'The gauntlet has been thrown down': Trans Mountain opponents respond to NEB approval of project

Indigenous leaders, somemembers of Parliament and environmental advocates are disappointed bythe National Energy Board's approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

The regulator published the report Friday after the NEB was ordered to reassess the $7.4-billion pipeline expansion from Alberta to the B.C. coast, including the impact of increased oil tanker traffic on the region's endangered killer whale population.

A news conference for reaction to the decisionwas facilitated by advocacy group Stand.earth and included members of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, including Grand Chief Stewart Phillip; activist Tzeporah Berman; environmental lawyer Eugene Kung; NDP MP Peter Julian; and federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.

'The gauntlet has been thrown down'

Theysaid they were outraged by the decision and further motivated to fight the pipeline from ever being built.

"A complete dog's breakfast," said Phillipindescribingthe process thatproduced the NEB's latest report.

He called the report a flawed process and vowed that there would be further lawsuits involving the project.

"The gauntlet has been thrown down," he said.

Prime Minister push

Berman saidthedecision supporting expansion of the Trans Mountainpipeline "is the direct result of the Prime Minister's Officetelling the board and federal bureaucrats to "get to yes."

She saidin a news release that scientific evidence filed withthe board shows there is not enough data to ensure the safety ofsalmon runs or endangered orcas.

Berman says the board also failed to address the climate impactsof the Trans Mountain expansion, which will increase the number ofoil tankers in the port of Vancouver from about five per month to atleast 34.

Despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's argument that thepipeline is in the best interests of Canada, Berman vows TransMountain "is not in the public interest and will never be built."

• NEB renews support of Trans Mountain pipeline as long as proposed changes to protect marine life are met

The NEB said the project would cause "significant adverse environmental effects" on the southern resident killer whale population, andwhile a worst-case spill from the pipeline or an oil tanker is not likely, "the environmental effects would be significant."

It said though that the project and its risks are justified in light of the benefits of the pipeline.

Choose the orcas

Meanwhile Eugene Kungwith West Coast Environmental Law, says the decisionmakes many of the same mistakes in the first review, althoughlawsuits might have to wait until after the cabinet grantsfinalapproval on the project.

Chief Judy Wilson, also with the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, saysif a choice needed to be made between a pipeline and the orcas, thenshe would choose the orcas.