A very large number of groups and individuals have sought standing under Canada's new restrictive development friendly laws in the Trans-Mountain Pipeline project's bid to expand Alberta's Tar Sands access to an oil port near Vancouver, by twining an existing pipeline and tripling its capacity to move Tar Sands Bitumen from northern Alberta to the Pacific Coast.
National Energy Board flooded with applications for Trans Mountain review
VANCOUVER – Thousands of groups, businesses and individuals have applied to take part in the upcoming National Energy Board hearings into Kinder Morgan’s proposed expansion if its Trans Mountain oil pipeline through Alberta and British Columbia
Energy board spokeswoman Sarah Kiley says among the 2,131 applicants are many First Nations groups, municipalities from Edmonton to Vancouver, conservation groups and businesses.
I am gratified to see my own State doesn't intend to be an idle spectator in this process that would put parts of the Salish Sea on both sides of the border at increased risk.
One of the more unexpected applicants is the Washington State Department of Ecology, which is asking for a place at the hearings.
Under new federal rules, interveners will be limited to those who are directly affected by the project or can prove they have relevant information or expertise.
These interveners are the only Canadian orginizations and groups who will be allowed to have any input under theKinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline raises issue of Native-land grab new rules designed by the Harper Government to sharply limit participation by the general public in projects Big Oil wants.
This raises some serious sovereignty issues for the First Nation Reserves the pipeline's route would cross.
Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline raises issue of Native-land grab
by TRAVIS LUPICK
Matthew Kirchner is a North Vancouver–based lawyer representing the Coldwater Indian Band in a dispute related to the pipeline expansion. He told the Straight that if Kinder Morgan fails to reach agreements with First Nations, the company will be left with two options. Kinder Morgan could amend its plans to go around areas where agreements could not be reached, or it could request that the federal government expropriate reserve land without the consent of First Nations.
That’s never happened, at least not since the Indian Act was substantially revised in 1950,” Kirchner added. “But if a First Nation says no, then I don’t see any other option.…
That would be a major departure for the Canada's Federal Government even for Conservative Prime Minister Harper's oil soaked government. We saw a wave of protests sweep across Canada recently when First Nation Treaty Rights were curbed by Harper and his Conservatives. If Harper were to try to expropriate First Nation Reserve lands for Kinder Morgan's sake then a new and bigger wave of protests would be inevitable.
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