SOUTH FRASER — Surrey and White Rock are applying to the National Energy Board to be intervenors at the upcoming public hearing related to the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
The project involves a twinning of the existing pipeline between Edmonton and Burnaby and includes a 14-kilometre segment that runs through north Surrey.
Surrey Coun. Bruce Hayne said while council is applying for intervenor status, it doesn’t mean it is coming out in opposition to the project, like the cities of Vancouver and Burnaby have. He added that the city is going into the process neutrally.
Hayne said Surrey hasn’t experienced any problems with the existing pipeline to his knowledge.
“I know, for instance, there’s been spills in Burnaby from that pipeline, but that still, was actually a City of Burnaby contractor working in the area who didn’t have a Kinder Morgan rep on site as they should have, and apparently hit the pipe five times before they managed to break it,†he said.
“It was absolutely human error, and human error happens, there’s no question.â€
White Rock Coun. Helen Fathers, who brought forth the motion for her city echoed Hayne's comments, saying the City by the Sea has yet to form an opinion on the project, but wanted to ensure they had the option of submitting something at a later date, hence the intervenor application.
"I think it's important to be inside the tent to find out what's going on," she said. "The first step is to apply and then we'll see where we go from there. This was just time sensitive due to the application deadline."
Hayne said he personally prefers pipeline to train transport.
“Would I rather it be in a pipeline or on a railcar? Pipeline, hands down for me, if those are the two options on how to move crude oil through our communities. And crude oil does move through our communities, so we have to look at how can we make this process as absolutely safe and as environmentally-friendly as possible.â€
The NEB, which regulates the federal jurisdiction, received a 15,000-page application from Kinder Morgan for the project last December, and the application triggered a regulatory review and public hearing process. The public hearing is expected to last 15 months and is expected to include a series of hearings in both Alberta and B.C.
On Jan. 17, the NEB posted the public hearing application.
Applicants can apply for either commenter status or intervenor status. Commenter status allows for letters and written statements to be filed, where as intervenor status allows for written evidence and oral presentations as well as directly receive all documents filed by the company and other intervenors, comment on evidence provided and make a final argument.
“At this point, there’s no down side for us to apply for intervenor status. In fact, we really can’t have any input into the process without it,†Hayne said. “But I think it’s also important to make sure this doesn’t mean we’re automatically against the pipeline. We’re applying to it so we’re at the table and we’re involved and so we can find out as much information as we can in order to make that determination.â€
To date, the city has been active in discussions with the Kinder Morgan team and the discussions have been beneficial in terms of route critique through Surrey, a corporate report said. Kinder Morgan’s most recent route alignment provided to the city shows an alignment that does not follow the existing alignment through residential areas, and instead runs parallel to the South Fraser Perimeter Road along the Fraser River.
Hayne said that route, in the long run, could be better for the community.
“That route may be better for Surrey in that it takes it away from urban areas and puts it more onto transportation corridors and so on,†he said.
A corporate report to council Monday said the city’s interests in the projects span multiple departments, including engineering, planning and development, fire services as well as parks, recreation & culture. The report said particular interests are focused on the pipeline alignment, proximity to populated areas, environmental protection and emergency response protocols and preparedness.
The report also revealed that engineering staff recently met with a property owner regarding information supplied to him by Kinder Morgan, which indicates a variation in alignment from that provided to the city.
“Since it appears that KM is continuing to vary the alignment, it is considered important for the city to participate in the NEB process,†the report says.
-With files from Jacob Zinn