to a marine terminal at Kitimat along a 1,100 kilometre route. The main pipeline would pump 525,000 barrels per day of diluted oil to the coast for export while
a second pipeline would pump a diluting agent called condensate, which makes the oil flow more smoothly through the export pipeline, from Kitimat to Alberta. From Kitimat, tankers would take the oil to Asian refineries. The decision by the federal government will allow the National Energy Board to issue the Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity.
Cont’d Page A27
ANNA KILLEN PHOTO
■ National Aboriginal Day ANNUAL NATIONAL Aboriginal Day festivities were underway at George Little Park all day June 21. The day, just one of many First Nations celebrations across the country, saw ceremonies, dance groups, performers, music, food vendors, information booths, and games.
SEE THIS WEEK’S B SECTION FOR CLASSIFIED ADS, SPORTS, & NEWS
Seafest success Terrace Northmen go undefeated at Prince Rupert’s annual Seafest \SPORTS B9