The Editor,
Who owns Trans Mountain Pipeline?
Why should we be concerned that as of Nov. 26, Trans Mountain Pipeline LP has a new owner. This happened when Kinder Morgan Inc. acquired 100% ownership from Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP.
"So what?" you may say, same owners. I had the same response until I read a submission made by economist Robyn Allan to the National Energy Board. It seems that Kinder Morgan should have applied for leave to the NEB but failed to do so. According to Allan, Kinder Morgan was in violation of the NEB Act when it undertook exploratory drilling on Burnaby Mountain.
It appears to me the National Energy Board failed to act on this violation of the act, indicating the board is not competent to carry out its responsibility of looking after the public interest.
We are fortunate to have dedicated people like Ms. Allan intervening on our behalf and keeping the NEB honest. She has put a notice of motion to the board asking it to compel Kinder Morgan to immediately file an application for leave to transfer the ownership of Trans Mountain.
She calls for the application to be conducted under a public review process and that all work cease on the Part III Hearing because there are a number of public interest concerns related to the KMI acquisition. A number of these are named in her submission, such as liability, insurance and access to funds particularly in event of spills and lower taxes.
Allan points out, "The NEB has been kept in the dark by Kinder Morgan regarding important liability and related oil spill issues." In an article in The Tyee (thetyee.ca), she explains how changing ownership can reduce the taxes they would have had to pay under the new ownership.
Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder Morgan Pipeline Expansion (BROKE), as an intervenor with the NEB, will be registering its concerns with the NEB in support of Ms. Allan's motion.
Individuals can also take action and call upon NEB chair Peter Watson to explain why, when the NEB was formally made aware on Nov. 24 that Trans Mountain would be changing hands on Nov. 26, that his office took no action.
Elsie Dean, Burnaby
