Northern Gateway

Former Prince George City Mayor and current consultant for Embridge, Colin Kinsley, provided the Nechako Rotary Club with an update on the status of the controversial "Northern Gateway" pipeline proposal.

The pipeline proposal is to transport crude oil from the Tar Sands to a new port being constructed in Kitimat with a 36 inch pipeline and return "condensate" back through a smaller 20 inch line.

The pipeline project is designed to be constructed with a number of "spreads" which are the working areas for each of several sections of the pipeline.  Each spread is typically a section of about 60 kilometres in length.

The constructed pipeline is laid into a trench at depths of a minimum of 3 feet, with some areas being much deeper depending on the topography.

For major river crossings, the pipeline employs a horizontal directional drilling (HDD), which will bore a hole underground, placing the pipeline well below the water in the river, so there is no impact on the water body.  This HDD method is also employed under highways or rail lines that are encountered.

Distribution of the oil from Kitimat is planned to use the latest technology including double lined tankers to haul the crude oil to markets through sections of the Douglas Channel, which is wide enough and deep enough to handle this transportation safely.

During construction of the pipeline, Northern Gateway will employ 3000 workers, and will require 560 full time employees, when the pipeline is operational.

The pipeline is estimated to provide $1.2 billion dollars in taxes annually, plus over $800 million dollars in local goods and services annually to northern and central BC.

Northern Gateway is committed to providing skills training and education to workers on the project, with a good percentage of the jobs being promised to aboriginal people.

A total of 26 Aboriginal Bands are reported to have agreements with Northern Gateway project to date.

For more information on the project you can sign on to their website:  www.gatewayfacts.ca

PDG Ron Neukomm thanked Colin Kinsley for his presentation with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.