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Media Release – Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder Morgan Expansion (BROKE)
07/12/17
December 7, 2017, BURNABY, BC.
Media Release – Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder Morgan Expansion (BROKE)
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How many calls will save us from a Kinder Morgan tank farm explosion?
One phone call to Kinder Morgan would have prevented the fiery deaths and injuries in an Illinois farm field on December 5, when one of the company’s gas pipelines exploded. Or so says Kinder Morgan—by way of blaming the farmers who were the victims.
Sadly, a father and son are dead. Two other young men have been taken to hospital. This isn’t the first time Kinder Morgan has been involved in incidents that injure or kill or cause serious environmental damage.
How many phone calls should we make in trying to prevent the many more deaths and injuries that a Burnaby Fire Department report warns could result from a disastrous and probably uncontrollable fire/explosion at the Kinder Morgan tank farm on the side Burnaby Mountain?
Already many of us have taken action to draw attention to the insane Kinder Morgan plan to triple (to over 5 million barrels) the volatile solvent and bitumen products stored on the urban mountainside. Yet, our “calls” have fallen on the deaf ears of not just Kinder Morgan, but of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and our federal government.
Weeks ago, a coalition of local residents and environmental groups delivered a letter to Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, asking how Ottawa plans to mitigate the risks of a devastating tank farm fire. We have received no reply.
An earth tremor in the seismically active zone could start the catastrophe. Or a lightning strike. Or an equipment failure. Or a human error. Or....
Kinder Morgan is willing to take the risk. So is Prime Minister Trudeau. Along with the National Energy Board. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, as well.
As with the many other pipeline and supertanker dangers related to Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Expansion Project, these risks will be OURS, not theirs. They have NOT been authorized to take risks on our behalf. With dollar signs in their eyes they seek to trivialize our jeopardy with schoolyard chants of “NIMBY!”
So, who do we call and how many times to make this all clear to all those who are so ready to volunteer our communities for unnecessary dangers?
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Further information:
Gene McGuckin, an official spokesperson for Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder Morgan Expansion (BROKE)
