By The Canadian Press VANCOUVER – Kinder Morgan is asking for more time to respond to over 10,000 questions submitted to the National Energy Board about the proposed expansion of its Trans Mountain pipeline. The company has until June 4 to respond to information requests from 117 of the 398
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The Common Sense Canadian: Some business groups want new recycling program trashed
By Steven Chua, The Canadian Press VANCOUVER – The B.C. government’s controversial new recycling program took effect Monday, irking some local business owners who say that additional costs will drive up the price of consumer goods. The new regulations require that all businesses that supply packaging and printed paper to B.C. residential
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Spill liability changes could be paving way for Enbridge approval
An oil pipeline crossing the Tanana River in Alaska By Dene Moore, The Canadian Press VANCOUVER – The federal government announced new measures Wednesday to ensure pipeline companies pick up the tab for any spills, as cabinet prepares to announce its decision on the contentious Northern Gateway pipeline project. Natural
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Tougher Canadian oil tanker rules leave liability cap in place
SAINT JOHN, N.B. – The federal government says it is aiming to make polluters pay as it makes changes to legislation and regulations on oil tanker safety. But under proposed changes announced today by Transport Minister Lisa Raitt in Saint John, N.B., Ottawa stops short of following a recommendation from
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: NDP Leader Horgan opposes BC’s proposed Site C Dam
Newly-minted BC NDP Leader John Horgan has come out against the proposed Site C Dam VANCOUVER – B.C. New Democratic Party Leader John Horgan is raising concerns about the proposed Site C hydroelectric dam, just days before an environmental review on the project becomes public. The dam proposed by BC
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Pro-Keystone XL pipeline bill stalls in Senate
Sen. John Hoeven has been unable to gather the votes for his pro-Keystone XL bill (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) By David Espo, The Associated Press WASHINGTON – Senate supporters of the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline conceded Thursday they lack the 60 votes necessary to pass legislation authorizing immediate construction of the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Fukushima residents unsure of return to no-go zone
By Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press TOMIOKA, Japan – Whenever Kazuhiro Onuki goes home, to his real home that is, the 66-year-old former librarian dons protective gear from head to toe and hangs a dosimeter around his neck. Grass grows wild in the backyard. The ceiling leaks. Thieves have ransacked the
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Halliburton refuses to disclose fracking chemicals
By Kevin Begos And Matthew Daly, The Associated Press PITTSBURGH – The U.S. Department of Energy said Friday that it welcomes the decision by oil and gas industry supplier Baker Hughes to disclose all chemicals in hydraulic fracturing fluid. But Halliburton, a major competitor in the field, isn’t committing to such
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Environment Ministry staff warn BC govt about LNG emissions
VANCOUVER – British Columbia Environment Ministry staff have warned their minister that the province’s dreamed-of liquefied natural gas industry poses some big challenges with greenhouse gas emissions. Internal briefing notes prepared for Environment Minister Mary Polak since she took office last year and obtained by The Canadian Press, single out
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Eagle Spirit offers First Nations ‘energy corridor’ as Enbridge alternative
Eagle Spirit’s Calvin Helin speaking the Vancouver Board of Trade VANCOUVER – A plebiscite defeat for the company proposing a $6-billion oil pipeline across northern British Columbia may have opened the door for another mega-project. Supporters of a First Nation-backed alternative to the Enbridge (TSX:ENB) Northern Gateway Pipeline are expected
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Kitimat rejects Enbridge in pipeline plebiscite
Former Haisla councilor Gerald Amos celebrates the ‘No’ vote (photo: Douglas Channel Watch) By The Canadian Press KITIMAT, B.C. – The residents of Kitimat, B.C. have voted against the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline project in a non-binding plebiscite. The ballot count from Saturday’s vote was 1,793 opposed versus 1,278
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: 4 years after BP oil spill, health impacts linger
Health concerns continue to do many who worked to clean up the BP oil spill (photo: Wikimedia Commons) By Stacey Plaisance And Kevin McGill, The Associated Press CHALMETTE, La. – When a BP oil well began gushing crude into the Gulf of Mexico four years ago, fisherman George Barisich used his
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Kitimat Enbridge vote: Grassroots campaign poised to win unfair fight
Signs of the times in Kitimat, BC (Photo: Kathy Ouwehand) By the Canadian Press KITIMAT, B.C. – Residents of Kitimat will cast votes in a local plebiscite Saturday for or against the multibillion-dollar Northern Gateway pipeline. The District of Kitimat has remained neutral on the $6-billion project, but the vote
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Clark govt signs LNG deals with two more First Nations
photo: Tina Lovgreen / BCIT Commons By Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press VICTORIA – The British Columbia government has moved to bring First Nations on board its much-anticipated multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas boom. Two north coast First Nations signed revenue-sharing agreements Wednesday with the government related to the development of
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Can Ontario Liberals raise the green for public transit expansion?
Photo: Wikimedia Commons by Maria Babbage, The Canadian Press TORONTO – With the prospect of an election growing more likely every day, the minority Liberals’ spring budget may turn out to be more campaign platform than peace treaty. It will also need to lay out a plan to fund a
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Anadarko stock rises after $5.15 billion contamination settlement
(Photo: Oil and Gas Law Digest) by Eric Tucker and Dina Cappiello, The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The federal government on Thursday reached a $5.15 billion settlement with Anadarko Petroleum Corp., the largest ever for environmental contamination, to settle claims related to the cleanup of thousands of sites tainted with hazardous
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Kinder Morgan review panel rejects 80% of applicants
A Vancouver rally against Kinder Morgan’s proposed pipeline (Photo: Damien Gillis) by Dene Moore, The Canadian Press VANCOUVER – The National Energy Board hearings into Kinder Morgan’s proposed pipeline expansion through Alberta and British Columbia will begin in August and hear from more than a thousand people, groups and communities.
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: CNRL pipeline leaks 70,000 litres near Slave Lake
An earlier CNRL leak in Cold Lake, Alberta (Chester Dawson / Wall Street Journal) SLAVE LAKE, Alta. – A pipeline owned by Canadian Natural Resources Limited has spilled 70,000 litres of oil and processed water northwest of Slave Lake, Alta. The Alberta Energy Regulator says the breach happened on Monday
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: Taseko appeals Prosperity Mine rejection…again
The location of Taseko’s proposed New Prosperity Mine, west of Williams Lake VANCOUVER – The company behind a proposed B.C. gold and copper mine that was rejected twice by the federal government is asking the Federal Court to quash the environment minister’s decision. Taseko Mines Ltd. (TSX:TKO) says it’s filing
Continue readingThe Common Sense Canadian: BP spills oil into Lake Michigan
BP’s Whiting Refinery on Lake Michigan by The Associated Press WHITING, Ind. – BP says it is assessing how much crude oil entered Lake Michigan following a malfunction at its northwestern Indiana refinery. BP spokesman Scott Dean says crews have placed booms across a cove at the company’s Whiting refinery where
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