July 16, 2015

I spoke to a crowd of concerned Manitobans on July 4, at the We > Tar Sands event in Winnipeg, and the most important fact I mentioned was this: awareness and opposition to TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline is greater than it has ever been.

At this event, with a multitude of speakers talking about climate change and First Nations rights, I was asked to speak about the land. I mentioned the unhindered destruction of the boreal forest in Alberta for the oil industry. I explained how Canadians were appalled at the devastating industrial scar being left, but felt that they had no way to affect change in another province.

The proposed Energy East pipeline would perpetuate this unconscionable harm to the lands and waters in Alberta. But now we have a way to help stop the damage: we can say NO to Energy East.

A deeply flawed review process

The federal government – and many provincial politicians – would have you believe that only the National Energy Board (NEB) has the power to decide whether or not a pipeline will be built. In fact, the head of NEB, Peter Watson, was in town recently, trying to convince people what a good job the NEB was doing taking care of pipelines.

After having to listen to him for two hours, the situation was clear to me: Peter Watson, who has been an Alberta government insider for many years, has no credibility as an independent assessor of pipelines and energy projects in Canada. And he won't talk about the impacts that pipelines like Energy East have on our climate.

The Winnipeg Free Press editorial board met with Watson and came to the same conclusion, which you can read in this editorial.

Even outside of the fact that pipeline climate impacts are not going to be considered, the current NEB process is grossly flawed. It requires Canadians to jump through hoops to have their say on the project, with added restrictions on who gets to participate after the federal government gutted the NEB process and many other environmental laws in 2012. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency isn’t even allowed to review the project! You can read more about the process here.

Despite the NEB’s lack of credibility, Manitoba’s Premier is erroneously relying on this federal agency to deliver environmental protections. In the Manitoba Legislature in May, Premier Selinger said that the NEB is conducting a review of the Energy East pipeline and that the Manitoba government has applied to intervene in the process to protect the province’s lands and waters.

Premier Selinger also encouraged any Manitobans with concerns to apply to participate in the NEB’s review. Unfortunately, the deadline to apply to comment with the NEB passed months ago – unless they have already applied, no one is allowed to comment or take part in the process with NEB anymore. This alone should be enough to prove the NEB process is useless.

But wait, there's more! When the NEB called for applicants to comment on the Energy East proposal in February, there was a huge statistic about the project missing from the public documents filed by TransCanada. On May 7, the Wilderness Committee and our allies provided some of that missing information at a packed news conference in Winnipeg – our analysis found that 176 megawatts of electricity would be required for pump stations to move diluted bitumen through the pipeline across Manitoba alone. That’s nearly the equivalent of Manitoba's new northern Wuskwatim dam!

This is an extraordinary amount of hydroelectricity, which is considered to have less climate impact than other energy sources, all to push dirty oil across our province. The electricity needs are not all in one location, either. Manitobans are going to be required to build and own extensive new transmission lines to feed the eight new pumping stations along the route of the line. This is massive new specialized infrastructure, and all for furthering fossil fuel use.

Risks hit home for Manitobans

To showcase the lands and waters at stake with the Energy East project in Manitoba, WC led Walk the Line, a hike through Whiteshell Provincial Park along the route of the proposed Energy East pipeline. Whiteshell is a favorite destination for many Manitobans, and the thought of diluted bitumen spilling into Falcon Lake really brings home what a bad idea this proposal is.

Ecologically and economically, Energy East is a huge decision for Manitobans. Now, people in the province are increasingly recognizing that the risks aren't worth it.

Back in April, at an event called Energy East: Our Risk, Their Reward, I told a packed Fort Garry Hotel ballroom about new polling numbers that were released by Climate Action Network Canada. While 61 per cent of Canadians agreed that 'protecting the climate was more important than building new pipelines or expanding tar sands', in Manitoba 78 per cent of people agreed with that statement.

The Premier of Manitoba was recently reminded just how many people are saying #StopEnergyEast. On June 24th, the Wilderness Committee and the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition delivered 1,000 letters to the Premier's office, asking that the provincial government deny construction permits for the Energy East pipeline.

Although the NEB is reviewing the pipeline proposal, only the Manitoba government can issue the required provincial construction permits for the extensive new hydro transmission line system needed to supply the eight new pumping stations required for the Energy East proposal.

The Manitoba Premier has also been asked to task the Clean Environment Commission (CEC) with reviewing this proposal. The NEB hearings haven't started, and there's no guarantee that there will even be public meetings where the company has to answer questions. An independent provincial review is the only way to ensure that Manitobans get all the information they need about this monstrous proposal. Quebec and Ontario have already committed to provincial assessments...so why isn’t Manitoba doing the same?

The Wilderness Committee is confident that the CEC, when they are asked for recommendations, will agree that the risks to the lands and waters are too great, that the expansion of tar sands allowed by the construction of Energy East will have a guaranteed negative impact on our climate, and that the Manitoba government – in the absence of any responsible climate action from the federal government – should deny construction permits for Energy East.

- Eric Reder | Manitoba Campaign Director