Kinder Morgan defends redacted pipeline emergency spill response plan for B.C.
Security is at stake, insists Trans Mountain president, as firm seeks approval to triple pipeline capacity
Kinder Morgan will not release the full emergency response plan for its proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion into B.C., claiming any such disclosure would compromise its security.
Trans Mountain president Ian Anderson defended the company's decision to only provide a heavily redacted version of the spill response plan on Friday.
"Where you've got a critical valve or a critical access point...that we rely upon for security, we believe it is not something that should be published publicly," Anderson said.
But in Washington state — where a proposed pipeline would cross through to Puget Sound — Kinder Morgan has provided a more comprehensive plan.
'Playing us for dummies'
NDP environment critic Spencer Chandra-Herbert questions why the company is keeping information from British Columbians.
"For Kinder Morgan to think they can provide information in Washington state.... but not have to provide it here shows they're playing us for dummies," he said.
The company is seeking approval from the NEB to nearly triple the capacity of the existing pipeline. The $5.4 billion project would twin the existing pipeline that runs from Edmonton to Burnaby, B.C.
The National Energy Board (NEB) ruled in favour of Kinder Morgan's redacted plan in January.
"In this instance, the board is satisfied that sufficient information has been filed from the existing EMP [Emergency Management Plan] documents to meet the board’s requirements at this stage in the process," the decision read.
At the time, Premier Christy Clark said Kinder Morgan hadn't met the five conditions set out by the province, and until that happened, it wouldn't be going ahead with the project.
With files from Farrah Merali