SURREY - 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."
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.