Oil pipeline and tanker talk is on the agenda again this week.
This time, its Metro Vancouvers port cities committee that is expected to tackle the controversial issue at its May 24 meeting.
Interestingly, the agenda indicated Capt. Stephen Brown, president of the B.C. Chamber of Shipping, was to make a presentation to the committee, which includes Vision Vancouver Coun. Kerry Jang.
Brown is the same man who spoke to Vancouver city council in July 2010 about tanker safety. He was among marine industry leaders and environmentalists invited by council to discuss an increase in oil tanker traffic in local waters.
At that time, Kinder Morgan hadnt officially released details of its plans to increase the amount of crude it wants to send from Alberta to its terminal in Burnaby.
Back to that in a few sentences
Brown, representatives from Port Metro Vancouver and other shipping industry types pointed to a myriad of safety precautions taken to move tankers in and out of Vancouver, including the requirement that tankers are of double hull construction.
This is what Brown said: Its no coincidence that the decline in the statistics of oil spill incidents [in the world] stems from the introduction of double hull tankers, and we have yet to have a pollution incident from a double hull tanker. And long may it continue.
Since Browns visit to city hall, council passed a bylaw for what it calls liability insurance requirements for oil tankers and pipelines that could spill into Burrard Inlet or the Fraser River.
In pushing for the bylaw, which some maritime lawyers have questioned since tanker operators and owners are covered under international agreements related to spills, Mayor Gregor Robertson pointed to Kinder Morgans latest proposal. That proposal is included in the port committees agenda. Also attached is a letter from Kinder Morgan Canadas president Ian Anderson addressed to Metro Vancouvers board chair Lois Jackson.
Anderson is promising the community a say before the company applies to the National Energy Board. Kinder Morgans application must meet regulatory and permitting requirements of all levels of government. We value the input and advice and regard it to be critical to our planning, Anderson wrote. We anticipate commencing the engagement this summer and will continue to meet with elected officials, staff and others interested in our plans and take the time needed to consider the input received during the 18 to 24-month dialogue.
The preliminary scope of the $5 billion project includes twinning the existing pipeline, where possible, within the right-of-way, adding new pump stations along the route, increasing the number of storage tanks and expanding Westridge terminal in Burnaby.
Kinder Morgan expects to apply to the National Energy Board in 2014. If the application is approved, construction is forecast to commence in 2016 with the project in operation by 2017.
Reality check: The port cities committees agenda includes a report by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada on the pipeline puncture that occurred July 24, 2007 in Burnaby.
Approximately 234 cubic metres of crude from Westridges transfer line shot up into the sky, spraying 11 houses, two people and some of it leaked into Burrard Inlet via Burnabys storm sewer system. The pipeline burst after it was struck by a contractors excavator excavating a trench for a new storm sewer line along Inlet Drive in Burnaby.
Mayor Gregor Robertson opposes Kinder Morgans proposal.
Twitter: @Howellings
