Kamloops taxpayers would be called on to make up million dollar yearly loss if Trans Mountain pipeline expansion fails

KAMLOOPS — If Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline project isn’t completed, local taxpayers will have to make up a hefty yearly shortfall, says Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian.

“It’s a million dollar hit if Kinder Morgan doesn’t get it built,” he says, adding that it’s a financial fall that residential taxpayers could potentially have to make up for.

That's on top of another estimated $750,000 to the city for construction. 

Last Sunday, Kinder Morgan announced it was suspending all non-essential activity and spending related to the project, because of B.C.’s opposition to the pipeline expansion.

Christian says some ways the city would make up the financial loss is by limiting the amount of services or raising taxes.

“You could cut back on the kinds of services we are delivering, like recreational transit,” he says.

Although, Christian agrees on some level the use of fossil fuel needs to be reduced, it’s not going to happen anytime soon.

“From the environmental perspective, shipping bitumen by pipeline rather than by rail or truck, uses a lot less energy,” he says. “It’s also much safer by pipeline.”

The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion plans to generate jobs and financial income for the city of Kamloops, says Christian.

The project is said to increase the amount of oil travelling from Alberta to British Columbia from 300,000 barrels a day to 890,000, according to the project’s plan. The pipeline expansion project was granted approval in 2016 by the federal government.

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