A proposal by Kinder Morgan to twin the Trans Mountain pipeline will be discussed at a two day meeting of First Nation leaders in Kamloops this week.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
October 26, 2015 - 11:35 AM
KAMLOOPS – A collection of British Columbia First Nations will meet in Kamloops this week to discuss Kinder Morgan’s plans to twin its existing pipeline across the province.
Hosted by the Lower Nicola Indian Band, the First Nations and Oil Pipeline Development Summit will take place at the Coast Hotel and Convention Centre tomorrow, Oct. 27, and Wednesday, Oct. 28.
According to an online post, the primary focus of this summit is to discuss the impacts of oil pipelines for First Nations, with the help of Canadian energy specialists, to offer comparative examples of First Nations engagement in similar energy projects and to discuss risks and opportunities of these projects.
Kinder Morgan Canada president Ian Anderson will speak specifically to the pipeline project at 10:40 a.m. tomorrow.
Notable speakers on tomorrow's agenda include officials from the National Energy Board of Canada, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, B.C. Ministry of the Environment and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Day Two is open only to First Nations and includes speakers grand chief Simon Serge of the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake in Quebec and grand chief Derek Nepinak of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.
The agenda on Wednesday includes an examination of Aboriginal title and rights after the historic 2014 Tsilhqot’in Supreme Court decision, which for the first time in Canadian History, granted Aboriginal title to lands outside of reserve.
"The Summit will provide the participants with a clear list of initiatives on how First Nations, government and industry can work together in regards to oil pipeline developments in Canada," Lower Nicola Indian Band chief Aaron Sam says.
Kinder Morgan is still in the application process to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline from Alberta through B.C. According to the energy company’s website, if the application is successful, construction of the new pipeline could begin as early as 2016 and become operational in late 2018. Side-by-side pipelines will allow the system to almost triple production from currently 300,000 barrels of oil per day to 890,000.
The proposed 'twinning' of the Trans Mountain pipeline.
Image Credit: Kinder Morgan
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News from © iNFOnews, 2015