Halifax, Nova Scotia – Today as TransCanada files its application for the Energy East pipeline with the National Energy Board, opposition to the project across Atlantic Canada continues to grow. Stop Energy East Halifax, a group of Haligonians organizing to fight the Energy East Pipeline, call the proposal a “climate nightmare” and a major threat to the Bay of Fundy and Maritime communities.
“Not only is the Energy East pipeline slated to emit as many greenhouse gas emissions as Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador combined, but it would lock us into decades of tar sands expansion and reckless dependence on fossil fuels.” says Kiki Wood, a member of Stop Energy East Halifax. “We cannot allow this pipeline to be built if we want to avoid catastrophic climate change.”
Stop Energy East Halifax says TransCanada’s promises of jobs for Atlantic Canadians are overstated, as at least 90 per cent of the oil would be exported due to Canada’s low refining capacity and a lack of commitment from refineries like Irving’s to refine the bitumen domestically.
“Across North America, communities have been saying ‘no’ to pipelines. People have come together to reject Keystone XL and Line 9. Out west they have rejected Northern Gateway and Kinder Morgan, and today we are rejecting Energy East,” says Emma Norton, also of Stop Energy East Halifax. “The few permanent jobs that TransCanada is promising are not worth it. We all deserve better than anything this pipeline can offer.”
Communities across Canada are already resisting the pipeline. In Quebec, the provincial government stopped TransCanada from doing seismic testing related to the pipeline to prevent harming the local endangered beluga population – a move that was supported by 38,000 Quebeckers. In Kenora, Ontario, indigenous groups and allies slammed TransCanada at an open house and called instead for renewable energy development. Today in Saint John, NB, dozens of residents will gather at a TransCanada open house to share information about impacts the pipeline will have on their health, local economy, and the global climate.
If built, TransCanada’s proposed pipeline would be the largest in North America. It would carry 1.1 million barrels of oil per day over 4400 km to port in Saint John, NB. The project would facilitate a 40% expansion of the Alberta tar sands and increase national greenhouse gas emissions by 32 million tonnes. This greenhouse gas measure does not include the emissions that would come from the eventual burning of the oil.
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Contact: Emma Norton
(902) 240-6696
For more information on the Energy East Pipeline go to: http://www.canadians.org/energyeast.
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