Read this story from The Province on BC Liberal Environment Minister Terry Lake’s statement that American energy giant Kinder Morgan faces the same challenges over the proposed twinning of its existing Trans Mountain Pipeline to Vancouver as Lake’s government has recently outlined for the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline. (July 31, 2012)

B.C. Environment Minister Terry Lake says some of the conditions that the province has set out before approving the Northern Gateway project will also be applied to the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion.

The government wants the company to beef up oil-spill prevention and response before it will support the project, he said.

B.C. also wants a larger share of revenue from the company to offset the financial costs of an oil spill.

Kinder Morgan’s expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline, which runs from Alberta to Vancouver, would see an increase in the size and number of tankers passing through Vancouver’s harbour.

Last week, Premier Christy Clark called for more economic benefits from the Enbridge pipeline before it will be approved because B.C. would bear all the environmental risks.

Alberta Premier Alison Redford has rebuffed any suggestion of increased compensation for B.C.

Meanwhile, a group of Burnaby residents who live next to the Kinder Morgan pipeline want to ensure the company can afford to compensate them for the “inevitable leaks and ruptures” from a twinned pipeline.

The 12 residents plus a housing co-operative in the neighbourhood at the southeast end of Burnaby Mountain have applied for intervener status at a public hearing by the National Energy Board.

“As landowners who stand to be affected by leaks, ruptures or explosions along the pipeline right of way … they have a direct interest in the operation” of the pipeline, says a letter filed with the board by Ecojustice, a Vancouver environmental law group representing the group.

Burnaby-Douglas NDP MP Kennedy Stewart, who has also applied for intervener status, said he conducted a telephone poll of 35,000 Burnaby residents and 75 per cent were against expansion of the pipeline.