Energy Politics
Peter O’Neill writing in The Edmonton Journal reports First Nations support Northern Gateway pipeline, Enbridge CEO says
Daniel, in an exclusive interview with The Edmonton Journal, said critics have seriously underestimated his company’s support among First Nations anxious to take advantage of economic development opportunities in northern B.C.
Enbridge, faced with an aggressive public assault this week from B.C. environmental and aboriginal groups, countered Friday with the Gitxsan First Nation announcement that it is taking an equity stake in the pipeline….
Daniel boldly predicted in the interview that at least 30 of the 45 First Nations along the 1,170-kilometre pipeline route from Bruderheim, near Edmonton, to Kitimat on the B.C. coast, will have deals with Enbridge by next June.And he said he hopes all 45 will be onside by 2013, when Enbridge hopes to get regulatory approval to start a project that is set to be completed by late 2017.
The article also reports that Prime Minister Stephen Harper once again defended the importance of Canada finding a way to get oilsands bitumen to Asian market.
It concludes with Daniel’s response on the problem of tanker traffic:
I’ve been saying as much as I can publicly that if we can’t do this as Canadians, who can? About 70 to 80 per cent of the world moves by tanker right now, and it moves safely and soundly from countries where you wouldn’t expect them to have standards nearly as good as Canadian standards,” he said.
“Can I give an absolute guarantee? No. But if we can’t do it as Canadians, who can?