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Enbridge Pipeline Opposition Targets Financial Backers

Yesterday's coverage also included a one minute segment on the Business News Network's "Commodities" show, hosted by Andy Bell.

Stop Enbridge funds: natives Herald News Services The Calgary Herald March 23, 2011 http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Stop+Enbridge+funds+natives/4488234/story.html

Foes of Northern Gateway Pipeline target potential financial backers Terri Theodore The Canadian Press (The Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, CBC.ca, Metro Vancouver, Winnipeg Free Press, Oilweek, Brandon Sun, Tyee.ca, AM 770 and many others) March 22, 2011 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/03/22/bc-enbridge-pipeline-first-nations-protest.html

First Nations target BMO AGM over Enbridge pipeline Claudia Cattaneo The National Post & Financial Post March 22, 2011 http://business.financialpost.com/2011/03/22/first-nations-target-bmo-agm-over-enbridge-pipeline/

BMO looks south, west for growth Derrick Penner Vancouver Sun March 22, 2011 http://www.vancouversun.com/looks+south+west+growth/4486333/story.html

First Nations call on BMO to withhold financing for Enbridge pipeline Business in Vancouver March 22, 2011 http://www.bivinteractive.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3967&Itemid=46

First Nations groups protest Enbridge pipeline Carol Christian Fort McMurray Today March 22, 2011 http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3038643

First Nations Put Pressure on Bank Over Enbridge 250 News March 22, 2011 http://www.opinion250.com/blog/view/19715/3/first+nations+put+pressure+on+bank+over+enbridge

First Nation Chief Stands Her Ground Against Proposed Enbridge Oil Sands Pipeline

Incredible piece on Chief Jackie Thomas of the Saikuz First Nation and her deep opposition to Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline in the Financial Post today.

Congratulations to Claudia Cattaneo for writing such an in-depth piece and for bringing an important and often unheard voice to the public sphere.

Quotes are highlighted below.

Comparison to ill-fated Mackenzie pipeline which had fewer hurdles:

Her concerns are a measure of the challenges and complexities facing Northern Gateway: They range from the size and determination of the opposition, to the potential for legal challenges, to the risk of significant cost increases and delays to its ambitious schedule.

Indeed, the Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline, a comparable project in many respects that was approved by regulators in December after four decades of pushback, seems straight forward in comparison.

Legal risk in British Columbia where First Nations land is unceded:

“There are so many impacted nations who are resolutely opposed to this that the legal risk to this project cannot be overestimated,” Mr. Patterson (West Coast Environmental Law) said. “Any one of those nations, or a combination of them, can bring legal challenges to this process at any stage.”

Speculation that project could be pulled quickly if challenges appear insurmountable:

Whether that means it has a better chance of succeeding because proponents will do whatever it takes to push it through, including even greater incentives, or falls apart because the challenges are insurmountable, remains unclear.

Ms. Crossman knows one thing for sure: “The oil and gas industry can turn on a dime. If it isn’t going anywhere, they pull it and it’s gone.”

Media Summary: Lobbying for oil tankers by "lame-duck" premier hits a nerve in BC

"A wide-ranging coalition of environmental, business and fishery groups are furious at Premier Gordon Campbell’s “lame-duck” call to end the ban on oil tankers through B.C. waters." - Suzanne Fournier, The Province.

With television and radio interviews, as well as numerous print articles, it's clear that BC's tanker ban issue is still of great interest to provincal and national media and, presumably, British Columbians.

Gordon Campbell's last minute act of lobbying to repeal the federal oil tanker ban off the coast of Northern BC has been seen for what it was: A final farewell kiss to the fossil fuel industry that he subsidized for years without question, and a strident attack against the wishes of the majority of British Columbians who support a ban in BC's sensitive Northern coastal waters.

Summary of major print and online coverage:

Critics blast B.C. premier's letter to Harper to sink tanker bill Judith Lavoie Vancouver Sun, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Victoria Times Colonist & Montreal Gazette, Canada.com February 25, 2011 http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Critics+blast+premier+letter+Harper+sink+tanker+bill/4343370/story.html

Anger as "lame-duck" premier Gordon Campbell calls for oil tankers in northern B.C. waters Suzanne Fournier The Province February 25, 2011 http://tinyurl.com/4lnharu

Campbell slammed for oil tanker support The Canadian Press & CBC February 24, 2011 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/02/24/bc-campbell-pipeline-endorsement.html

Campbell attacked over oil tanker letter The Canadian Press Metro Newspapers (Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, Edmonton) February 24, 2011 http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/life/article/784271--campbell-attacked-over-oil-tanker-letter

Critics blast B.C. premier's letter to Harper to sink tanker bill Judith Lavoie Victoria Times Colonist & Montreal Gazette February 25, 2011 http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Critics+blast+premier+letter+Harper+sink+tanker+bill/4343370/story.html

Canada dependent on honesty of oil tanker industry Andrew Mayeda The Vancouver Sun February 24, 2011 http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Canada+dependent+honesty+tanker+industry/4241769/story.html

Tanker ban legislation to be introduced Kitimat Sentinel Feburary 25, 2011 http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_north/northernsentinel/news/116617878.html

Oil tanker ban CKNW February 24, 2011 http://www.cknw.com/Channels/Reg/NewsLocal/Story.aspx?ID=1369790

Western Canada premiers want oil tanker ban removed Dan Burritt News 1130 February 24, 2011 http://www.news1130.com/news/local/article/188753--western-canada-premiers-want-oil-tanker-ban-removed

Premiers Pumping for Petroleum Sales in Asia Barbara Yaffe Vancouver Sun "Power Play" Blog February 24, 2011 http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/powerplay/archive/2011/02/24/premiers-pumping-for-petroleum-sales-in-asia.aspx

Campbell Calls on PM to Strike Down Oil Tanker Ban HQPrinceGeorge.com February 24, 2011 http://hqprincegeorge.com/news/local/news/Local/11/02/24/Campbell-Calls-on-PM-to-Strike-Down-Oil-Tanker-Ban

Lame-duck Premiers Lobby Against Oil Tanker Ban and the Wishes of 80% of British Columbians

Folks are incensed this morning that a lame-duck Premier (two when you include Alberta's Ed Stelmach) would contradict the wishes of 80% of British Columbians who support a federal oil tanker ban off the North coast of British Columbia. Reacting to a story this AM, first broken by the Globe and Mail, the Oil Free Coast Coalition, which includes a powerful fishing union, wilderness tourism association, as well as numerous businesses, community and environmental groups, is taking BC Premier Gordon Campbell to task for a last minute act of oilsands lobbying: Co-authoring a letter to Prime Minister Harper asking the government to kill Liberal MP Joyce Murray's proposed tanker ban bill.

Gordon Campbell isn't exactly a premier who listens to the people (witness the HST implementation), but a number of his potential successors are promising to do things differently, and so the Oil Free Coast Coalition wants to know where the BC Liberal leadership candidates stand on the issue. A fair question.

Here's the coalition's press release and backgrounder this morning.

Investors Lose Confidence in Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline As First Nations Opposition Grows

Financial analyst quote of the day: "Honestly, from my perspective, it's nothing that I would even consider at this point putting into my financial model," said Lanny Pendill, energy analyst at Edward Jones.

"There are still substantial hurdles from an environmental standpoint and just the huge opposition that we're seeing from the aboriginal community." - Reuters.

Analysis: Foes fight Canada pipeline to rich Asia market Jeffery Jones Reuters (reprinted Vancouver Sun, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, FuturePros, Forexyard) February, 17 2011 http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/17/businesspro-us-enbridge-gateway-idUSTRE71G1GV20110217

Enbridge pipeline project faces more opposition: Another first nations group rejects proposal Derrick Penner The Vancouver Sun, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal February, 17 2011 http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Enbridge+pipeline+project+faces+more+opposition/4299709/story.html

First Nations call Enbridge offer 'insult' Lauren Krugel The Canadian Press (Metro Toronto, Metro Calgary, Metro Edmonton, Metro Ottawa, Metro Halifax, Canadian Business, Oilweek, Stockhouse, Profit.ca and community papers) February, 16 2011 http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/life/article/775570--first-nations-call-enbridge-offer-insult

Five B.C. First Nations reject Enbridge equity offer Claudia Cattaneo The Financial Post (and National Post) February, 16 2011 http://business.financialpost.com/2011/02/16/five-b-c-first-nations-reject-enbridge-equity-offer/

Natives Aren't Buying Northern Gateway Pipeline Barbara Yaffe The Vancouver Sun "Powerplay" Blog February, 16 2011 http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/powerplay/archive/2011/02/16/natives-aren-t-buying-northern-gateway-pipeline.aspx

First Nations Alliance Says No To Enbridge Revenue Sharing Offer John Crawford CJFW Radio February, 16 2011 http://www.cjfw.ca/News/Story.aspx?ID=1365561 Yinka Dene says "No" to Enbridge HQPrinceGeorge, 94X and The Wolf News February, 16 2011 http://hqprincegeorge.com/news/local/news/Local/11/02/16/Yinka-Dene-says-No-to-Enbridge

Northern BC radio (CBC and others) and newspapers conducted numerous interviews with the Saikuz First Nation yesterday. More coverage to come.

Growing Opposition to Canadian Oil Sands Pipelines

It has been a busy day for Alberta's oil sands. First, as reported by AFP, a coalition of major American environmental groups including NRDC, Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Federation put out a report this morning titled, Tar Sands Pipeline Safety Risks that suggests Canadian tar sands oil is more corrosive than conventional crude and can be linked to an Alberta pipeline spill rate that is 16 times greater than what would be considered normal in the U.S.

"As Canada delivers a greater and greater percentage of our oil, their corrosive products will take a greater and greater toll on our pipelines," said Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, director of the NRDC's international program and a report co-author.

"That creates a huge safety risk we are not prepared for yet." (AFP).

This shouldn't just be worrisome to U.S. regulators who are considering approvals for the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline, it should also concern Canadians, and British Columbians in particular, who are being asked to shoulder the increased risk of the same corrosive oil, this time flowing through the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, a pipeline that would cross thousands of salmon bearing streams and rivers in some of the most remote and pristine areas of the province. Good luck finding and responding to an oil spill when you've got to check a pipeline that spans the entire province.

Fortunately, and this is the second major story of the day, BC First Nations aren't buying Enbridge's equity offer in the Northern Gateway Pipeline (original release here).What's more, they're saying that Enbridge is disrespecting First Nations by not taking "no" for an answer. The First Nations note that aboriginal title rights according to the Canadian Constitution would be broken if the pipeline were to receive a green light.

And finally, Canada is one step closer to having a legislated oil tanker ban off the North coast of British Columbia. Liberal MP Joyce Murray's private members' bill, C-606 is expected to be debated towards the end of March.

“We are now one step closer to a legislated oil tanker ban on B.C.’s north coast – the only way to protect our oceans and communities from a catastrophic oil spill,” stated Murray. “If disaster were to strike in our northern coastal waters, B.C. – and Canada as a whole – would never be the same.”

As always, one of the most important things you can do as an informed citizen is to write your local MP and tell them that you oppose Enbridge's Northern Gateway Pipeline, while supporting a legislated tanker ban off the North coast of British Columbia.

Phewww! A busy day!

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