From Lynn Perrin. Right in the middle of the busiest time for farmers Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline staff are meeting with the agriculture industry today to sooth any concerns about the 590,000 barrel per day expansion.
Here is the email that was sent to an organic farmer who cannot attend as she is too busy producing food!
As a follow up to our phone conversation last Friday, here is a bit more
information about the opportunity to attend an Agriculture focused
workshop on May 23rd in Abbotsford and provide input into the approach
we are using for our Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment (ESA).
This workshop will address the specific elements of the ESA that are of
most relevance and interest to the Fraser Valley agricultural community.
As discussed on the phone, if you know of a colleague who might be
interested in attending I would be please to speak to them about this
opportunityRegards,
ChristieKinder Morgan Canada is proposing an expansion of the Trans Mountain
pipeline system and an open and extensive stakeholder engagement program
has been underway since May 2012. Earlier this year, we finished a
series of introductory public information sessions in communities along
the proposed pipeline and marine corridor, online discussion forums and
meetings with stakeholder groups. A summary report of the input we
received was released in March and is available to read on our website
here: http://www.transmountain.com/reporting-back. This feedback is
helping to shape the topics of discussion and who we need to engage as
we proceed with our proposal.We are currently hosting small focused discussions with a cross section
of individuals or representatives with interests in environmental issues
and assessment techniques, as well as social and economic factors and
local knowledge. We recently held a series of half day workshops with
local experts along the pipeline route to seek feedback on our
Environment and Socio-Economic (ESA) approach, scope and methodology.We would like to invite a representative from your organization to
participate in an Agricultural focused ESA Workshop we will host in
Abbotsford on May 23rd. This workshop will address the specific
elements of the ESA that are of most relevance and interest to the
Fraser Valley agricultural community. The ESA is a component of our
National Energy Board facilities application. All feedback received as a
part of these workshops will be included in the NEB application.I look forward to hearing from you if you are interested in
participating in this discussion and would be pleased to answer any
questions you have.We look forward to your participation. To review project information,
please visit www.transmountain.com .Regards,
Christie Brummitt
Specialist, Stakeholder Engagement & CommunicationsI think it would be a service to your readers if you were able to share
this Global TV Series with them:Introduction 37 years of oil spills in Alberta:
http://globalnews.ca/news/571494/What its like when oil runs through your backyard:
http://globalnews.ca/news/571515/what-its-like-when-oil-runs-through-your-backyard/Because agriculture is such an crucial part of the economy of the Fraser Valley and an essential source of food for BC and beyond here is an excerpt from the series and my comment:
Excerpt: “But after an oil spill about four years ago, he keeps them on
another side of his property. He doesnt think its safe for them to graze
near his own house anymore. ‘Im a farmer and Im supposed to supply clean
food and I cant. I literally cant,’ he said.”My comment: Fraser Valley farmers do NOT buy the assurances of Kinder
Morgan Trans Mountain staff at their agriculture information meeting
today!Lynn Perrin BGS MPP
FairAll Consulting
www.fairallconsulting.ca