In the Dec. 28 Citizen, there is a letter by Svend Serup regarding his views about the "environmentally benign bitumen extraction by big oil companies" in the Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo region of Northern Alberta.
I'm a bit taken aback by the sheer level of sheepish naivety and ignorance that Mr. Serup manifests in stating that the methods big oil companies use for extraction and upgrading bitumen are environmentally benign.
While Mr Serup thinks that government regulation will reign in the interests of an oil company, does he not realize that the big oil companies and the federal government they lobbied so hard to get elected have aligned interests.
It would be disastrous to let a grossly-incompetent company such as Enbridge build a pipeline over pristine B.C. watersheds and aquifers, especially in light of the spill that Enbridge suffered in Battle Creek Michigan, and then "trust" them to do the "right thing" if a spill were to occur.
The oil sands is a dirty and toxic industry. Why bring it here?
Mr. Serup asks, "As for a pipeline crossing many rivers and streams, why would that not be done safely?"
To answer his question, when you talk about pipelines, you talk about "when" they will spill, not "if" they will spill.
The whole world saw how Enbridge mishandled the Battle Creek, Michigan spill. Not to mention that to transport the bitumen in a pipeline, another toxic substance (condensate) must be transported as well, and then back.
There are some that would put the economy before all other things, including the environment that their children will inherit.
People don't want to bring BP to B.C.
Andrew Tejero
Prince George
