Trans Mountain NEB hearing sees anti-pipeline protest in Calgary

About a dozen demonstrators gathered outside National Energy Board offices in Calgary to protest against Kinder Morgan's proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

"We're out here today to tell the federal government that the NEB process is still broken, that it doesn't protect communities, and it doesn't protect the environment," said Matt Hammer, an organizer with the Calgary Climate Action Network (CCAN).

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If approved by the federal government, the Trans Mountain expansion project would twin the 60-year-old pipeline, which runs 1,150 kilometres from the Albertaoilsandsto a marine terminal inBurnaby.

CCANandGreenpeaceCanada say even with proposed changes, the project does not take into account the full impact on the environment or respect First Nations, who are worried about the risk to their territories.

Hammer says the pipeline needs to be killed, and a plan put in place to end Alberta'sboom and bust cycle.

"What we need right now is real investment to take us off of this roller-coaster economy not double down on a fossil fuel model that is going to need to be phased out," Hammer said.

"We need a future in retraining workers, in investing in clean energy projects to actually put people to work in long-term sustainable jobs that can provide prosperity for generations to come," he added.

But an oil industry spokesmansays nothing will satisfy opponents of the review process, despite the three-member panel weighing all relevant concerns.

Nick Schultz,a vice-president at the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers,says criticism of the process has been shameful and even abusive.

B.C. opposition

Hearings have shifted to Calgary after two weeks of oral arguments in B.C.

The board will issue its recommendations on the pipeline to the federal government on May 20.

Earlier this month, the B.C. government said it could not support the proposed $6.8-billion expansion, whichwould increase the capacity of the system from 300,000 barrels per day to 890,000 barrels per day.

In a written brief to the NEB, the B.C. government argued that the pipeline's proponent, Kinder Morgan, has not provided an adequate plan to prevent or respond to an oil spill.