To a request from the CBC

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Sorry to take so long to return your e-mail. There are meetings upon meetings. Kinder Morgan is trying to wear us out!

However, I would like to note that I am extremely disappointed that the Surrey Board of Trade would degrade their environmental awards by pairing it with the President of Kinder Morgan’s address. It’s an insult.

Kinder Morgan’s plan to build a new much bigger pipeline, much larger storage tanks on the side of Burnaby Mountain and build more berths for more tanker traffic in a fragile marine environment makes no environmental or economic sense. Increasing oil tanker traffic through the precarious second narrows is extremely contentious and flies in the face of concerns about safety and efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Expanding the Kinder Morgan tank farm on the side of a mountain beside or above residences, schools and a day care makes absolutely no sense.

I would expect that all members of the Board who plan to vote on Kinder Morgan’s plan to dramatically expand shipping dilbit through the province will disclose any real or potential conflict of interest.

The common sense approach to increase jobs and to reduce safety concerns would be to process dilbit in Alberta and supply the finished products to the domestic market. This would create jobs, reduce the cost of fuel and satisfy the national interests in energy. This is a short term solution. In the long term, we need to transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy.

Canada should be a leader. Instead we are exporting cheap unfinished goods to buy back the finished goods at a much higher price. The only ones to benefit are foreign multinationals.

I am not sure if I will be able to attend Ian Anderson’s presentation tomorrow as I have a partner who is suffering through a terrible cold. But I have sent the notice out and I hope a few people from BROKE and maybe Pipe-Up will attend. I also contact Ben West and he might be there too. There is a group forming in Surrey and I hope one or two can make it. However, the timing is difficult for people who have full-time jobs. Of course, that is a good strategy.

I hope this helps.

Alan