Today, the BC Government indicated that they have hired Thomas Berger as special legal counsel to look at current action against the pipeline expansion plan, and will also apply to be an intervenor in legal challenges to federal approval of the project. There is also a plan for ongoing further consultations with BC’s First Nations.
In 2013, the Surrey Board of Trade released their position in support of the Kinder Morgan Pipeline Expansion and in late 2016 congratulated the Federal Government on their decision to approve Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Expansion Project.
“Despite the BC Government’s decision today to further review and consult on the pipeline expansion, the Surrey Board of Trade continues their support of the Kinder Morgan Expansion Project with the development of 15,000 jobs, mostly in the trades,” said Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade.
“Further, the Surrey Board of Trade believes the reviews that have already taken place which include a focus on environmental protections such as the 157 binding conditions by the National Energy Board as well as the investments in the Ocean Protection Plan, serve to address environmental and other concerns related to the project. The Surrey Board of Trade has been an advocate of this infrastructure project. Moving crude oil by rail through suburbs has proved to be far more hazardous than using state-of-the art technology in pipelines.”
The Surrey Board of Trade continues to encourage and support green technology and a reduction of carbon emissions as led by BC’s carbon tax and the federal government climate action plan. “We do need to leave a better world for future generations. We do need to work hard to move green energy sources forward. But it won’t happen overnight,” said Huberman. “We do need to be realistic in regards to the continued need for fossil fuels until such a time as a viable alternative can be developed that is both cost effective and sustainable.”
The Surrey Board of Trade has extensively reviewed Kinder Morgan’s commitment to ensure that the proposed twinned pipeline will meet and exceed the most stringent conditions to get product to market in the safest possible way.
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