WINNIPEG  – The National Energy Board (NEB) has denied the Wilderness Committee intervenor status in its review of the proposed Energy East pipeline, eliminating the environmental group’s ability to analyze and respond to testimony in the review process.

“Eliminating critical testimony and analysis is not the way to reassure Canadians that all the facts about the Energy East pipeline proposal are being heard,” said Eric Reder, Manitoba Campaign Director for the Wilderness Committee.
 
For years the Wilderness Committee has condemned the changes to the NEB Act made by the previous federal government in 2012, which requires people or groups to be approved by the NEB before being allowed to provide input into major projects that affect them. This week, the federal government announced it will overhaul the legislation, but they are still allowing the Energy East proposal to proceed under the old NEB rules. 
 
“Once again the NEB is excluding critics from the process,” said Peter McCartney, Climate Campaigner at the Wilderness Committee. “The government in Ottawa admits this game is rigged. Why is it determined to continue down this road?”
 
The Wilderness Committee has been reviewing development proposals in Manitoba for more than 15 years, and identifying problems that need to be addressed. Additionally, the Wilderness Committee has institutional knowledge of pipeline reviews from its work on the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline.
 
“Already our analysis has brought out the fact that Manitobans will have to spend a tremendous amount of money powering and providing infrastructure for the Energy East pipeline through Manitoba Hydro, and that the route is actually illegal in Manitoba because it traverses protected areas,” said Reder. “This review should not continue with the current process which prevents knowledgeable critics like the Wilderness Committee from participating in a meaningful way. Canadians deserve better.”

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For more information, please contact:

Eric Reder | Manitoba Campaign Director, Wilderness Committee
204-997-8584, eric@wildernesscommittee.org