Ottawa – As was speculated on Monday by Global, the Federal government will drop $4.5 Billion dollars to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline.
This will include all of Kinder Morgan Canada’s core assets and avert the May 31st self imposed pullout that was threatened by Kinder Morgan.
That wold have shut down the entire pipeline program.
This as the legal barbs continue to fly between BC Premier John Horgan and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley.
In an early morning special Cabinet Meeting in Ottawa where MP’s were briefed, Finance Minister Bill Morneau stated Kinder Morgan will go ahead with its original plan to twin the pipeline this summer while the sale is finalized.
That won’t likely won’t happen until August and again as the legal sparks fly over bitumen already flowing through the existing pipeline.
Trans Mountain’s response can be found here.
Premier John Horgan released this statement about the federal government’s proposed purchase of the Trans Mountain Pipeline:
“Today’s events do not change the risks of a seven-fold increase in tanker traffic, or the catastrophic effect a diluted bitumen spill would cause to British Columbia’s economy and environment.
“Tens of thousands of B.C. jobs depend on pristine coastal and inland waters. Our environment generates millions in economic activity, from tourism to film and fisheries.
“It does not matter who owns the pipeline. What matters is defending our coast — and our lands, rivers and streams — from the impact of a dilbit spill.
“Our government is determined to defend British Columbia’s interests within the rule of law and in the courts. We will continue our reference case, to determine our rights within our provincial jurisdiction.”
Today, we’ve taken action to create & protect jobs in Alberta and BC, and restart construction on the TMX pipeline expansion, a vital project in the national interest. Watch Ministers @Bill_Morneau and @jimcarr_wpg: http://bit.ly/2IX5bfw
Chilliwack – Hope MP Mark Strahl : Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have botched the Trans Mountain pipeline project so badly that they have turned a multi-billion dollar private sector investment into a multi-billion dollar bill for Canadian taxpayers. #cdnpoli – at Parliament Hill
Mike Hudema, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace Canada:
“Kinder Morgan’s decision to walk away from its controversial pipeline and tanker project is a testament to the hard work of the Indigenous communities who have been leading the fight to stop this dangerous project, and of the people across Canada and around the world who have stood with them to protect water, land and the climate. They aren’t going anywhere.
“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has just signed up to captain the Titanic of tar sands oil pipelines, putting it on a collision course with its commitments to Indigenous rights and the Paris climate agreement. Trudeau is gambling billions of Canadian taxpayer dollars on an oil project that will never be built — a project that Kinder Morgan itself has indicated is ‘untenable’ and that faces more than a dozen lawsuits, crumbling economics, and a growing resistance movement that is spreading around the world.
“The Indigenous-led, people-powered movement that led Kinder Morgan to abandon ship on this project is stronger than ever and will not back down. Today’s decision comes in the midst of mounting resistance against the Trans Mountain Expansion Project. In recent months, over 200 people have been arrested confronting this project and those protests have spread to Quebec and across Canada, as well as to Seattle (U.S.A.), the UK, Switzerland and beyond.
“Two out of five proposed new tar sands pipelines have now been canceled in the face of Indigenous and environmental legal challenges, widespread public opposition and changing economics. The Trans Mountain Expansion faces even steeper obstacles and will soon become the third, and Trudeau just put the public on the hook for the costs.”
Ruth Breech at Rainforest Action Network: “The Trudeau government’s reckless choice to compel Trans Mountain endangers the lives and welfare of its citizens. Trans Mountain is the third major pipeline project to stall in two years because pipelines spell disaster. Kinder Morgan is a bad investment that no one doing their due diligence would touch.”
Sto:lo Elder Ernie Crey: I am happy the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the Minister of NRCan are delivering on their promise that the KM Expansion Project will be built, and that construction will get underway this summer. This is good news for First Nations & all Canadians.
Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May: Kinder Morgan laughing all the way to the bank. KM gets $4.5billion and walks away. Canada to raise money to build $7.4 billion project.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley: This is a major step forward for all Canadians. We have met the deadline. This project has more certainty than ever before.
We won’t stop until the job is done!
