Today in Fredericton, the National Energy Board panel heard from representatives from the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick, residents from Anthony’s Cove (Saint John area), representatives from the First Nations communities of; St. Mary’s, Madawaska Maliseet, Kingsclear, Oromocto, Tobique and Woodstock.
Concerns raised today include:
•The need for Impact and mitigation measures should an accident or spill occur with the pipeline itself around watercourse crossings
•The need for more transparency and information from TransCanada representatives
•Will potential jobs stemming from the construction and maintenance of the Energy East pipeline be long-term?
•Will New Brunswickers be eligible for jobs stemming from the construction and maintenance of the East Energy pipeline, or, will the work be outsourced?
The impact of the project on First Nations rights, particularly:
•An increase in marine shipping and tanker traffic in the Bay of Fundy interfering with First Nations‘ fishing rights
•The limited and small amount of members given the opportunity to engage on EnergyEast discussions
•The unique nature of treaties and their purposes being unmet/not discussed during Energy East engagements
•The large number of watercourse crossings the pipeline passes over. First Nations‘ land is at risk because they rely heavily on the environment the pipeline is passing through for medicinal, economic and spiritual purposes
The NEB has organized a series of information sessions taking place from August to December 2016, beginning with sessions in Saint John. At these sessions, intervenors are limited to short presentations and have been asked to present high-level questions they want answered and issues they want considered. Proponent representatives (spokespeople from TransCanada and Irving Oil) may respond. Intervenors and other participants may also submit further questions in writing.
A total of 337 applicants have been granted intervenor status, including the Conservation Council of New Brunswick. Our Fundy Baykeeper, Matt Abbott, spoke as an intervenor on Tuesday, August 9 in Saint John. To read about the concerns we raised, see here.
Read a summary of the NEB panel sessions here:
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NEB information sessions in Saint John:
- Day #1 at Energy East NEB sessions in Saint John: risks of major spills dominate discussion
- Day #2 of NEB panel sessions in Saint John: what does this mean for N.B.?
- Day #3 at Energy East NEB sessions in Saint John: NEB gets an earful from First Nations groups
NEB information sessions in Fredericton: