Energy East pipeline: New Democrats reiterate call for environmental protection and community consultation

As TransCanada files its application for the Energy East pipeline, New Democrats are reiterating the vital importance of a fair, rigorous and open project review process.

"Canadians want energy security and the jobs this sector supports, and our communities need to know that the environment is being protected and that the highest possible safety measures are in place when transporting oil," said NDP Energy Critic Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain). “Energy East is a significant project that will span six provinces – it’s going to require an extremely thorough review that takes into account the full environmental, social and economic impact of the proposal.”

Charlton noted that the Conservatives have seriously eroded public trust in federal pipeline review processes by significantly weakening environmental rules and limiting public consultation. New Democrats strongly opposed those actions.

“We’ve been clear that we think processing Western Canadian oil in eastern Canada makes economic sense, if it’s done with the right safety and environmental protections in place,” Charlton said. “What we need now is a meaningful process to examine this proposal that focuses on evaluating environmental sustainability, pipeline safety, community and First Nations views, and economic benefit through things like value-added jobs.”

“Canadians can be assured that New Democrats will be participating in the review by the National Energy Board to make sure that these issues are front and centre,’’ Charlton concluded.