OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/14 -- Natural Resources Canada
The Honourable Joe Oliver, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, today issued the following statement on the National Energy Board's (NEB) decision to approve the flow reversal on Enbridge's Line 9 pipeline:
"The reversal of Enbridge's Line 9 will allow crude oil from Western Canada to flow east to the Suncor refinery in Montreal and the Valero refinery in Levis, Quebec. This will protect high-quality, skilled jobs in Quebec and create market opportunities for Western Canada's oil producers. Furthermore, by replacing higher-cost foreign crude with Canadian crude, the reversal will strengthen Quebec's refining and petrochemical industries.
"The National Energy Board has conducted an independent, scientific review of Enbridge's application. This process was thorough and involved more than 170 participants. The NEB heard testimony from 60 intervenors including four First Nations, 23 associations and 12 governmental organizations. In addition, the NEB received comments from 111 individuals, including numerous experts who provided technical advice. This exhaustive review considered the potential impact of the project on safety and the environment and also the views of affected Canadians and Aboriginal Peoples.
"Our Government is committed to creating jobs, growth and long-term prosperity while ensuring Canadians benefit from world-class environmental protection and safety standards. Our government has been clear: no resource development will proceed unless it is safe for Canadians and safe for the environment. Through our plan for Responsible Resource Development, the Government has doubled pipeline safety audits. Further, the Government intends to require companies operating major crude oil pipelines to have a minimum of $1 billion in financial capacity, in the unlikely event of an incident."
Associated Links
National Energy Board Line 9 Project Review - http://www.neb-one.gc.ca/clf-nsi/rthnb/pplctnsbfrthnb/nbrdgln9brvrsl/nbrdgln9brvrsl-eng.html
Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan)
NRCan's news releases and backgrounders are available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media
Contacts:
Melissa Lantsman
Director of Communications
Office of Canada's Minister of Natural Resources
613-996-2007
Media Relations
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
613-992-4447
The general public may contact:
Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EST
Telephone: 613-995-0947
TTY: 613-996-4397
(teletype for the hearing-impaired)
questions@nrcan.gc.ca
