What Transcanada's Energy East Pipeline Means for the Bay of Fundy

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

What Transcanada's Energy East Pipeline Means for the Bay of Fundy TANKER TRAFFIC AND TAR BALLS: What TransCanada’s Energy East Pipeline Means for the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine By Matthew Abbott, Conservation Council of New Brunswick TANKER TRAFFIC AND TAR BALLS: WHAT TRANSCANADA’S ENERGY EAST PIPELINE MEANS FOR THE BAY OF FUNDY AND GULF OF MAINE Published by: www.fundybaykeeper.ca CONSERVATION COUNCIL OF NEW BRUNSWICK The Fundy Baykeeper works for the Conservation Council to 180 St. John Street defend the public’s right to a healthy Bay of Fundy. This right Fredericton New Brunswick Canada E3B 4A9 is inherent in laws written to protect the marine environment and the species that inhabit it. The Fundy Baykeeper’s top www.conservationcouncil.ca priority is to make sure environmental laws are enforced. Tel: (506) 458-8747 email: [email protected] The Conservation Council of New Brunswick is a non-profit organization that creates awareness of environmental problems and advances practical solutions through research, education and interventions. Front Cover: Coastline at the community of Red Head, near Saint John, New Brunswick. August 2015 Aussi disponible en français M a n God i c o b u g TANKERo TRAFFIC AND TAR BALLS: WHAT TRANSCANADA’S ENERGY EAST PIPELINE MEANS FOR THE BAY OF FUNDY AND GULF OF MAINE u a t n R a R u . x O u ta B rd e e ts s ia mi R tes . Sa R u . l t- au x- Madeleine R. Co York R. ch on s R. C Bonaventure R as ca Saint-Jean R. p TANKER TRAFFIC AND TAR BALLS: e No d u i M v a M a e R é t l t a le . Sa i p gu R s R en R e ay i . R. m . d i o a u R What TransCanada’s Energy East Pipeline s k . i M R al . ba ie R . B AY O CAMPBELLTON F CHALEU Means for the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine R QUEBEC . R BATHURST r e i t R r E a V c I r MAGDALEN ISLANDS - R Nepisigu Rive The Saint John area, the Bay of Fundy, and s it TransCanada’s proposed Energy East E e C u EN q R c W Ja A . L Pipeline project has garnered a great deal Gulf of Maine face particularly elevated risks ST MIRAMICHI R. hi of media and political attention since it was as the export port for the project. Whales ic m a NEW BRUNSWICK ir M announced in August 2013. There has been, and other important marine species; the PROPOSED PIPELINE N however, woefully little discussion of how traditional fishery, tourism, and aquaculture O R TH UM BE the bitumen pipeline would impact the industries; and coastal communities all rely on RLA ND ST SYDNEY RA MONCTON IT New Brunswick environment. Of particular the dynamic but stressed Bay of Fundy/Gulf of FREDERICTON Sa int concern to New Brunswickers is what this Maine ecosystem. John R . project would mean for the Bay of Fundy – an This report touches briefly on the many integral part of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem – MAINE impacts the pipeline would have and takes SAINT JOHN and its impact on the diverse marine habitats, SAINT ANDREWS a more specific look at potential impacts to DY fisheries, ecotourism and aquaculture UN F F Y O the Bay of Fundy/Gulf of Maine system from BA industries the bay supports along the eastern GRAND MANAN tanker traffic, impacts on existing industries HALIFAX seaboard of Canada and the U.S. and businesses and the risks of potential spills. SABLE ISLAND YARMOUTH 1 TANKER TRAFFIC AND TAR BALLS: WHAT TRANSCANADA’S ENERGY EAST PIPELINE MEANS FOR THE BAY OF FUNDY AND GULF OF MAINE Path to the Sea, Energy East Pipeline Route to the Bay of Fundy The Energy East oil pipeline is a proposal of Alberta-based TransCanada Corporation to pipe up to 1.1 million barrels-per-day of bitumen from the oil sands in Alberta and Saskatchewan for export out of Eastern Canada. The pipeline would stretch approximately 4,600 kilometres across six provinces and would be the largest pipeline in North America. The proposal involves the conversion of existing natural gas pipeline in Ontario and the construction of approximately 1,400 kilometres of new pipeline in New Brunswick. It would be the first oil pipeline to span the length of the Shoreline at Anthony’s Cove Road, Red Head province of New Brunswick from the border at Quebec through the St. John River valley and Energy East Pipeline export terminal. Current of the planned marine export terminal could ending beside the Bay of Fundy at a marine plans include 18 large storage tanks, often change as TransCanada has yet to announce terminal at Red Head, a community in east Saint referred to as a “tank farm,” directly across from where or whether they will build a second John. homes on Anthony’s Cove Road with storage export terminal along the St. Lawrence River. capacity of up to 7.6 million barrels. A large TransCanada cancelled plans for an export The proposed marine terminal will be built on jetty would be built out into the Bay of Fundy terminal in Cacouna, Que., amid widespread land owned by Irving Oil, a New Brunswick- to the southwest of the existing Canaport public opposition to the plan, especially in based company that owns the refinery in Saint LNG dock. According to current information, light of sensitive beluga whale habitat likely John and is a partner in the Liquefied Natural the jetty would accommodate up to two to be affected. Gas (LNG) facility adjacent to the proposed supertankers for loading. The size and scope 2 TANKER TRAFFIC AND TAR BALLS: WHAT TRANSCANADA’S ENERGY EAST PIPELINE MEANS FOR THE BAY OF FUNDY AND GULF OF MAINE Oil for Export While pipeline proponents argue that Energy East is designed to service Eastern Canadian refineries, including the Irving refinery in Saint John, analysis shows that the product is primarily for export. According to calculations based on TransCanada’s documentation and the capacity of Canadian refineries to accept crude, it has been determined that approximately 80% of the total daily volume flowing through the pipeline would be shipped out of Canada.1 The National Energy Board: A flawed regulatory process Before delving into the implications of TransCanada’s pipeline project to the Bay of Fundy, it is important to examine the regulatory environment under which the project is being assessed. Irving Oil Refinery, Saint John New Brunswick Pipeline proposals that cross provincial jurisdictional energy projects. Founded in Council of New Brunswick argue, has boundaries, such as the Energy East Pipeline 1959, the NEB has undergone changes over significantly limited the capacity of members project, go before the National Energy the years. There was a significant change in of the public to participate in NEB hearings. Board (NEB), the federal regulator on cross- 2012 that, critics including the Conservation Timelines imposed on the NEB review 3 TANKER TRAFFIC AND TAR BALLS: WHAT TRANSCANADA’S ENERGY EAST PIPELINE MEANS FOR THE BAY OF FUNDY AND GULF OF MAINE process also threaten to stifle important discussion and limit constitutionally required In May 2015, over 60 groups consultation with First Nations, since hard across the country called on deadlines may rush a complex regulatory the NEB to close the Energy process. Further, the NEB no longer has the East file until TransCanada final say regarding whether a pipeline should decides on its final route. be built; it merely passes on its advice to the government of the day who is in no way bound to follow the recommendation. Changes to the NEB process made in 2012 now require that all First Nations, landowners, concerned members of the public, and organizations must apply for permission to participate in the hearing process. In order to be considered eligible, applicants must demonstrate that they are either directly affected by the pipeline or have relevant As noted above, TransCanada has made a incomplete project application. The NEB has expertise related to the project. The NEB then major revision to the Energy East application refused to close the file and has, instead, decides who can participate in the process by canceling the export terminal in Cacouna, continued with the process. In a Letter to all and who can write a letter of comment. Que. In May 2015, over 60 groups across the Parties on July 16, 2015, the NEB announced Applications to participate in the review of country called on the NEB to close the Energy the list of Aboriginal intervenors and stated the Energy East Pipeline project had to be East file until TransCanada decides on its final that it will soon rule on who else will be submitted by March 3, 2015, well before route, arguing it would be irresponsible of granted intervenor status in the hearing,2 all TransCanada’s application could be deemed the regulator to proceed with a review of an well before TransCanada has even finalized complete. its plans. 4 TANKER TRAFFIC AND TAR BALLS: WHAT TRANSCANADA’S ENERGY EAST PIPELINE MEANS FOR THE BAY OF FUNDY AND GULF OF MAINE The Bay of Fundy, a Natural Treasure Sitting on the northeast corner of the Gulf of Maine and nestled between the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick coastlines, the Bay of Fundy is a truly unique and awe-inspiring marine environment. Twice every day 160-billion tonnes of seawater rushes into, and back out of, the Bay of Fundy, creating the largest tides in the world.
Recommended publications
  • Regulation of Access to Oil Pipelines 777
    REGULATION OF ACCESS TO OIL PIPELINES 777 THE NATIONAL ENERGY BOARD: REGULATION OF ACCESS TO OIL PIPELINES JENNIFER HOCKING* In the past few years, a number of long-distance oil pipelines have been proposed in Canada — Northern Gateway, the Trans Mountain Expansion, Keystone, and the Energy East Project. This article describes the criteria used by the National Energy Board in approving the allocation of capacity in oil pipelines to firm service contracts while requiring that a reasonable percentage of capacity is allocated for uncommitted volumes (common carriage). It explains the economic theory related to regulation of access to major oil pipelines. It reviews and analyzes relevant NEB decisions, which show that the NEB supports well- functioning competitive markets, but will exercise its discretion to resolve complaints where markets are not functioning properly. The article also explains the economic significance of the proposed long-distance oil pipelines to Canada and Alberta despite the current low price of crude oil. The article concludes with recommendations for a written NEB policy regarding access to capacity in oil pipelines. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. SIGNIFICANCE OF PROPOSED OIL PIPELINES TO THE CANADIAN ECONOMY ................................. 778 A. PIPELINES NEEDED DESPITE LOW PRICE OF OIL ............... 780 B. SHIPPING OF OIL BY RAIL ................................ 781 II. OIL PIPELINES AS COMMON CARRIERS ........................... 781 A. THE NATURE OF COMMON CARRIERS ....................... 781 B. COMMON CARRIAGE OBLIGATION SUBJECT TO REASONABLENESS TEST ............................... 783 C. WHY WERE OIL PIPELINES ORIGINALLY DESIGNATED AS COMMON CARRIERS? ................................. 784 III. MAJOR LONG-DISTANCE OIL PIPELINES TODAY ................... 785 A. ENBRIDGE PIPELINES .................................... 786 B. TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE .............................. 787 C. SPECTRA ENERGY EXPRESS-PLATTE .......................
    [Show full text]
  • Time and Tides in the Gulf of Maine a Dockside Dialogue Between Two Old Friends
    1 Time and Tides in the Gulf of Maine A dockside dialogue between two old friends by David A. Brooks It's impossible to visit Maine's coast and not notice the tides. The twice-daily rise and fall of sea level never fails to impress, especially downeast, toward the Canadian border, where the tidal range can exceed twenty feet. Proceeding northeastward into the Bay of Fundy, the range grows steadily larger, until at the head of the bay, "moon" tides of greater than fifty feet can leave ships wallowing in the mud, awaiting the water's return. My dockside companion, nodding impatiently, interrupts: Yes, yes, but why is this so? Why are the tides so large along the Maine coast, and why does the tidal range increase so dramatically northeastward? Well, my friend, before we address these important questions, we should review some basic facts about the tides. Here, let me sketch a few things that will remind you about our place in the sky. A quiet rumble, as if a dark cloud had suddenly passed overhead. Didn’t expect a physics lesson on this beautiful day. 2 The only physics needed, my friend, you learned as a child, so not to worry. The sketch is a top view, looking down on the earth’s north pole. You see the moon in its monthly orbit, moving in the same direction as the earth’s rotation. And while this is going on, the earth and moon together orbit the distant sun once a year, in about twelve months, right? Got it skippah.
    [Show full text]
  • Bay of Fundy (Canada)
    Tides Bay of Fundy (Canada) Tides Measuring tides General description Physical mechanism Characteristics in different locations Tidal resonance and tidal bore Measuring tides Records of the position of sea surface with respect to a fixed level (a datum) tidal pole float tidal gauge Measuring tides Time series of sea surface height Hilo tide observations and predictions (PacIOOS) Measuring tides Examples of tidal time series General description Up and down motion of sea level Back and forth currents Periodic (~12 hours and 24 hours) Amplitude and timing vary from one location to another Propagating shallow-water wave of very long wavelength (~10,000km) Physical mechanism due to the gravitational attraction of Moon and Sun on Earth and its ocean and the rotation of Moon around Earth and the Earth-Moon system around the Sun Moon Sun Earth Physical mechanism due to the gravitational attraction of Moon and Sun on Earth and its ocean and the rotation of Moon around Earth and the Earth-Moon system around the Sun Moon Sun “It's complicated!” Earth Theory of equilibrium tides Simplified problem Earth-Moon system only No rotation of Earth around its own axis Earth covered with an ocean (no continents) No friction Theory of equilibrium tides Centrifugal Force (varies with r) r d Gravitational Force (varies with 1/d2) Theory of equilibrium tides Theory of equilibrium tides Theory of equilibrium tides Theory of equilibrium tides Theory of equilibrium tides Tidal Force Theory of equilibrium tides Tidal Force Theory of equilibrium
    [Show full text]
  • Ecoregions of New England Forested Land Cover, Nutrient-Poor Frigid and Cryic Soils (Mostly Spodosols), and Numerous High-Gradient Streams and Glacial Lakes
    58. Northeastern Highlands The Northeastern Highlands ecoregion covers most of the northern and mountainous parts of New England as well as the Adirondacks in New York. It is a relatively sparsely populated region compared to adjacent regions, and is characterized by hills and mountains, a mostly Ecoregions of New England forested land cover, nutrient-poor frigid and cryic soils (mostly Spodosols), and numerous high-gradient streams and glacial lakes. Forest vegetation is somewhat transitional between the boreal regions to the north in Canada and the broadleaf deciduous forests to the south. Typical forest types include northern hardwoods (maple-beech-birch), northern hardwoods/spruce, and northeastern spruce-fir forests. Recreation, tourism, and forestry are primary land uses. Farm-to-forest conversion began in the 19th century and continues today. In spite of this trend, Ecoregions denote areas of general similarity in ecosystems and in the type, quality, and 5 level III ecoregions and 40 level IV ecoregions in the New England states and many Commission for Environmental Cooperation Working Group, 1997, Ecological regions of North America – toward a common perspective: Montreal, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 71 p. alluvial valleys, glacial lake basins, and areas of limestone-derived soils are still farmed for dairy products, forage crops, apples, and potatoes. In addition to the timber industry, recreational homes and associated lodging and services sustain the forested regions economically, but quantity of environmental resources; they are designed to serve as a spatial framework for continue into ecologically similar parts of adjacent states or provinces. they also create development pressure that threatens to change the pastoral character of the region.
    [Show full text]
  • A Review of Ice and Tide Observations in the Bay of Fundy
    A tlantic Geology 195 A review of ice and tide observations in the Bay of Fundy ConDesplanque1 and David J. Mossman2 127 Harding Avenue, Amherst, Nova Scotia B4H 2A8, Canada departm ent of Physics, Engineering and Geoscience, Mount Allison University, 67 York Street, Sackville, New Brunswick E4L 1E6, Canada Date Received April 27, 1998 Date Accepted December 15,1998 Vigorous quasi-equilibrium conditions characterize interactions between land and sea in macrotidal regions. Ephemeral on the scale of geologic time, estuaries around the Bay of Fundy progressively infill with sediments as eustatic sea level rises, forcing fringing salt marshes to form and reform at successively higher levels. Although closely linked to a regime of tides with large amplitude and strong tidal currents, salt marshes near the Bay of Fundy rarely experience overflow. Built up to a level about 1.2 m lower than the highest astronomical tide, only very large tides are able to cover the marshes with a significant depth of water. Peak tides arrive in sets at periods of 7 months, 4.53 years and 18.03 years. Consequently, for months on end, no tidal flooding of the marshes occurs. Most salt marshes are raised to the level of the average tide of the 18-year cycle. The number of tides that can exceed a certain elevation in any given year depends on whether the three main tide-generating factors peak at the same time. Marigrams constructed for the Shubenacadie and Cornwallis river estuaries, Nova Scotia, illustrate how the estuarine tidal wave is reshaped over its course, to form bores, and varies in its sediment-carrying and erosional capacity as a result of changing water-surface gradients.
    [Show full text]
  • Designation of Critical Habitat for the Gulf of Maine, New York Bight, And
    Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 107 / Friday, June 3, 2016 / Proposed Rules 35701 the Act, including the factors identified Recovery and State Grants, Ecological Public hearings and public in this finding and explanation (see Services Program, U.S. Fish and information meetings: We will hold two Request for Information, above). Wildlife Service. public hearings and two public informational meetings on this proposed Conclusion Authority rule. We will hold a public On the basis of our evaluation of the The authority for these actions is the informational meeting from 2 to 4 p.m., information presented under section Endangered Species Act of 1973, as in Annapolis, Maryland on Wednesday, 4(b)(3)(A) of the Act, we have amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). July 13 (see ADDRESSES). A second determined that the petition to remove Dated: May 25, 2016. public informational meeting will be the golden-cheeked warbler from the Stephen Guertin, held from 3 to 5 p.m., in Portland, List of Endangered and Threatened Maine on Monday, July 18 (see Wildlife does not present substantial Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ADDRESSES). We will hold two public scientific or commercial information [FR Doc. 2016–13120 Filed 6–2–16; 8:45 am] hearings, from 3 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 8 indicating that the requested action may p.m., in Gloucester, Massachusetts on BILLING CODE 4333–15–P be warranted. Therefore, we are not Thursday, July 21 (see ADDRESSES). initiating a status review for this ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, species. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE identified by the NOAA–NMFS–2015– We have further determined that the 0107, by either of the following petition to list the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Lady Crabs, Ovalipes Ocellatus, in the Gulf of Maine
    18_04049_CRABnotes.qxd 6/5/07 8:16 PM Page 106 Notes Lady Crabs, Ovalipes ocellatus, in the Gulf of Maine J. C. A. BURCHSTED1 and FRED BURCHSTED2 1 Department of Biology, Salem State College, Salem, Massachusetts 01970 USA 2 Research Services, Widener Library, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 USA Burchsted, J. C. A., and Fred Burchsted. 2006. Lady Crabs, Ovalipes ocellatus, in the Gulf of Maine. Canadian Field-Naturalist 120(1): 106-108. The Lady Crab (Ovalipes ocellatus), mainly found south of Cape Cod and in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, is reported from an ocean beach on the north shore of Massachusetts Bay (42°28'60"N, 70°46'20"W) in the Gulf of Maine. All previ- ously known Gulf of Maine populations north of Cape Cod Bay are estuarine and thought to be relicts of a continuous range during the Hypsithermal. The population reported here is likely a recent local habitat expansion. Key Words: Lady Crab, Ovalipes ocellatus, Gulf of Maine, distribution. The Lady Crab (Ovalipes ocellatus) is a common flats (Larsen and Doggett 1991). Lady Crabs were member of the sand beach fauna south of Cape Cod. not found in intensive local studies of western Cape Like many other members of the Virginian faunal Cod Bay (Davis and McGrath 1984) or Ipswich Bay province (between Cape Cod and Cape Hatteras), it (Dexter 1944). has a disjunct population in the southern Gulf of St. Berrick (1986) reports Lady Crabs as common on Lawrence (Ganong 1890). The Lady Crab is of consid- Cape Cod Bay sand flats (which commonly reach 20°C erable ecological importance as a consumer of mac- in summer).
    [Show full text]
  • ST. CROIX RIVER UPDATE Joint Tribal Council of the Passamaquoddy Tribe Passes St
    FALL 2012/ Winter 2013 THE NEWSLETTER OF MAINE RIVERS ST. CROIX RIVER UPDATE Joint Tribal Council of the Passamaquoddy Tribe passes St. Croix River Alewife Resolution Citing the vital linkages that sea-run alewives create in the food chain of the St. Croix River, Passamaquoddy Bay and the Bay of Fundy, members of the Joint Tribal Council of the Passamaquoddy Tribe voted unanimously to pass a resolution that calls for reopening the St. Croix Rivers for alewives. !e resolution states that sea-run alewife are a vital link in the food chain of the St. Croix River that sustained the Passamaquoddy for thousands of years, “without which we may not have survived.” !e Joint Tribal Council resolution supports the June 14, 2012 Passamaquoddy Chief’s Declaration of a State of Emergency within the St. Croix River, and calls for overturning Maine’s 1995 law that blocks alewives from the St. Croix. In early June 2012 members of the Schoodic Riverkeepers advanced the Passamaquoddy river restoration e"ort with a 100-mile sacred run up the St. Croix River, a run that mirrored the annual trek of native alewives. !e route extended from Pleasant Point, near Eastport, to Mud Lake Stream, a 4,000-year-old ancestral #shing site for the Passamaquoddy at the head of Spednic Lake. Maine Rivers has been working for nearly a decade on advocacy e"orts to reopen the St. Croix River and applauds this recent decision of the Joint Tribal Council. Clockwise from top: Runners and tribal elders at the halfway point of the 2012 the deer antler baton.
    [Show full text]
  • Economic Impacts from Operation of Canada's Energy Transmission
    Economic Impacts from Operation of Canada’s Energy Transmission Pipelines A Special Report Prepared for the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association By Angevine Economic Consulting Ltd. April 2016 The Economic Impacts from Operation of Canada’s Energy Transmission Pipelines | April 2016 Economic Impacts from Operation of Canada’s Energy Transmission Pipelines Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Results of I-O Model Simulations A. Impacts from operation of crude oil, natural gas liquids and refined petroleum products transmission pipelines ................................................................................. 1 B. Impacts from operation of natural gas transmission pipelines ................................... 4 C. Impacts from operation of all transmission pipelines………………………………….. 6 D. Impacts of two proposed pipelines ……………………………………………...............7 E. Impact summary……………………………………………………………………….….10 Detailed Methodology…………………………………………………………………….…11 Energy Pipelines Included in the Analysis……………………………………………...12 The Economic Impacts from Operation of Canada’s Energy Transmission Pipelines | April 2016 Introduction This report summarizes key findings obtained from using the current (2010) version of the Statistics Canada Interregional Input/Output (I-O) Model to estimate the economic impacts from operation of the energy transmission pipelines currently operating in Canada as well as from two proposed but not yet approved
    [Show full text]
  • A Changing Nutrient Regime in the Gulf of Maine
    ARTICLE IN PRESS Continental Shelf Research 30 (2010) 820–832 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Continental Shelf Research journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/csr A changing nutrient regime in the Gulf of Maine David W. Townsend Ã, Nathan D. Rebuck, Maura A. Thomas, Lee Karp-Boss, Rachel M. Gettings University of Maine, School of Marine Sciences, 5706 Aubert Hall, Orono, ME 04469-5741, United States article info abstract Article history: Recent oceanographic observations and a retrospective analysis of nutrients and hydrography over the Received 13 July 2009 past five decades have revealed that the principal source of nutrients to the Gulf of Maine, the deep, Received in revised form nutrient-rich continental slope waters that enter at depth through the Northeast Channel, may have 4 January 2010 become less important to the Gulf’s nutrient load. Since the 1970s, the deeper waters in the interior Accepted 27 January 2010 Gulf of Maine (4100 m) have become fresher and cooler, with lower nitrate (NO ) but higher silicate Available online 16 February 2010 3 (Si(OH)4) concentrations. Prior to this decade, nitrate concentrations in the Gulf normally exceeded Keywords: silicate by 4–5 mM, but now silicate and nitrate are nearly equal. These changes only partially Nutrients correspond with that expected from deep slope water fluxes correlated with the North Atlantic Gulf of Maine Oscillation, and are opposite to patterns in freshwater discharges from the major rivers in the region. Decadal changes We suggest that accelerated melting in the Arctic and concomitant freshening of the Labrador Sea in Arctic melting Slope waters recent decades have likely increased the equatorward baroclinic transport of the inner limb of the Labrador Current that flows over the broad continental shelf from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland to the Gulf of Maine.
    [Show full text]
  • Energy East Pipeline Project
    WhenEnergy the pipeline East: spills... Previous ruptures along TransCanada’s Mainline – part of the planned Energy East pipeline project. Photos by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Cover photos Pipeline Investigation Report P09H0074 Top left: Aerial Photo of the Englehart Occurrence Site, from , Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Available at http://www.tsb. gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/pipeline/2009/p09h0074/p09h0074.aspPipeline Investigation Report P11H0011 Top right: Downstream line-break section of Line 100-2, from , Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Available at http://www.tsb. gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/pipeline/2011/p11h0011/p11h0011.aspPipeline Investigation Report P09H0083 Bottom: Aerial photo of the Marten River occurrence site, from , Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Available at http://www.tsb. gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/pipeline/2009/p09h0083/p09h0083.aspEnergy East: When the pipeline spills... is published under the Creative Commons licence Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 4.0. Images used within this document remain copyrighted by their respective owners except where specifically indicated. Energy East: When the pipeline spills... TransCanada’s Energy East pipeline project would convertIt would an up be to the40-year-old largest oil natural pipeline gas inpipeline North to America, carry crude oil from Saskatchewan to Ontario, connecting it with new pipeline through Quebec and on to Saint John, New Brunswick. transporting 1.1 million barrelsif of oil every day. when where how much When it comes to pipelines, it is not a matter of a pipeline spills, it is a matter of , and it spills. NL AB SK MB Edmonton Hardisty Regina ON QC PE Winnipeg Thunder Bay Quebec City NB Montreal NS North Bay Saint John Ottawa Selective memory: TransCanada’s safety record.
    [Show full text]
  • Keystone XL Pipeline: Overview and Recent Developments
    Keystone XL Pipeline: Overview and Recent Developments Updated April 1, 2015 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R43787 Keystone XL Pipeline: Overview and Recent Developments Summary TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL Pipeline would transport oil sands crude from Canada and shale oil produced in North Dakota and Montana to a market hub in Nebraska for further delivery to Gulf Coast refineries. The pipeline would consist of 875 miles of 36-inch pipe with the capacity to transport 830,000 barrels per day. Because it would cross the Canadian-U.S. border, Keystone XL requires a Presidential Permit from the State Department based on a determination that the pipeline would “serve the national interest.” To make its national interest determination (NID), the department considers potential effects on energy security; environmental and cultural resources; the economy; foreign policy, and other factors. Effects on environmental and cultural resources are determined by preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The NID process also provides for public comment and requires the State Department to consult with specific federal agencies. TransCanada originally applied for a Presidential Permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline in 2008. Since then various issues have affected the completion of both the NEPA and NID processes for the project. In particular, during the NID process for the 2008 application, concerns over environmental impacts in the Sand Hills of Nebraska led the state to enact new requirements that would change the pipeline route. Facing a 60-day decision deadline imposed by Congress, the State Department denied the 2008 permit application on the grounds that it lacked information about the new Nebraska route.
    [Show full text]