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| 24. Mai 2016 |
| National Energy Board empfiehlt die Erweiterung der Trans Mountain Pipeline |
Am 19. Mai 2016 hat das National Energy Board (NEB) seinen 533 Seiten langen Bericht vorgelegt und erwartungsgemäß der kanadischen Regierung empfohlen, der geplanten Erweiterung der Trans Mountain Pipeline zuzustimmen. Für die Kapazitätserweiterung des Pipelinesystems vom 300.000 Barrel pro Tag auf 890.000 Barrel wurden 157 Bedingungen formuliert, u.a. 49 Umweltschutzauflagen, die einzuhalten seien. Die Trans Mountain Pipeline von Kinder Morgan führt von Edmonton in Alberta bis nach Burnaby bei Vancouver und endet am Westridge Marine Terminal, welches als Öllager und Öltankerhafen stark ausgebaut werden soll. Etwa 90% der neuen, erweiterten Pipeline sollen der alten Pipelineroute folgen. 987 Pipelinekilometer sollen neu gebaut werden, 193 km der alten Pipeline sollen erweitert werden. Neue Pumpstationen, neue Tanklager und eine großteils neue Infrastruktur lassen die Baukosten des Projektes auf mindestens 6,8 Milliarden CAD anwachsen. Der Öltankerverkehr durch das Burrard Inlet zum Westridge Marine Terminal wird sich verfünffachen, jährlich wären über 400 Öltanker zu erwarten. Das NEB setzt sich mit seiner Empfehlung für die Erweiterung der Pipeline über alle Proteste der Bevölkerung und alle Umweltschutzbedenken hinweg und kommt zu dem Schluss: „ … the Project is in the Canadian public interest“ (NEB report recommends conditional approval of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, 19. Mai 2016). „Taken into account all the evidence, considering all relevant factors, and given that there are considerable benefits nationally, regionally and to some degree locally, the Board found that the benefits of the Project would outweigh the residual burdens.”
Die Provinzregierung von BC geht in vorauseilendem Gehorsam bereits auf die Wünsche des Kinder Morgan-Konzerns ein, für den Pipelinebau extra die Grenzen von 4 Provincial Parks zu verändern, die der Streckenführung im Wege sind, z.B. die Grenzen des Finn Creek Provincial Parks. Der Bürgermeister von Vancouver, Gregor Robertson, hingegen äußerte sich tief enttäuscht, war jedoch nicht überrascht von der Entscheidung des NEB. Bei einem früher oder später mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit zu erwartenden Ölaustritt aus der Pipeline oder einer Ölpest im Burrard Inlet hätte Vancouver massiv unter den Folgen zu leiden. „Pipelines are proven to be the safest and most efficient method to move petroleum products over great distances on land“, heißt es auf der Website des Trans Mountain Expansion Project. Diese Feststellung ist laut Statistiken zwar richtig, scheint jedoch nicht für die katastrophal schlechte Sicherheitskultur von Kinder Morgan zu gelten und seiner gnadenlosen Profitorientierung, die auch vor finanziellen Tricksereien nicht zurückschreckt:
„According to a recent report from Stand, Kinder Morgan is responsible for at least 1,800 oil and chemical spill violations since its incorporation in 1997, a record that includes international fines exceeding $2 million and hundreds of residents forced from their homes for a spill in the coastal Burrard Inlet in B.C. The existing Trans Mountain pipeline alone has spilled 6 million litres of oil. Stand found Kinder Morgan's list of safety violations to be extensive: since 2003, Kinder Morgan has dumped waste into the sea, mixed an illegal solvent with gasoline and diesel, placed its pipelines too close to schools and hospitals, lied on a permit application, violated the US Clean Air Act, and submitted misleading information to the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission around water quality issues on a pipeline. But the company's shortfalls don't stop there — Stand further uncovered a disturbing financial track record that includes dodging taxes in Colorado, shortchanging Canadians on taxes in B.C. and Alberta, misleading its investors in Delaware, and defrauding customers in Illinois.
‘We can’t trust our coast to Texas billionaires with a history of putting the bottom line ahead of people and communities,’ said Sven Biggs, a pipeline campaigner for Stand, when the report went public. ‘Let’s be clear — this pipeline will never be built.’”, heißt es im Artikel von Elizabeth McSheffrey und Jenny Uechi vom 19. Mai 2016 im National Observer (NEB sides with Texas-based pipeline company against B.C. citizens, First Nations).
Würde die Trans Mountain Pipeline erweitert werden und zusätzlich zum ohnehin schon dichten Schiffsverkehr vor Vancouver weitere 400 Öltanker pro Jahr das Burrard Inlet passieren, so sähe es für die Population der Southern Resident Orcas extrem schlecht aus. Ihre Population könnte sich nicht mehr erholen, sie würden vermutlich ganz aussterben. Das NEB sieht dieses Risiko durchaus, nimmt es jedoch „im öffentlichen Interesse Kanadas“ in Kauf. Bei der Zusammenfassung der Empfehlungen zum Trans Mountain Expansion Project heißt es beim NEB unter der Überschrift „Residual Burdens of Project–related marine shipping“: „ … In regard to residual burdens from Project-related marine vessels, the Board kept in mind that Project-related vessels would follow a route that currently has high levels of vessel traffic, and that, even if the Project does not proceed, the level of traffic is predicted to increase in the future. While the effects from Project-related marine vessels would be a small fraction of the total cumulative effects, the Board found that the operation of Project-related marine vessels would further contribute to cumulative effects that are already jeopardizing the recovery of the Southern resident killer whale. Therefore, the Board finds that the operation of Project-related marine vessels would likely result in significant adverse effects to the Southern resident killer whale, and on Indigenous cultural use associated with the Southern resident killer whale. Furthermore, the current and predicted future vessel traffic, even if the Project does not proceed, would contribute to an increase in Canadian greenhouse gas emissions. While the Board recognizes that emissions from Project-related marine vessels would be a small percentage relative to Canadian greenhouse gas emissions, given that there are no regulatory reporting thresholds or specific requirements for marine greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, the Board finds the greenhouse gas emissions from Project-related marine vessels would likely be significant. The Board also took into consideration the likelihood and potential consequence of a large spill from the Project or from a Project-related tanker. The Board finds that both of these events would be of very low probability given all of the mitigation and safety measures being implemented, but nonetheless, would have a significant effect in the event of a large spill. This factored into the Board’s assessment of burdens.”
In der Presseerklärung der Raincoast Conservation Foundation zur NEB-Entscheidung vom 19. Mai 2016 (National Energy Board fails killer whales. NEB’s approval of Kinder Morgan oil tankers will push southern resident killer whales one step closer to extinction) heißt es:
“The proposed expansion of pipelines and associated oil tanker traffic in the Salish Sea will seriously jeopardize survival of BC’s endangered southern resident killer whales, increasing the likelihood that their numbers will decline and the probability that they will ultimately become extinct in Canada and the United States, asserted the Raincoast Conservation Foundation in response to the NEB’s announcement
‘Our evidence and the evidence submitted by pipeline proponent Kinder Morgan, shows that deafening noise from increased tanker traffic in the Salish Sea will place southern resident killer whales at a significantly high risk of a population decline that cannot be mitigated. Although the enduring threat of loud tankers is a serious problem that cannot be alleviated, the additional possibility of a catastrophic oil spill places killer whales in untenable risk,’ said Raincoast’s Senior Scientist Dr. Paul Paquet.
Scientists who study killer whales, acoustics, and population biology, working on behalf of Raincoast, examined the effects of increased noise from Kinder Morgan’s oil tankers on the ability of endangered southern resident killer whales to sustain and rebuild their current population.
‘We found that increased noise will decrease the ability of killer whales to communicate, acquire food, and survive. This will prevent the population from growing and increase its likelihood of extinction,’ said Raincoast’s Wild Salmon Program Director, Misty MacDuffee.
‘Our analyses and findings were submitted as evidence to the NEB and were unchallenged by Kinder Morgan and the Canadian Federal Government.’
Raincoast also provided evidence to the NEB on the substantial threats that Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion presents to Fraser River salmon. Both chronic oil spills and catastrophic oil spills are direct, high-risk threats to these fish. In addition, the increased greenhouse gas emissions that will result from burning this oil threatens ocean food webs, again affecting salmon and killer whales; species of substantial cultural and economic importance to British Columbians and the entire Pacific Northwest.
Finally, Raincoast believes that the NEB’s decision to approve this pipeline was carried out with the understanding that it will cause the decline of endangered southern resident killer whales; likely a legal violation of Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA). SARA states that activities that protect endangered species must be mitigated. ‘There is currently no mitigation for the harmful noise that oil tankers make in the Salish Sea,’ adds Dr. Paquet.”
Wie wird es nun weitergehen? Darauf geben McSheffrey und Uechi in ihrem bereits oben genannten Artikel eine Antwort: „The federal government will spend months reviewing the NEB's recommendations before issuing its own verdict on the expansion. It could either green-light the project entirely, issue approval with a series of financial, environmental, and technical conditions (as it did with Enbridge Northern Gateway), request more information from the proponent, or reject it in full, belly-up. The Trans Mountain expansion project will likely be the first test for Prime Minister Trudeau's new government, and if approved, could set a precedent for oil sands expansion less than one year after ratifying Canada's commitment to drastically cutting its greenhouse gas emissions and keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees this century. The Liberal leader has been cryptic about his intentions for the country's oil industry, having endorsed the Paris Climate Accord and later indicating that building new pipelines would help pay for Canada's transition to a greener economy. The government is expected to make a final decision on the project before the end of the year.
After the decision, the story will continue to unfold. More protests are expected.”
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