Document generated on 09/30/2021 2:10 a.m. Revue générale de droit The Networked Infrastructure of Fossil Capitalism: Implications of the New Pipeline Debates for Environmental Justice in Canada Dayna Nadine Scott Justice environnementale et droits humains : comprendre les Article abstract tensions et explorer les possibilités A read of the critical geography literature on the concept of “networked Environmental Justice and Human Rights: Investigating the Tensions, infrastructures” generates two arguments in relation to the environmental Exploring the Possibilities justice implications of the new pipeline debates. First, the proposed Volume 43, Special Issue, 2013 coast-to-coast pipeline is likely to exacerbate existing environmental inequities in Canada. Conceiving of the crude oil in a pipeline as a material flow of URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1021210ar commodified nature demonstrates that, at the end of the pipe, inputs of labour, technology and capital are required to convert the crude into useable forms of DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/1021210ar energy. This leads to a serious engagement with the communities at the ends of the proposed pipes. Here, I illustrate the type of analysis that is required with a See table of contents preliminary examination of the expected environmental health impacts from increased refinery emissions in Sarnia, Montréal and Saint John. Second, the notion that pipelines, despite their vital effects, are fixed and durable Publisher(s) installations of built infrastructure—lending a marked inertia to the routes they cement—produces intergenerational equity concerns in relation to fossil Éditions Wilson & Lafleur, inc. capitalism. These concerns are brought powerfully to the fore by activists under the banner of Idle No More. In fact, it is this growing indigenous ISSN resistance movement centered on lands and resources that best illustrates the obvious contradiction: the permanence of the pipelines on the landscape, once 0035-3086 (print) built, underscores the gravity of the choices we are weighing, just as the active 2292-2512 (digital) resistance of indigenous people across the county reveals the inherent instability of the networked infrastructure. Explore this journal Cite this article Scott, D. N. (2013). The Networked Infrastructure of Fossil Capitalism: Implications of the New Pipeline Debates for Environmental Justice in Canada. Revue générale de droit, 43, 11–66. https://doi.org/10.7202/1021210ar Droits d'auteur © Faculté de droit, Section de droit civil, Université d'Ottawa, This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit 2013 (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ 25731_RGD_hors_serie.book Page 11 Monday, November 18, 2013 8:26 AM The Networked Infrastructure of Fossil Capitalism: Implications of the New Pipeline Debates for Environmental Justice in Canada DAYNA NADINE SCOTT* ABSTRACT RÉSUMÉ A read of the critical Une lecture de la littérature geography literature on the critiquant les réseaux concept of “networked d’infrastructures de gaz infrastructures” generates donne naissance à deux two arguments in relation to arguments relatifs aux the environmental justice implications de la justice implications of the new environnementale dans le pipeline debates. First, the débat du nouveau pipeline. proposed coast-to-coast Premièrement, le pipeline pipeline is likely to exacerbate proposé « d’un océan à existing environmental l’autre » risque d’accentuer les inequities in Canada. inégalités environnementales Conceiving of the crude oil in déjà existantes au Canada. a pipeline as a material flow Le simple fait de percevoir of commodified nature le pétrole brut circulant demonstrates that, at the end dans un pipeline comme une of the pipe, inputs of labour, version fluide et pratique de technology and capital are la nature nécessite à lui seul required to convert the crude de la main-d’œuvre, de la into useable forms of energy. technologie et des capitaux * Associate Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, Ontario. The author wishes to thank two anonymous reviewers for useful critiques and sug- gestions. Excellent research assistance was provided by Jesse-Ross Cohen and Sarah Colgrove. The author benefitted from opportunities to test the argument in presenta- tions of earlier versions of this paper at the University of Ottawa conference on Envi- ronmental Justice and Human Rights in November 2012, and the faculty research seminar at Osgoode Hall Law School in January 2013. (2013) 43 R.G.D. 11-66 25731_RGD_hors_serie.book Page 12 Monday, November 18, 2013 8:26 AM 12 Revue générale de droit (2013) 43 R.G.D. 11-66 This leads to a serious importants, apports engagement with the nécessaires à la communities at the ends of transformation des the proposed pipes. Here, ressources naturelles brutes I illustrate the type of en des formes d’énergie analysis that is required with utilisables. Cela requiert un a preliminary examination engagement sérieux avec les of the expected environmental communautés concernées aux health impacts from extrémités desdits pipelines. increased refinery emissions J’illustrerai ici le type in Sarnia, Montréal and d’analyses requis dans Saint John. Second, the l’examen préliminaire des notion that pipelines, despite impacts environnementaux their vital effects, are fixed sur la santé auxquels on peut and durable installations of s’attendre en raison de built infrastructure—lending l’augmentation des émissions a marked inertia to the routes des raffineries de Sarnia, they cement—produces Montréal et Saint John. intergenerational equity Deuxièmement, le fait que les concerns in relation to fossil pipelines, en dépit de leur capitalism. These concerns effet vital, constituent des are brought powerfully to installations fixes et the fore by activists under durables, engendre des the banner of Idle No More. préoccupations en matière In fact, it is this growing d’équité intergénérationnelle, indigenous resistance de capitalisme et de movement centered on lands combustibles fossiles. Ce sont and resources that best ces inquiétudes que les illustrates the obvious tenants du mouvement contradiction: the « Idle No More » présentent. permanence of the pipelines En fait, la résistance on the landscape, once built, autochtone croissante face underscores the gravity of the au développement des terres choices we are weighing, just et des ressources illustre as the active resistance of le mieux la contradiction indigenous people across the évidente que, une fois county reveals the inherent construits, la permanence des instability of the networked pipelines dans le paysage infrastructure. souligne la gravité des choix 25731_RGD_hors_serie.book Page 13 Monday, November 18, 2013 8:26 AM SCOTT Fossil Capitalism and Environmental Justice 13 que nous soupesons. Cette même résistance active un peu partout au pays révèle également l’instabilité inhérente au réseau d’infrastructures. Key-words: Environmental Mots-clés : Justice justice, pipelines, networked environnementale, pipelines, infrastructure, pollution, réseau d’infrastructures, indigenous peoples, inter- pollution, peuples generational equity. autochtones, équité intergénérationnelle. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction............................................................................................ 14 I. Pipelines as Networked Infrastructure ...................................... 17 II. Pipe Dreams: Visions for Expanding the Crude Oil Infrastruc- ture Network in Canada.............................................................. 21 A. The Current National Crude Oil Infrastructure Picture... 24 B. Searching for an Outlet/Race to the Tidewater ................ 28 C. The Route to the South: Keystone XL ............................... 29 D. The Route West: Northern Gateway.................................. 32 E. The Route East: The Line 9 Reversal................................ 35 III. The Benefits and Risks of a Coast-to-Coast Pipeline in Canada.. 40 A. Sarnia and the Aamjiwnnang First Nation ...................... 42 B. Montréal’s East-End........................................................... 44 C. Saint John’s Champlain Heights ....................................... 47 D. Distributing the Costs and Benefits of Expansion in the Tar Sands ............................................................................ 50 IV. Inertia and Momentum ............................................................... 55 A. The “High Inertia” of Built Infrastructure: Enduring and Inequitable.......................................................................... 56 B. The Sudden Vulnerability of the Infrastructure of Fossil Capitalism........................................................................... 62 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 65 25731_RGD_hors_serie.book Page 14 Monday, November 18, 2013 8:26 AM 14 Revue générale de droit (2013) 43 R.G.D. 11-66 INTRODUCTION Late last year Suncor Energy announced plans to spend $55 million to prepare its Montréal refinery to receive western crude.1 Local politicians welcomed the