TransCanada Energy East pipeline jobs, safety focus of public hearings

The National Energy Board heard about the need forjobs TransCanada Corp.'s proposed Energy East pipeline would bring to New Brunswick, as well as environmental and safety concerns regarding the $15.7-billion project, as national public hearingskicked off in Saint John on Monday.

A three-member panel, tasked with deciding the fate of the controversial proposalthat would see Alberta crude shipped4,500 kilometres to a marine terminal inSaint John, is scheduled to hold 10 sessions along the route before December.

Dozens of buildingstrade workers gathered outside the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre before Monday's hearing to show their support for the project.

Some,like labourer Gary Bannan, stoodin front of a piece of pipeline and offered thumbs up. "There's no work on the east coast, so the pipeline is essential for everybody," he said.

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"We need the work down here," agreedCyrusLaRonde-Kingston, a fellowmember of theLabourers' International Union of North America (LiUNA).

About 38,100New Brunswickers were unemployedinJuly,according to the latest labour figures from Statistics Canada.

The fastest tides in the world mean the fastest spreading oil in the world,with no means to mitigate it our stop it in a quick fashion.- Colin Sproul, Fundy Inshore Fishermen's Association

Of those, roughly 13,000 are from the goods producing sector and "would go to work tomorrow for a project,"Joel Richardson, vice-president of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, New Brunswick division, told the panel.

Energy East would create "much-needed" jobs in the short, medium and long-term over the life of the project, he said.

It's "viewed by the manufacturing industry as a tremendous opportunity for companies not just to supply goods, equipment and expertise, but to also bring stable and long-term economic prosperity to Atlantic Canada and our province."

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Richardsonwas one of about eight registered interveners on Monday, with at least another two dozensscheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, including the City of Saint John, the Conservation Council of New Brunswick,CanaportLNG, and several First Nations Groups.

ColinSproul, of theFundyInshore Fishermen's Association, expressed concern to reporters about the impact the project could have on hislivelihooodand the environmentin the event of a spill from one of the estimated 280 crude oil tankers expected to be plying the shipping lanes each year.

"I'd like to highlight the important fact that a surface oil spill in the Bay ofFundywill travel faster than any other place on earth.The fastest tides in the world mean the fastest spreading oil in the world,with no means to mitigate it our stop it in a quick fashion," saidSproul.

He also questioned what methods could be usedto clean up a bitumen spill from the floor of the bay, given the extreme tides. "It is physically impossible," he argued.

Tank farm concerns residents

Area resident GaryProsser, isworried the tank farm will drive down property values and the quality of life.

"TransCanadahas displayed a total lack of regard and concern for local residents by placing the tank farm so close to our homes," he said.

If the NEB approves the project,Prosserrequested a condition be imposed that the tank farm be moved away from the residential Red Head area.

"This can be done on the eastern end past Hewitt Road on Bayside Drive and would remove much of the opposition to this project," he said.

'World-leading' emergency response

Calgary-basedTransCanadaCorp.stressedits commitment to safety and concerns for the environmentduring the hearing.

"TransCanada'scapability and performance in terms of emergency response is world-leading," said vice-president John Van der Put.

Its model breaks the system down into small segments and provides high sensitivity for leakdetection, he said.

"Our tests have shown the ability todetect loss of one per cent of flow within a two-hour period."

Earlier in the day, JohnSoini, president of the Energy East pipeline project, toldInformation Morning Saint John that TransCanadaviews theregulatory hearings as another chance to speak with people livingnear the proposed Alberta-to-New Brunswick pipeline.

"For us atTransCanadaand specifically for the Energy East pipeline project, we see this as a great opportunity, another opportunity for the proponent of the Energy East pipeline project to listen, to be transparent, to respond to questions and concerns related to the project," he said.

Soini said the company has been speaking with citizens and organizations along the pipeline route since 2013, including roughly 3,200 different meetings with communities.

"A lot of the concerns and questions were related to safety as well as environmental concerns," Soini said.

"So we would have in-depth discussions with regard to pipeline safety, we would talk about construction practices, specifically watercourse crossing practices."

Aboriginal groups oppose project

Various environmental and aboriginal groups are fiercely opposingthe pipeline.

Ron Tremblay, grand chief of the Maliseet Grand Council, cited traditional beliefs about the land, water and air.

"For this reason, we oppose the Energy East pipeline in order to protect our non-ceded homeland and waterways, our traditional and cultural connection to our lands, waterways, and air," he said in a statement.

The project, however, has been backed by New BrunswickPremier Brian Gallant's Liberal government.

Gallant has travelled to other provinces to discuss his support for the project. Healso debated Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre on the popular Toutle monde en parle earlier this year.

So far, 337 interveners are scheduled to appear beforethe regulator.

The second New Brunswick session is slated for Aug. 15 in Fredericton.

NEBhearings will continue in nine other cities, and scheduled to finishin Kingston, Ont., in December.

The regulatoryboard must hand in its report to the federal government by March 16, 2018.

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