Enbridge's Line 9 pipeline reversal plan not OK'd by Montreal

Denis Coderre, Montreal's mayor and head of the Montreal Metropolitan Community, says Enbridge has not met all 30 conditions set out to earn his approval on the controversial Line 9 pipeline project.

Enbridge wants to reverse the flow of Line 9, a 639-kilometre stretch of pipeline between Sarnia, Ont. and Montreal.

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Right now, Line 9 runs from Montreal to Sarnia, but Enbridge wants to reverse the flow to bring Albertan crude oil to Montreal refineries. 

Coderre, speaking as head of Montreal Metropolitan Community, said Enbridge has failed to meet two of the criteria outlined by the MMC's vigilance committee.

The MMC is a planning, coordinating and funding body that represents 82 communities in the greater Montreal region.

Coderre said the MMC won't approve the reversal project until Enbridge meets key criteria:

• Detailing its plan to protect waterways touched by Line 9.
• Outlining its emergency plan in case of a spill.

"I'm for economic development, but if you don't fulfill those conditions, I'm not going to support it," Coderre said. 

"So right now, it's not a matter of, 'Well, a good average is 28 out of 30.' No. It's got to be 30 out of 30," he continued.

He said his next step is to ask the National Energy Board and the federal minister responsible for natural resources to withhold approval of Line 9's reversal until the concerns of the MMC are properly addressed.

Committed to safety, Enbridge says

Enbridge officials say they are working to fulfill all 30 conditions stipulated by the National Energy Board.

​“The mayor’s concern for security — safety for the communities and the environment — it’s something that we share as well at Enbridge. Our commitment to safety has not changed,” said Enbridge spokesman Eric Prud'Homme.

He says the project will only proceed if all the criteria are met.

"We always said we would fulfill all conditions, and this is what our team is working on...If we can’t fulfill the conditions as prescribed by the NEB order, there won’t be any project.  There won’t be any reversal.”