Thursday, April 12, 2012

Pipeline Wars a Cometh

Well well well, a massive pipeline expansion has been approved by Kinder Morgan and Trans Mountain pipeline, a expansion 40% larger than originally planned....

This expansion of pipeline capacity will see at least 1 super tanker, maybe 2 per day loaded with Alberta bitumen leaving Vancouver harbour everyday, this is a good thing, I think..

Now before you blast me, I am opposed to tar sand development, I am against shipping oil west when we still are importing 780,000 barrels a day to the east coast, i`m terrified of a super tanker spill on the west coast, that would destroy are coast for generations or longer, inland spills also worry me much..

But here`s the deal, I see 2 things going on here, the massive pipeline capacity expansion, 40% more than originally proposed, why was the proposal expanded so...I suspect that Stephen Treason Harper sees a northern wall of protest, he is coming to the conclusion that he will be removed from office before the court challenges are completed, First Nations are opposed and won`t be bought for pennies, in fact even staunch Conservative Bernard Schulmaan states, and believes that Enbridge can`t be pushed through without settled land treaties, I am no fan of Bernard, he`s a corporate lobbyist and I was rather shocked with his shot across the bow article he posted yesterday..

 http://bciconcoclast.blogspot.ca/2012/04/enbridge-northern-gateway-environmental.html

When I read that article from Bernard my radar started twitching, something is afoot..

Then today I read this headline and the pieces came together.

Kinder Morgan approves $5-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to Burnaby

Oil pipeline expansion to be 40 per cent larger than anticipated on strong demand

CALGARY — Kinder Morgan Energy Partners has approved a $5-billion expansion of its Trans Mountain pipeline that will more than double capacity on Canada’s only oil artery to West Coast and Asian markets.
The program will increase the Sherwood Park, Alberta to Burnaby line to 850,000 barrels per day from 300,000 bpd, about 40 per cent more than originally intended, the company said Thursday.
Kinder Morgan Canada had been cautiously optimistic shipper interest in the line would support the project but did not anticipate the surge in commitments, said president Ian Anderson.
“At the end of the day, the 660,000 barrels per day would not have been one I would have predicted,” Anderson said in an interview. “It shows a strong level of support from a broad group of shippers for the project.”
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Now before everyone freaks out, if you read that article in full, it comes across as if this is a done deal, the writer of the article only vaguely mentions an environmental review, the whole story is written in the {Done-deal-mode}..And that too offends me..
Let me be clear, if Stephen Treason Harper`s madness can`t be stopped, and if I had to choose which pipeline goes through, the line to Burnaby is the one I would choose, when I am in Burnaby visiting mom I can watch the super tankers from her balcony, I grew up in Burnaby, fished Howe Sound and Burrard inlet, but if I had to choose that would be my choice, for the Howe Sound fish have already been killed off, the cod are gone, the coho mostly gone,  herring gone, where as the Northern coast is still pristine and vibrant with bird and sea life, the great kelp forests still thrive in the north..

Kinder Morgan would be using the existing right-away, there is already a pipeline there,  there are already tankers moving through Vancouver harbour and...

And there is a population, there are boats, crews, people by the millions in Vancouver who could rush to the beaches for the inevitable spill, an emergency futile clean up would be front and center ..People in Point Grey could watch these super tankers sail by their front yard everyday, property values could be wiped out with a massive spill...

And maybe, just maybe the green elite Vancouverites who live in  Point Grey, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Whytecliff bluffs, maybe they will join the fight, for if there is a major spill the oil bitumen will be spoiling their front yard, spoiling their investment, it won`t be out in the northern regions, sight unseen, it will be front and center for the world to see.

Let`s be perfectly clear, if you want oil and super tankers plying BC`s coastlines than vote for the BC Liberals or John Cummins and the BC Conservatives, for the BC Conservative party is in favour of Enbridge, John  Cummins is completely at ease with tar sand development and oil tankers on our Northern and Southern coast, it`s in their platform...


Check out Section 15...Part 3.2

It clearly states full support for pipelines for the movement of oil, that means tankers and tar sands, ...

I wonder what the Environmentalists in Chilliwack and Port Moody will think about this proposal, will Chilliwack support a BC Conservative party that endorses pipelines and oil tankers,  Mr. Martin has been blathering about the proposed incinerator, it`s his issue, he`s dead against the incinerator, maybe someone should ask him about Enbridge, Kinder Morgan, pipelines and tankers, certainly Mr Martin isn`t going to go against his party platform..

The same scenario exists in port Moody, the oil will pass through Port Moody on it`s way to Burnaby, Port Moody is a city at risk from oil spills, tanker spills, fast water and rip-tides in Vancouver Harbour would certainly affect Port Moody, I wonder what Christina Clarke has to say about tankers and pipelines, it`s time for John Cummins and his party to come out from the shadows and let the voters know that he and his Stephen Harper farm team are in COMPLETE FAVOUR OF TAR SAND EXPANSION AND SUPER TANKERS PLYING OUR PRISTINE WATERS..

Why have these issues(tankers and pipelines) been left out of the candidate debates in Chilliwack and Port Moody....Maybe some Left-wing party like the NDP should start raising these issues, after all, we are in the midst of an election...

And for anyone who thinks that there is a difference between John Cummins and the BC Liberals, there isn`t, in fact tomorrow on CKNW a one Mr. Phil the shill Hocstein is coming on the air with Michael Smyth ....And what is the segment going to be about.?

Phil Hocstein is pushing for a BC Conservative-BC Liberal merger, all designed to keep the NDP out of power...Hocstein doesn`t care about all the BC Liberal crimes against BCers, he doesn`t care about issues, he wants his face front and center at the public trough, he wants wages lowered, he wants taxes for corporations lowered, he wants user fees and taxes thrown at workers, he wants the minimum wage lowered back down...
Phil Hocstein is a pathetic liar...He lies about the 90`s, I can say that with ease, come and sue me Phil Hocstein, bring it on...His assertions about the 90`s are so full of bullshit, he talks about construction statistics in the 90`s, he talks about migration and taxes, he`s wrong on all counts, more housing was built in the 90`s, more people moved to BC in the 90s, economic growth was greater in the 90`s ...Fuel, housing, life was much easier on average folks in the 90`s, and the wages of your average worker are no higher today than they were in the 90`s..

 Hocstein is running around begging and pleading like a desperate shill, like a little baby fearful of losing his blankee, like a whiny little baby Phil Hocstein is having a temper tantrum over the fact the NDP are going to win the next election....Too bad Phil Hocstein, deal with it you racist bastard!

Where was I...Enbridge is in panic mode, all their effort for naught, the $millions spent, all for naught, Stephen Harper has blinked, Enbridge will never go through before Harper is removed from power...Harper has lost 20% points of support in BC..The Federal NDP have a 16% point lead on Harper`s crew in BC..The issues..#1..Enbridge,..#2 and #3 Pensions and healthcare..

And just off the news wire...Harper`s shine is fading across Canada, the Federal NDP are now dead even in the latest poll, a huge 16% point NDP lead for the the Big Orange Star in BC and a dead heat across Canada...Harper`s star has turned into a black hole, despite the blathering from some Bloggers..

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Conservative+popularity+falling+wake+recent+criticism+poll/6449592/story.html


And to add more fuel to the fire, opposition to Enbridge is growing by the day, any BC Party that doesn`t come out strong against Enbridge is going to live in the penalty box, it`s as simple as that! This poll confirms that.


http://www.vancouversun.com/More+than+half+residents+oppose+Northern+Gateway+pipeline+poll+suggests/6450026/story.html

Anyway, now the pipeline and tanker debate will involve the masses in Vancouver, the people will speak, 80% are opposed, 80% of the lower mainland is opposed to tankers and tar sand expansion, so let`s go to the polls..Let the people speak..

Lastly, this Kinder Morgan proposal, we do have to worry if it`s approved that they don`t pull a fast one..What might that be..Kinder Morgan goes halfway to Burnaby from Alberta where suddenly the pipeline makes a sharp right hand turn and heads for Kitimat....The old Quarterback sneak comes to mind..

Let the pipeline wars begin, Enbridge is about to get very loud and angry...

Bring it on..

The Straight Goods

Cheers Eyes Wide Open






1 comment:

kootcoot said...

I'm actually kinda for the Trans-Mountain pipeline, in that Burrard Inlet and the entire Lower Mainland is a black hole already anyway. Indeed a big spill off of Kits Point, or Crab Beach might either not be noticed or actually reduce the property values when locals could afford to live there.

Here is KootCoot's Pipe Dreams or ways of moving the goop from Beautiful Fort Mac as fast as possible so Danielle and the gang can get started on the clean up.
There are many other aspects of the goop pit extraction that need to be smartened up or abandoned, but just considering the existing pipeline proposals here's my druthers.

#1 - A pipeline east to Sarnia and environs, where refineries already exist which could replace the other not ethical oil eastern Canada now has to import from bad IslamoFascists (separate from our local Ottawa Fascists). This would even go towards an intelligent National Energy Policy and Canadian energy self reliance.

#2. The TransCan-Excel to Houston area. At least this keeps the goop on the side of the Rockies I don't really give much of a shit about. Drawbacks is it doesn't lead to fuel sustainability for the US or Canada and exports Canadian Jobs.

#3 - The TransMountain Kinder-Morgan project, thought they (like Enbridge) have a deplorable record with spills and accountability - hey they are just doubling (or 3X) existing infrastructure, and the new lines should be better (they will be newer and less likely to fail immediately due to corrosion) and frankly I don't worry that much about the country side that runs through as much of it is screwed already.

#∞(infinity)- The Enbridge Northern Gateway - cuz it ain't happening, no how! Or as the big boys say - It ain't even on the table!