I suggest the following if Enbridge is serious about its project.
1. Enbridge should be forced to build a major refinery in Western Canada.
2. The $15 a barrel subsidy be removed and used to discount the price of Canadian gas to 85 cents per litre.
3. This discount should exist until the oil-sands are depleted.
4. With the taxes earned by the Government of Canada, the country's infrastructure should be enhanced at the rate of $1 billion per year.
5. The government should beef up the departments involved in hazardous materials safety.
6. Any spills should be pro-rated at say twelve per cent of product lost as a fine against any operators.
7. Laser stations that report leaks immediately should be installed inside the pipelines.
8. Presidents and senior staff of oil companies should be personally fined if repairs and clean up are not carried out both in a timely fashion and to a pre-arranged level of commitment.
9 Repair and clean up crews should be trained as specific jobs and be on hand at all times.
10. Because of the terrain that the pipeline is crossing, people in isolated communities should be paid to do daily observation rides to make note of any "unforeseen" difficulties.
11. Should spills occur, the local populace should be trained and hired for clean up duties.
Mike C Shepherd
Prince George
