City council set to vote on taking province to court over Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion

Vancouver city council is consideringwhether to take the provincial government to court over its approval of the Kinder Morgan pipelineexpansion project.

A motion introduced by city councilor Adriane Carr asks that the city requesta judicial review of the provincial government'sdecision to give the project its environmental approval.

If itpasses, the environmental permit issued by the provincewould be reviewed by a Supreme Court judge to ensure all conditions of approval have been met.

"If the City ofVancouvermoves forwardwith ajudicial reviewand if we win in court which is my hope that we do [the Kinder Morgan expansion pipeline]will require a new environmental assessment," said Carr.

Carr says the province failed to appropriately consult with the public, which, she says, goes against provincial law.

• B.C. government failed to properly consult First Nations on Northern Gateway pipeline, court rules

She also says the province hasn't done thorough studies on the potential damage of a bitumen spill on Vancouver's harbour and the B.C. coast.

"To the best of my knowledge, they have not done the things that must be done to create a yes or a no response regarding an environmental assessment."

Vision Vancouver councillor Andrea Reimer has seconded the motion.

A new assessment

The project would twin theexisting 1,150-kilometrepipeline between Edmonton, Alta.,andBurnaby, B.C., increasing its capacity from 300,000 barrels per dayto 890,000 barrels per day.

The provincial government approved the twinned pipeline project last month after PremierChristy Clarksaid all five conditions for support had been met, which includes a spill response strategy and consultation with First Nations.

But Carr says the province didn't do its due diligenceandinstead deferred to the federalgovernment's environmental approval,which includes49 conditions imposed by the National Energy Board, rather than developitsown environmental assessment.

If the provincial government were ordered to launchits own environmental assessment of the project, Carr expects the project wouldn't get approved.

"If there is real and genuine consultations with First Nationsand real andgenuineconsultation with the publicand real andthoroughtechnicalreports that model what bitumen does ... if spilled in our oceans,Ibelieve the outcome will be a No."

"No environmental permit, no building of the KinderMorganpipelineand, thus, a better future for all of us."

Council was scheduled to vote on the motion at its Feb. 8 regular meeting, but has since deferred it to itsstanding committee on policy and strategic priorities on Feb.22, 2017.