Canada's Green leader says she isn't surprised the NEB once again approved the Trans Mt. Expansion project, saying the agency has been promoting the project all along.
Elizabeth May says the board simply went through the motions of reconsidering the project in yet another flawed process.
The Saanich-Gulf Island MP says she was surprised by certain things the board was willing to overlook -- including violating Indigenous rights, and more:
" The National Energy has now issued a decision that says we know this project could cause the extinction of the southern resident killer whales. We accept that there will be significant increased threat to the southern resident killer whales if the project goes ahead. We accept that there will be increased greenhouse gases on the project going ahead. We know that in a worst case scenario there will be extensive damage in an oil spill of dilbit on the BC Coast."
May says the NEB says the negative effects will be outweighed by the economic benefits, something she says they didn't study.
" There is no evidence, independent evidence from anyone, of economic benefit from this project. We're in a climate emergency, so increasing greenhouse gases is not acceptable. And neither is it acceptable to think that for 90 permanent jobs we have the right as human beings to cause the extinction of another species. It's all quite shocking."
May says the federal cabinet will now do a period of review, noting they are still claiming they are doing a robust and fair consultation process with First Nations:
" It doesn't seem like they are doing that either. It looks like they are making all the same mistakes that they made in the first round that got the pipeline permit quashed. That will likely be the case going forward. "
May says it will take another few months for the cabinet to make any sort of decision. She adds the Kinder Morgan pipeline, and Canada's ownership of it, will become a major federal election issue.