In reaction to the news that Irving Oil is asking the National Energy Board not to conduct its own assessment of tanker traffic and downstream emission for the Energy East pipeline and marine export project, Matt Abbott, the Conservation Council’s Fundy Baykeeper told CBC on June 16 that failing to have a public process to examine impacts of marine traffic would be fool-hardy.
“It’s certainly disappointing to see that argument made,” Abbott told host Steven Webb on Information Morning Saint. “In my mind, there are three key aspects to this pipeline: there’s the pipeline itself, there’s the export terminal, and then there’s marine traffic. All those components have significant risks associated with them – environmental, social, economic – and I think its important that we examine the impact on all of those equally.”
Irving Oil’s letter was sent to the NEB on May 10, 2017, the same day the federal government announced that the National Energy Board (NEB) is looking for public input on a new list of issues it may include in the Energy East review process.
According to the letter, Irving Oil says the project will have little affect on greenhouse gas emissions and noted that marine traffic in the Bay of Fundy is already being assessed by the Technical Review Process of Marine Terminal Systems and Transhipment Sites (TERMPOL), a voluntary review process involving government agencies and project proponents like Irving Oil and TransCanada.
Abbott says that the TERMPOL review, which Irving Oil cites as an adequate assessment for marine traffic, should by no means be compared to a proper environmental assessment performed by the NEB.
“It’s done behind closed doors and the focus is limited. To quote the process language itself, the focus of the TERMPOL process is on marine safety and accident prevention. So, in other words, it’s about improving the safety of vessels, which is important, but the environmental and social assessment part of the NEB review is about determining the impact of Energy East shipping on the environment, the economy, other activities on the water and so on.”
For more information on Energy East, the Environmental Assessment Process and the National Energy Board Review:
- Read our Executive Director’s statement on the NEB’s request for input on a new list of issues it may include in the Energy East review process, here.
- From the Fisheries Act to the NEB: a rundown of recent reviews, here
- Read the government news release: National Energy Board seeks public input on List of Issues for Energy East Hearing, here.