Port Moody is joining other cities, such as Burnaby and Vancouver, in opposing the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, saying the risks are too great and not enough has been done to assuage concerns about oil spill prevention and cleanup.
PoMo's concerns were laid out during a National Energy Board hearing Thursday, during which the city's lawyer James Yardley lambasted the lack of evidence to support the $5.4 billion project that would triple the amount of crude shipped on the Trans Mountain pipeline between Edmonton and Burnaby and increase the number of tankers passing through Burrard Inlet from five to 34 a month.
Yardley, who was backed up by city manager Kevin Ramsay and sustainability manager Margo Davis, said Trans Mountain has failed to establish the project is in the public's interest and has ignored PoMo's concerns, despite the fact that its shoreline would be impact by even a small spill.
Among the issues raised by Yardley was the lack of consideration of the impact a spill would have on the shoreline that supports two hatcheries, salmon and birds, including species at risk, and he said Trans Mountain has failed to produce baseline studies of the environmental impact of a spill while also ignoring the potential costs to the city for emergency preparedness, response and clean up.
"There is every reason to believe that there will be oil spills associated with the project," Yardley noted, pointing out that spills have occurred on the existing Trans Mountain pipeline previously, including a 2007 oil spill in Burnaby.
Yardley was also critical of the company for not answering the city's questions about oil spill prevention and clean-up because it will only claim responsibility for oil moving through the pipeline and onto tankers at its Westridge facility not the tanker traffic itself because those ships are the responsibility of third parties.
The company has "inexplicably gone to great lengths in resisting disclosure of such plans," Yardley told the NEB hearing.
While laying out its concerns, Port Moody also recommended an oversight agency should be established to coordinate oil spill response and cleanup, paid for by the project proponents, that would absorb all the risks and costs of oil spill prevention and clean up, including doing scientific studies to observe changes in the inlet over time and coordinating volunteers.
"Such an entity would be useful in addressing multiple projects, current and future, addressing present and cumulative risks in a much more meaningful way," the city's Davis said.
PoMo's response, developed over the last several months, cost $100,000 in in-kind research and legal council, and was made as the NEB panel considers the project for a final recommendation in May.
PoMo was one of several intervenors in 10 days of oral hearings in Burnaby, and its concerns were echoed by other cities that presented.
For example, a study tabled in evidence estimates Surrey, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Langley Township and Abbotsford will have to shoulder $93 million in additional municipal infrastructure costs over the next 50 years as a result of the pipeline expansion.
— with files from Jeff Nagel
