Mayor of Kitimat, Joanne Monaghan is interviewed about all the Eureka motherlode of fossil fuels energy storage, processing, handling + exporting projects (also RioTinto upgrade to Alcan Smelter) that have potential to bring $50 billion to here township looking to be known as Port Kitimat. The town before had been in serious decline along with the whole NW of BC for over a decade, but journalist Mychaylo Prystupa asks at what tremendous other social-economic + environmental costs? One could also pose the question - What are the Cumulative Additive Social + Environmental Implications (not just airsheds) of all these projects together if they were to be realized say over a 10-15 year timeframe?? No one in BC or Feds Govt nor Big Oil&Gas Industry appears to be asking this question, or they are ducking it purposely. quote: The mayor acknowledges the proposed Enbridge pipeline is the most controversial. She won’t even talk about it until citizens have had their say in an April 12th plebiscite. “If we keep going like this we’ll be similar to Fort McMurray in terms of economic growth,” said Ron Poole, Kitimat’s Chief Administrative Officer. Complicating housing matters, upwards of 10,000 temporary workers are projected to be on the way. The permanent population is only 8,500 now. Rio Tinto Alcan has even ordered Estonian cruise ship Silja Festival to weigh anchor in order to house 450 workers. The much-anticipated vessel arrives mid-March. No word on whether cocktails and spa service will be available to the workers. Many residents, naturalists and First Nations also say they are frightened by the prospect of future oil spills, either along Enbridge’s pipeline’s route, which passes many salmon-bearing streams, but also at sea. Likewise, B.C.s Grand Chief Stewart Phillip said the region may see an Oka-style aboriginal-militant stand-off if Canada and the company fail to consult aboriginal peoples before the Harper cabinet makes its final decision on Enbridge later this year. “People are getting jobs – really good paying jobs – money they probably never expected to have in their entire lifetime. They can buy a house… educate their children… they can stay here, said Monaghan. “I’ve always said you can balance industry and the environment. However, there are a lot of people who don’t think that.” unquote vancouverobserver/print/node/18079
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 04:56:15 +0000
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