Line 9 reversal protested

(Updated)

Protesters gathered outside Hamilton City Hall Friday afternoon — to voice their opposition to the National Energy Board’s decision to approve the reversal of Enbridge’s line 9 pipeline. It runs from Sarnia, through Hamilton, all the way to Montreal. The NEB has also greenlit a request to increase capacity from 240 thousand barrels a day to 300 thousand. Activists say that was another bad decision.

Protesters practice their chants outside city hall. Most are convinced the National Energy Board simply rubber stamped the proposal to reverse the flow of Enbridge’s line 9 pipeline.

“Enbridge proved without a shadow of a doubt that their practices are irresponsible and their problems cannot be fixed.”

“I think we conveyed the message that both our frustrartion with what has happened and a message that were not going away.”

The pipeline runs from Sarnia through Hamilton to Montreal. It can now increase its daily capacity and carry heavy crude oil for the first time.

Heavy crude oil contains a substance called bitumen. If oil spills into the environment it’s extremely hard to clean up out of the sioil and groundwater. That’s what happned in 2010 in Kalamazoo, Michigan and they are still cleaning it up. Protesters are afraid that could be us.

“The bitumen spill that was in Kalamazoo 4 yrs ago is still being cleaned up with a price tag well over a billion dollars. We do not know how to remdy the kind of environmental damage we are risking here.

The NEB says it believes Enbridge can prevent leaks and manage one if that were to occur. The pipeline runs through part of Flamborough. That area’s councillor Robert Pasuta isn’t worried. “Personally, I am not concerned about the decision. I think they got it right.”

Last summer, a train carrying crude oil through Lac Megantic, Quebec killed 47 townspeople.

Pasuta says Hamilton will be ready if anything were to go wrong. “I have talked to Chief Simonds and he is bound and determined and it will happen and Enbridge knows this and Enbridge will cooperate fully. They and Hamilton will be site specific for an emergency plan should anything happen.

The councillor is referring to Hamilton Fire Chief Rob Simonds. I am sure everyone will find comfort in knowing the city is preparing for all scenarios. While protesters don’t like this decision by the NEB at this point they have no recourse. As there is no way to appeal the their decision.