All posts by Common Sense Canadian

Terry Glavin on the Dangers of Becoming too Close with China

February 19, 2012Canada, Energy and Resources, Pipelines and Supertankers, PoliticsBC Oil Pipelines and Supertankers, Enbridge, PoliticsCommon Sense Canadian

Read this editorial by Terry Glavin in the National Post on the risks posed to Canadian sovereignty, security and control over our resources inherent in our budding new relationship with Beijing and its companies like Sinopec. (Feb 13, 2012)

This brings us to the Beijing money behind the proposed $6.5 billion Enbridge pipeline from Alberta’s oilsands to awaiting supertankers at Kitimat. That money brings us to Sinopec, also known as the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, and if there are suspicions Ottawa would like to clear up a good place to start would be to let everybody in on where all of Enbridge’s up-front pipeline cash is coming from. We’re not allowed to know. Seriously. Try asking Enbridge some time.

Another thing that has never been clearly explained is why Ottawa thinks Sinopec is suddenly Canada’s lifeline to economic prosperity in China. I can’t find anyone who knows anything about the oilsands who thinks so. Inconveniently, Sinopec is also the Khomenist regime’s lifeline to a nuclear bomb. I can’t find anyone in the oil industry or anywhere else who doesn’t think so.

Sinopec is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, directly and through its subsidiary Unipec, and also via its main Iranian oil buyer, Zhuhai Zhenrong. Only last month the State Department busted Zhuhai Zhenrong under the 2010 Comprehensive Iran Sanctions law. Zhuhai Zhenrong immediately went looking for greener pastures. One of the first places it started looking was Alberta’s oilpatch. Howdy, neighbour.

Breaking: ISA Salmon Virus Outbreak Suspected at Nova Scotia Fish Farm

February 17, 2012Oceans, Salmon Farming and AquacultureAquaculture, ISA virus, SalmonCommon Sense Canadian

Read this story from the Winnipeg Free Press on a suspected outbreak of the deadly ISAv salmon virus at a Cook Aquaculture open net pen salmon farm in Nova Scotia. (Feb 17, 2012)

HALIFAX – Cooke Aquaculture says it has a suspected outbreak of the infectious salmon anemia virus at one of its fish farms in Nova Scotia.

In a statement today, the seafood company says it destroyed fish contained in two cages at one of its fish farming sites after routine tests and surveillance of its stocks on Feb. 10.

But the company declined to say where the outbreak is suspected.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating, but it too declined to say where the suspected outbreak is located.

Con Kiley, director of the agency’s aquatic animal health program, says the location can’t be made public due to privacy concerns.

Kiley says the virus is not a human health or food risk, but according to the agency’s website, it can kill up to 90 per cent of infected fish, depending on its strain.

He says tests will be conducted at a federal lab in Moncton, N.B., to confirm whether the virus is present.

Read original article: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/suspected-outbreak-of-salmon-virus-at-fish-farming-operation-in-nova-scotia-139530833.html

Energy Minister Coleman Scolds Terrace Council for Opposing Enbridge

February 17, 2012Canada, Energy and Resources, Oil&Gas, Pipelines and Supertankers, Politics, Western CanadaBC Oil Pipelines and Supertankers, Enbridge, Oil and gas, PoliticsCommon Sense Canadian

Read this report from CTV.ca on BC Liberal Energy Minister Rich Coleman’s recent comments scolding Terrace city council for coming out officially in opposition to the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipelines. (Feb 15, 2012)

Coleman said Wednesday he can’t tell municipal politicians what to do, but he prefers local politicians to follow the B.C. government and hold off on taking a stand on the controversial project until the completion of federal environmental review hearings in 2013.

“We’ve said all along, the premier’s said all along, we’re going to wait for that (joint review panel) process. I think some of these other jurisdictions should do the same,” he said.

Coleman said he believes it’s important to let the federal review process play itself out before deciding whether or not to support the Enbridge Inc., Northern Gateway project.

More than 60 B.C. First Nations and aboriginal organizations have signed a declaration opposing the plan to build a 1,177-kilometre twin pipeline from Alberta to the northwest B.C. port of Kitimat, where huge oil tankers will ship oil to Asia and the United States.

The Union of B.C. Municipalities also voted against the oil pipeline at their meeting last fall. Terrace announced its opposition at a council meeting earlier this week.

“You’ve got to wait until you hear it all,” said Coleman. “This is an important project for Canada, everybody knows that, and through this process there could be tweaks and changes that would actually allay people’s concerns that may be out there.”

Terrace councillors voted 5-2 Monday to oppose the pipeline, saying the project may be good for Ottawa and Alberta, but leaves Terrace, Kitimat and the surrounding communities with few benefits and most of the environmental risk.

Blogger Laila Yuile on Auditor General John Doyle’s forest mismanagement report

February 16, 2012Canada, Energy and Resources, Logging and Forests, Politics, Western CanadaCommon Sense Canadian

Read this editorial from blogger Laila Yuile on BC Auditor General John Doyle’s new scathing report on the mismagement of BC’s forestry resource by the BC Liberal Government. (Feb. 16, 2012)

John Doyle never fails to impress, and his latest report is a scathing commentary of how inadequate the BC Liberals really are at managing one of our most precious assets and resources, our forests…

…The BC government has clearly, and on an ongoing basis, failed to balance economic interests with protection of our forests for future generations, and this is highly visible as you fly over these great lands. Much of what I had the pleasure of exploring with my dad growing up just north of Prince George, is now a vast expanse of dead trees, or vast areas of clearcut.

I’m sorry to say I took it for granted back then, thinking in the innocence of childhood that it would be like that forever.

Nothing stays the same, I know now. I’ll never forget the first time I saw the extent of kill and clearcut driving to Babine Lake on a visit back home a few years ago -nothing could have prepared me for the physical pain that clutched my chest as tears sprung unbidden to my eyes at the sight of once fertile, old growth forest dead, dying, gone.

Enbridge Spills Oil in Michigan…Again!

February 16, 2012Energy and Resources, Oil&GasEnbridge, Oil and gasCommon Sense Canadian

Read this early report from CBC.ca on a second spill by Enbridge in Michigan, following its massive leak into the Kalamazoo River in 2010. (Feb. 16, 2012)

Two Enbridge Inc. pipelines were off-line Thursday after the major crude shipper said it discovered a small leak in Michigan.

The spill of less than three barrels was found during planned maintenance inspection and repair work to Line 5 on Wednesday, near the village of Sterling, Mich.

“The pipeline repair and clean up began immediately,” spokeswoman Lorraine Little said in an emailed statement.

It’s expected the Line 5, which carries 491,000 barrels of per day between Superior, Wisc., and Sarnia, Ont., will be repaired and restarted later Thursday.

Line 1, a 237,000 barrel-per-day line from Edmonton to Superior, has also been shut down due to a backup of crude at Superior. It’s expected to start up after Line 5 does.

“We will work with our shippers to assess the impact of the outage,” said Little.

“As a precaution, Enbridge is imposing a temporary incremental pressure restriction until a review of similar features from inspection tool runs has been conducted.”

Calgary-based Enbridge was responsible for a 2010 pipeline rupture that spilled more than three million litres of oil in southern Michigan.

Cleanup efforts continue from that spill into the Kalamazoo River and Talmadge Creek from a pipeline runs from Griffith, Indiana to Sarnia.

Excellent CBC Radio Interview on Site C Dam with Peace Valley Environment Association’s Andrea Morison

February 16, 2012Energy and Resources, Fracking, Hydropower, WATERfracking, LNG, Site C Dam, Water and EnergyCommon Sense Canadian

Listen to this highly informative 8 min radio interview from CBC’s Daybreak North show – featuring Andrea Morison of the Peace Valley Environment Association discussing the proposed Site C Dam and its connection to the planned Liquid Natural Gas boom on BC’s coast. (Feb. 14, 2012)

Listen here

Similkameen River Faces Possible Dam by Fortis BC

February 16, 2012WATERWater and EnergyCommon Sense Canadian

Read this story from the Similkameen Spotlighton Fortis BC ‘s concept for a dam on the Similkameen River, near Princeton BC. The river has been the subject of dam proposals in the past – on the US side of the border – and this plan by Fortis was first raised in 2008. (Feb. 14, 2012)

FortisBC is still looking into putting a dam on the Similkameen River.

The potential project has been discussed since 2008 when a group of stakeholders in the U.S. and Canada began looking into its feasibility.

The location being considered by FortisBC in around five kilometres south of Princeton near the Copper Mountain Mine.

One option is a 180-metre (590-foot) high dam, but Fortis hasn’t decided exactly how tall the structure will be.

If a 180-metre dam was built, it would be three times higher than BC Hydro’s controversial proposed Site C dam near Fort St. John.

It would be nearly the same height as the W.A.C. Bennett Dam in Northeast B.C., which holds the province’s largest reservoir.

It’s too early to tell if the dam is going to be built, said FortisBC spokeswoman Lisa Corcoran.

FortisBC isn’t sure how long the process will be, but it will likely take years to decide if the dam will be built, she said.

City of Terrace Officially Opposes Enbridge

February 16, 2012Canada, Energy and Resources, Oil&Gas, Pipelines and Supertankers, PoliticsBC Oil Pipelines and Supertankers, Enbridge, Oil and gas, PoliticsCommon Sense Canadian

Read this story from the Terrace Standard on the community’s recent city council vote to officially come out against the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipelines. (Feb 14, 2012)

The city of Terrace now opposes the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline Project after a 5 – 2 vote during tonight’s Feb. 13 council meeting.

First, council voted to clear its former neutral position, paving the way to decide its stance anew. Then, each council member took a turn expressing their views, concerns, and the implications of a municipal body taking a stance. After, a majority voted to oppose the project 5 – 2.

Councillors James Cordeiro, who initiated the vote, Stacey Tyers, Marilyn Davies, Bruce Bidgood and Lynne Christiansen voted to oppose the project.

“I believe Terrace is open for business,” said Bidgood during the meeting. “It’s just not for sale at any price.”

Joint Environmental Review Announced for Site C Dam

February 14, 2012Hydropower, WATERSite C Dam, Water and EnergyCommon Sense Canadian

Read this report from The Vancouver Sun on the announcement of the joint federal and provincial panel review of the proposed Site C Dam in Northeast BC. (Feb 14, 2012)

The federal and provincial environment ministers announced Monday that they intend to conduct a joint environmental assessment of BC Hydro’s proposed Site C dam on the Peace River.

The joint assessment is aimed at eliminating duplication and speeding up the review process, B.C. Environment Minister Terry Lake said in an interview.

“We believe in the one project-one process approach. We don’t want to see a duplication by federal and provincial agencies on one project,” Lake said.

He said the joint approach will cost less and reduce the amount of time involved.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been critical of lengthy reviews for energy projects, specifically over Enbridge’s North Gateway pipeline proposal, which is currently before a review panel.

Lake said the joint assessment process will be conducted parallel to consultations with first nations. The joint assessment process is new but the Site C project is not the first one on which the two agencies have combined their review processes. Joint environmental assessments are already underway for two B.C. mining projects, the Ajax copper-gold mine proposal near Kamloops and the Raven coal mine proposal near Campbell River, Lake said.

Clark Says Site C Dam Essential to LNG Development in BC

February 14, 2012Energy and Resources, Fracking, Hydropower, Oil&Gas, WATERChristy Clark, fracking, Oil and gas, Site C Dam, Water and EnergyCommon Sense Canadian

Read this story from Fort St. John’s EnergeticCity.ca on BC Premier Christy Clark’s recent comments that the controversial proposed Site C Dam is essential to building liquid natural gas plants on BC’s west coast. (Feb 10, 2012)

Site C and B.C.’s proposed LNG development go hand in hand, according to Premier Christy Clark. In an interview with Moose FM/energeticcity.ca, Clark explained that the newly approved licence for Shell to export liquefied natural gas out of Kitimat will use 100 per cent of the power Site C would create.

“We cannot create this new industry in British Columbia, by adding value to natural gas, without the power that would come from Site C. It’s an essential part of the plan in the long-term, to make sure that we’re putting British Columbians to work.”

She adds the province’s power needs are going to grow substantially, so “we’re going to need the power from Site C and we’re also going to need the power from lots of independent power producers from across the province: wind energy, run of river, you name it.” In saying so, she also criticized B.C. NDP leader Adrian Dix for supporting LNG development and not supporting Site C, saying he “can’t have it both ways.”

Clark says she is completely comfortable with the science behind fracking, and its possible associated health risks, and believes Northeast B.C. has the safest shale gas industry in the world. As she says, it can always get better, and the province has been pushing new practices, like publishing ingredients used in hydraulic fracturing on an online database.

“That will do two things: first, it will push companies to be even cleaner and greener all the time… I think it will drive innovation because we’re open about it; but second, I think it builds confidence in what we do.”

She points to instances where fracking has been done very badly elsewhere, like the U.S., and wants people to see what’s been done in B.C. to set an example. The hope is that oil and gas companies will take it upon themselves to get the word out about how safe practices are in the province.

“We set the highest bar anywhere in the world for fracking, and people need to see what we’re doing and need to understand it so they can too.”

The Common Sense Canadian

Critical discussion of key issues shaping our economy and environment.