Vancouver’s mayor wants the city to have a stronger voice when it comes to Kinder Morgan’s plans to twin its existing TransMountain pipeline.
Gregor Robertson tabled a motion on December 4 for the City of Vancouver to apply to intervene in National Energy Board hearings, which are expected to start in 2014.
The motion follows a staff report on Kinder Morgan’s proposal.
“Today we received further evidence from staff that the threat of a major oil spill in or near Vancouver’s waters poses unacceptable risks to our local economy and environment,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson.
City staff reported that if the pipeline is expanded, the number of oil tankers passing through Burrard Inlet would increase from five ships to 34 per month.
On December 3, an expert panel released a report on Canada’s oil spill preparedness. The report recommended major changes to Canada’s ability to respond to a potential oil spill, including setting an unlimited financial liability to clean up a spill instead. The current rules cap liability at $161 million.
The report noted that 600 more tankers could ply West Coast waters if Kinder Morgan’s TransMountain proposal and Enbridge’s Northern Gateway project are approved.
Individuals or organizations can apply to the National Energy Board for intervenor status. They can then ask questions and present evidence during the written and oral portions of project hearings.
