B.C. Liberal government unveils its position on heavy oil pipelines

VANCOUVER – First Nations, environmentalists, British Columbia’s Opposition party — even the province’s newly revived Conservative Party — have weighed in, now the Liberal government is finally announcing its stand on oil pipelines.

Environment Minister Terry Lake and Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Minister Mary Polak are preparing to announce the province’s position on heavy oil pipeline proposals.

The details come just days after Premier Christy Clark was critical of Calgary-based Enbridge Inc., (TSX:ENB) following a U.S. report slamming the company’s handling of a major oil spill in Michigan.

Enbridge has proposed the $5.5-billion Northern Gateway pipeline from the Alberta oilsands to port in Kitimat, on B.C.’s West Coast.

Clark has joined other critics in noting B.C. bears most of the risk and almost none of the benefits from the development, and today’s announcement is expected to lay out B.C.’s ground rules for the operation of any pipeline.

Late last week, Enbridge announced plans to spend up to $500-million to improve safety features for the Northern Gateway project, but First Nations have already dismissed the plan, complaining it fails to address concerns about the environmental threat from tankers carrying oil along the B.C. coast.