Feb 1, 2018 - Did the BC government just stop Kinder Morgan?
*The following was released by Coast Protectors
Kinder Morgan executives must be having a very bad week — and we couldn’t be happier. Thousands of Coast Protectors have contacted the provincial government to urge action to stop Kinder Morgan. Yesterday the government of British Columbia announced its plan to protect our communities from oil spills, and it’s a doozy!
Until independent scientists can prove that diluted bitumen can be cleaned up, the provincial government has frozen the amount of diluted bitumen shipped through BC by rail, pipeline, or tanker.
Industry has worked really hard to pretend that diluted bitumen is the same as light crude. We have continually pressed all levels of government to present the proof – any proof – that diluted bitumen can be cleaned up. We all know that dilbit sinks and can’t be cleaned up – soon we’ll have proof.
Unless this panel of independent scientists can testify that diluted bitumen can be cleaned up, Kinder Morgan’s plans to ship diluted bitumen through the Salish Sea are dead in the water.
“BC’s proposed regulatory restrictions on the increase of dilbit transport while the advisory panel is proceeding are a slap in the face to Kinder Morgan, which continues to face delays to its proposed expansion of the Trans-Mountain pipeline. The writing is on the wall – Kinder Morgan is under extreme scrutiny,” says Grand Chief Stewart Phillip.
This is wonderful news, but we can’t let it stall our resistance. Unless and until Kinder Morgan cancels this risky project that flies in the face of Indigenous and First Nations Rights and Titles we will continue this fight.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip named this year, “Battleground 2018” and our allies just presented us with a big win. This spring will call on us to live up to our pledges to do “whatever it takes” to stop Kinder Morgan. The BC government just stepped up in a big way, Are you ready to keep the pressure up? We won’t stop until this project is dead in the ground.