The long awaited National Energy Board hearing on the proposed Energy East pipeline starts this morning in Saint John. This is just the first part of a long process.
One of the intervenors is the Port of Saint John. Its President and C-E-O Jim Quinn is hoping what is presented at the hearing will answer the concerns of those groups that are opposed to the pipeline project.
Another intervenor is Gordon Dalzell of the Citizens Coalition for Clean Air. His big concern are harmful emissions that would be emitted from the new and expanded oil tank terminals that would be part of the project. He’s upfront about what he wants the National Energy Board to do.
Dr. Kenneth Green of the Fraser Institute says the Energy East pipeline would be good for the Canadian economy and, as such, should be a no brainer but any pipeline proposal these days is controversial.
The Ecology Action Centre will be appearing today as an intervenor in opposition to the pipeline. It points to the recent Husky Energy oil spill in the North Saskatchewan River as highlighting the real threats of the Energy East pipeline to the Bay of Fundy and the consistent inability on the part of the pipeline companies to prevent or contain spills.
What we will hear over the next three days is just the first phase of the National Energy Board hearing. Phase one runs to December at 10 locations along the pipeline route. The objective of the first phase is to establish key issues of interest to intervenors and to help them prepare well developed written evidence and requests for information later in the process. Oral cross examination will take place next summer with final arguments in the fall of 2017.
