GN Community Updates

Enbridge President Says First Nations Biggest Hurdle to Gateway

By 250 News

Friday, January 21, 2011 03:53 AM

Whistler, B.C. – The President and CEO of Enbridge says First Nations pose the biggest hurdle to the company’s proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline.

Pat Daniel made the comment while taking questions at an investor conference in Whistler Thursday morning. While Daniel says First Nations may not have very large numbers, their opposition to the proposed twin pipeline is very vocal and influential.

“As we all know in Canada, First Nations have got a lot of power and the opposition is primarily to the tanker traffic, not so much to the pipeline but to the tanker traffic off the west coast.”

However, Daniel is still optimistic that Northern Gateway will go ahead as planned as long as Enbridge follows the proper consultation process and lays out its arguments as logically as it has in the past. He also says Ottawa will play a role.

“As long as we’ve got the very strong federal government and, I think, general Canadian support of broadening out our markets that we will ultimately be successful. But it’s going to be a challenge.”

Daniel says the offer of 10% equity in the project to First Nations is also starting to turn the tide a bit. Despite the offer only being made in mid November, he says the offer has been very well received and Enbridge is hoping to bring more First Nations onside with it.

Enbridge wasn’t fully well received at the Whistler conference as Greenpeace activists held protests against the company and its Northern Gateway initiative.

Enbridge has also  made a response to the  Joint Review Panel's  request for more  information.  In a  brief corporate statement,  Enbridge says "The Joint Review Panel has requested additional detail from Northern Gateway on the design and risk assessment of the pipelines due to the geotechnical aspects and the geographic location of the pipelines. We are assembling information on how the risk factors from the geotechnical and geographical aspects of the applied-for corridor and terminal will be taken into account and integrated with the environmental and socio-economic consequences from potential hydrocarbon releases. We will prepare the information requested and will file it as part of our earlier commitments to provide additional information regarding the Termpol studies, General Oil Spill Response Plan and updated Consultation.

We are pleased to be able to provide the requested information to demonstrate the project can be built and operated safely."

The Joint Review Panel has agreed the  hearings on the proposed twin line will be held in communities  "in the proximity"of the proposed pipeline, but there has been no decision  yet on where  and when those hearings will take place.

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There is no technology for cleaning oil spills from ice covered rivers. Considering that this pipeline has over 750 water crossings that are ice covered over 5 months a year, this project should be a non- starter. Trans-Canada Pipelines has already looked at this route and declared it non-viable. The only thing keeping this dog alive is the $100 million of Chinese money that has been spent, and the local politicians with greasy fingers.