Written by Press Release on 22 February 2015
Submitted by Stop Energy East (North Bay)
NORTH BAY, ON – Shocked by comments in support of the controversial Energy East project reportedly made by Liberal Finance critic Scott Brison during a visit to North Bay in support of Liberal candidate Anthony Rota, local critics of the project are requesting a meeting with Rota to brief him on the controversial project.
“We’re really taken aback that a high-ranking Liberal would parachute into North Bay and make those kinds of remarks”, said Elizabeth Frazer, speaking on behalf of a coalition of concerned citizens opposed to the Energy East project.
“If Mr. Brison’s intention was to draw support for the local liberal candidate his comments ignore our local concerns this pipeline proposal poses to the Lake Nipissing and Trout Lake watersheds and do little to support Mr. Rota.”
Friday, February 20th, the local citizens’ coalition requested a meeting with local Liberal candidate Anthony Rota to brief him on the Energy East project and request followup action from the Liberal Party to retract the comments made by Brison.
“The disappointment is more than profound that Anthony Rota would host the Liberals in North Bay as the backdrop for these remarks. The community has actively expressed their very real concerns that the Energy East pipeline would bring to North Bay’s drinking water, while Mr. Rota has remained silent. This is a troubling way for him to break his silence,” said Yan Roberts.
“Brison saying that constructive relationships are the missing ingredient that the Liberals will bring to get this pipeline built misses the point entirely. Positive relationships don’t erase the risk of a pipeline going through a town’s drinking water,” added Roberts. “I’d argue that those constructive relationships likely don’t even exist, I have not seen Anthony Rota at any of the many community discussions where citizens shared concern about this pipeline.”
The Energy East Project is Transcanada’s plan to convert an aging natural gas pipeline to carry crude oil and tar sands bitumen from western Canada to Eastern Canada, for refining and/or export. The Energy East Project puts the Lake Nipissing and Trout Lake watersheds at risk. The pipeline will be sending large volumes of toxic diluted bitumen a mix of crude oil, solvents and chemicals under high pressure. If or when the pipeline fails it will send hundreds or thousands of litres into the environment, and will contaminate ground or surface water, such as Trout Lake, the City of North Bays source of drinking water. The Energy East project will also allow the expansion of Albertas tar sands, which are a massive source of carbon pollution and so a huge contributor to accelerated climate change.
Tags: aging natural gas pipeline, aging pipeline, Anthony Rota, controversial Energy East project, crude oil, Eastern Canada, Elizabeth Frazer, Energy East, Energy East Project, Environment, Lake Nipissing, Lake Nipissing watershed, Liberal candidate Anthony Rota, Liberal Finance critic Scott Brison, Liberal Party, local citizens’ coalition, natural gas pipeline, North Bay, pipeline fails, refining, Residents Request Meeting with Rota on Energy East, surface water, tar sands bitumen, TransCanada, Trout Lake, Trout Lake watershed, Western Canada, Yan Roberts
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