Lois Corbett, Executive Director of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, appeared in New Brunswick print media on Friday, Oct. 31, 2014, after TransCanada Corporation filed its proposed oil pipeline application to the National Energy Board.
Corbett outlined the Conservation Council’s main concerns with the proposed oil pipeline project. An excerpt of her comments, which appeared on B1 of The Daily Gleaner, are below:
Conservation Council of New Brunswick executive director Lois Corbett said she has three areas of concern with the project that must be addressed.
She said that New Brunswick has no existing oil pipelines and as such, emergency officials here have “even bigger challenges to overcome – preparedness, response, monitoring, soil clean up -than those expressed by British Columbia’s government in its response to the Northern Gateway project.“
Corbett also said the proposed pipeline route will see oil pumped under or across important water bodies in the province, including the St. John, Miramichi and Tobique rivers, questioning the impact on fresh water and tourism.
A third concern of the council is the risk to Bay of Fundy endangered species like the Right whale.
The Conservation Council of New Brunswick will seek intervener status at regulatory hearings.