On Thursday, June 16t h, a tanker accident in the Upper Kennedy Lake area released approximately 3,000 litres of aviation fuel resulting in the shutdown of Highway 4 for approximately 24 hours. The spill has impacted the immediate site as well as the adjacent lake. Kennedy Lake is an important fish bearing site which is of critical importance to the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations.
Dimitri L.: This is Dimitri Lascaris for The Real News in Vancouver, British Columbia. I'm here today with Eugene Kung, a staff lawyer with the West Coast Environmental Law Group. Eugene specializes in aboriginal and natural resources law. Thanks very much for joining us today.
Eugene Kung: Thank you for having me.
Dimitri L.: Eugene, why don't you just start by telling us a little bit about West Coast Environmental Law. What does the organization do? What is the nature of the practice?
Crude exports via supertanker from the Port of Vancouver fell 40 per cent between 2014 and 2016, a decline that has led critics of the $7.4-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to challenge the need for the project.
In its report last year recommending approval of the Kinder Morgan project, the National Energy Board cited the company’s figures when it said the terminal typically loads five crude tankers a month. It forecast that, with the proposed pipeline expansion, that number could climb to 34 a month depending on demand from shippers.
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe chairman calls ruling 'a significant victory'
A U.S. federal judge has handed a lifeline to efforts to block the Dakota Access pipeline, ruling Wednesday that the Army Corps of Engineers didn't adequately consider the possible impacts of an oil spill where the pipeline passes under the Missouri River.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip is challenging Alberta Premier Rachel Notley on Kinder Morgan. On Tuesday, Premier Notley declared that no NDP/Green government or First Nations objections would stop its construction, saying, "Mark my words, that pipeline will be built, the decisions have been made."
New B.C. government would have a few tools to slow down construction of new oil export pipeline
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Kinder Morgan is signing contracts with construction companies and plans to start building its new $7.4-billion pipeline in September. At the same time, a new NDP-Green party partnership could form government in B.C. and start acting on election campaign promises to kill the project.
Both the company and the politicians made announcements on Tuesday making it clear they are not backing down in this fight.
