Well, it was a foregone conclusion that the Enbridge pipeline would get a thumbs up from the government, so harldy anyone is surprised. I don't claim to be an environmentalist, but I am concerned about the potential impacts of this project and the subsequent shipping of oil overseas. Having travelled to the West Coast and witnessed pods of dolphins, orcas and other marine life this past summer it reminded me just how special this part of the world is. Extraordinary measures are required to ensure as minimal an environmnetal impact as possible as a result of the pipleine. We should demand that no corners be cut in the building and maintenance of the facilities. For one thing, even though it is more cost effective for Enbridge, for the pipeline to follow its intended route, why do we allow them to run it through virtually pristine wilderness? We have a highway system in place as well as rail lines where we've already caused irrepairable damage to the environment. Why not run the pipeline alongside such traffic routes where, if a spill occurs (and it will), it can be located and accessed quickly with as much equipment as necessary to contain and clean it up?
Instead of shutoff valves placed every X number of kms apart, we should demand they are placed closer together to miminimize how much oil can actually leak from a section of pipe. There's just two measures I can think of. I don't care if it costs Enbridge extra millions to facilitate these changes, they will write them off and they will still make hundreds of millions in profit. Just my two cents. They may not be viable from an engineering standpoint, or they may be. If they are, then they should be explored and we Canadians should demand no less.
Bill Thompson
Prince George
