The B.C. government has formally rejected the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, saying the company has not properly addressed the province’s environmental concerns.
“(Enbridge Northern Gateway) has presented little evidence about how it will respond in the event of a spill,” the province wrote in its submission to the Northern Gateway Pipeline Joint Review Panel.
“Put another way, it is not clear from the evidence that NG will in fact be able to respond effectively to spills either from the pipeline itself, or from tankers transporting diluted Bitumen from the proposed Kitimat terminal,” it continued.
Later in the same submission, the government added that it “remains deeply concerned that any response to a significant spill, were it to occur, would be limited in its effect, and that serious impacts to on the marine environment, and the livelihoods of those who rely on it, would result.”
The rejection is major hurdle for the multi-billion dollar pipeline project, and especially for its ability to gain approval from the Joint Review Panel.
In a statement, Environment Minster Terry Lake said the submission follows careful study of the project proposal.
"British Columbia thoroughly reviewed all of the evidence and submissions made to the panel and asked substantive questions about the project including its route, spill response capacity and financial structure to handle any incidents," Lake said in a news release.
"Our questions were not satisfactorily answered during these hearings,” he added.
“Our government does not believe that a certificate should be granted before these important questions are answered."
