Greenpeace activists block pipeline terminal; Kinder Morgan says minimal disruption
By Nelson Daily Staff
The one-day protest by Greenpeace at the Kinder Morgan Metro Vancouver facility on Burrard Inletis over.
Activists have left the Kinder Morgan tar sands tanker dock following their day long protest said Greenpeace media spokesperson.
“We came to make a point and draw attention to the tar sands and the threat they pose,” said Mike Hudema, Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace Canada.
“Over 130 B.C. First Nations and the majority of British Columbians have said no to tar sands pipelines and tankers and we need that message to be delivered across the country and to Harper. This was an important step in helping us achieve our goal.”
Sixteen protestors arrived at the Metro Vancouver facility on Burrard Inlet at dawn Wednesday to send a message to Prime Minister Harper, urging him to stop trying to push tar sands pipelines through B.C. to the west coast for export.
Two of the activists locked themselves to the pumping mechanism used to load tar sands oil onto tankers while others displayed banners saying:
“No Tar Sands Pipelines” and “End Oil Addiction.”
A Kinder Morgan spokesperson told media in a statement that no ships were scheduled to arrive at the terminal Wednesday, so the protest actions were having a minimal impact on their operations.
The Kinder Morgan facility is the west coast terminus of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which carries Alberta bitumen from the Edmonton area, across southern British Columbia to port just east of Vancouver in Burrard Inlet, for shipment overseas.
When completed, the proposed expansion is expected to increase capacity in the Trans Mountain pipeline from the existing capacity of 300,000 barrels per day to 850,000 barrels per day.
