Trans Mountain gets new Indigenous-led oversight committee

The Indigenous Advisory and Monitoring Committee includes 13 Indigenous members, representing bands from Alberta to the B.C. coast, and six federal representatives including the National Energy Board, Indigenous leaders announced today.

"We wanted to have this committee in place so that we would not be left outside the gate looking in," said committee member and Chief Ernie Crey of the Cheam First Nation in B.C.'s Fraser Valley. "It will begin its work and it needs to start straight away."

The idea came from Crey and Chief Aaron Sam of the Lower Nicola Indian Band, who pitched the oversight body in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the premiers of B.C. and Alberta last year.

"We're going to be right there with the regulator ... to make sure that our interests as they construct the pipeline from source to tidewater will be protected," said Crey.

The Trans Mountain expansion, which was approved by the Trudeau government last November, would nearly triple the existing capacity on Kinder Morgan's 1150 km pipeline that runs from the Edmonton area to Burnaby, B.C., to 890 000 bpd and increase tanker traffic on the B.C. coast.

Ottawa has pledged CAN$64.7 million over five years to support the work of the committee, which starts meeting in August.

While some groups still pledge to stop the pipeline, Crey said the committee was formed to get Indigenous voices at the table.

"We had to plan what it is that we want to do, with a clear idea in mind that it's likely to be constructed."    

In a statement, Trans Mountain said it "welcomes the establishment [of the committee] to represent Indigenous perspectives on safety and the environment."

In a release, the National Energy Board said it looks forward to working with Indigenous communities "to advance our shared goals of environmental protection and safety."

The new advisory committee will have 13 members from more than 100 First Nations and Metis communities from across B.C. and Alberta, and six federal representatives, including the NEB.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/regulations-and-standards/25072017/trans-mountain-gets-new-indigenous-led-oversight-committee/