Dialogue Re. Stop Line 9

Dear Dr. Birinder Singh Ahluwalia, 

Last year we sent an e-mail to Mr. Trudeau when  BC Northern Gateway messaging was included in  an e-mail that requested our support from the Liberal party.In that e-mail reply we asked what Mr. Trudeau's stand was on the Enbridge Line 9 Pipeline Project in Ontario.  We were extremely disappointed when we received no response.

We are  concerned as to why Mr. Trudeau is constantly touting his efforts to ensure that the concerns of the  Northern Gateway pipeline are being addressed when there is no mention of the concerns pertaining to the Enbridge Line 9 pipeline here in Ontario. The Line 9 pipeline  threatens 2.8 million people in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) alone.  Just because it was built 40 years ago and is already buried beneath our Ontario soil, does not mean it should be ignored by any party`s  "green" platform. 

The Enbridge Line 9 pipeline, is  a 40 year old pipeline, that runs from Sarnia to Montreal.  During the National Energy Board  (NEB) Line 9 hearing in 2013,  it was revealed to be of the  same vintage, design, and construction material  of the  Enbridge Line 6  pipeline that ruptured in 2010 in the small town of Marshall, Michigan, and, where to date has run up a remediation clean up cost  in Marshall Michigan  of  some $1 billion.  Pipeline experts presenting to the NEB stated that a similar pipeline rupture of Line 9 here in Toronto could cost several billion dollars in clean, destroy  critical City  infrastructure, contaminate drinking water , and,  could cost lives.  The pipeline owner has only about $650 million dollars in insurance in the event of a Line 9 pipeline rupture.  Unconventional crude,  Bakken light crude as well as Tar sand dilbit , is planned for Line 9  .  The Bakken crude is the same flammable crude that devastated Lac Magentic.  

Line 9  runs through our Willowdale Toronto ridding, crossing over City's our Finch-Yonge subway line at Bishop and Yonge Street.  To the west of us,  Line 9  crosses over our City of Toronto's new Spadina- Yonge line.

Just think of what could happen if there is a rupture of  Line 9 and it  spills its contents into one of our subways.  A spark from a subway train could create a subterranean inferno.
 
We are told that Line 9 wall thickness at the Finch subway is about 0.5 inches and at the Spadina Yonge crossing it is about 0.28 inches.  The 2013 NEB hearing revealed that Line 9  was fraught with 100 s of cracks and corrosion features. That the pipeline crosses watersheds supplying the drinking water for 2.8 million residents in the GTA alone.  That it threatens many cities and communities, including First Nations along it route through Ontario on its way to Montreal. 

 Pipeline expert Richard Kuprewicz testified at the NEB hearing that the aging Line 9 pipeline has a 90% chance of rupture within the first 5 years of the reversal of crude oil flow and the increase capacity requested in the Enbridge Line 9 Project proposal to NEB.  Other Engineers also weighed in with their concerns, including inferior in line inspection equipment to evaluate cracks and corrosion, and,  questionable "loose"  crack and corrosion depth measurement criteria  for repairing portions of the deteriorating Line 9  pipeline.  NEB granted conditional approval of the Line. Some 900 remediation digs have been conducted on the line and 17 new automatic valves installed.  Enbridge has refuted the need to install additional automatic valves on both sides of watershed supplying drinking water and draining into valuable agriculture lands. 
Since Line 9 is buried under the vast parking lot at Yonge and Bishop subway here in Willowdale, Toronto, and we have yet to see excavation of said parking lot, we assume that no remediation dig has been conducted at the subway. 

And,  there is no evidence that there has been a risk assessment at the Spadina-Yonge subway crossing.  

Furthermore, there has yet to be an Environmental Assessment (EA)  along the Line 9.  The EA conducted by Enbridge was accepted by NEB, despite the criticism by concerned commenters that the Enbridge EA only considered the environment around its 5 pumping stations constructed to allow the reversal of flow of crude on this Line.  This limited EA also  questions the misleading scope of the Line 9 Project and was the basis for one of the concerns raised to the City of Toronto in requesting that a judicial review be submitted by  the City of Toronto to appeal NEB's approval of Line 9.  (The City  Motion to Appeal NEB's Line 9 Decision  is attached in the pdf to this e-mail.  I supplied a copy of the Motion to our City Parks and Recreation and the Environment department.   The City Motion outlines  the misleading scope of theLine 9  project as well as safety concerns pertaining to Line 9 as reasons as to why the City should appeal the NEB Line 9 decision .  Unfortunately, the City of Toronto felt that their jurisdiction hands are tied, the Line being a Federal jurisdiction issue so the Motion did not pass )
The jurisdiction ball for Line 9 is in your Federal court.  As a Liberal Candidate and Leader you can advocate for a meaningful public consultation on this Line 9 project, and  ensure that a complete Environmental Assessment and Risk Assessment of Line 9 be conducted.

In a courtroom,  here in Toronto,  on June 16, the Chippewas of the Thames First Nations were in the Federal Court  appealing the decision of the NEB on Line 9.  This First Nations group felt that the NEB process, had violated  their treaty rights to consult  with the Crown their concerns about  Line 9.  

Other concerned  groups, and individuals would have taken the Appeal route had they  money  to retain a lawyer.  Not only is the Line 9 pipeline a health and safety threat to millions of people in Ontario, but the NEB consultation  process for the Enbridge Line 9 Public consultation  was a violation of our Constitutional Freedom of Speech for all Canadians.  

The "Line 9 consultation was the first pipeline hearing following the passing of the infamous Bill C-38 in 2012.   Bill C-38  eroded many pieces of legislation, including  those on environmental protection.  Many concerned citizens feel that Bill C-38 and the subsequent  convoluted, non transparent  consultation process for Line 9,  were strategic tools, implemented by  the Federal Government to expedite pipeline infrastructure by eroding protective legislation and stifling the voice of concerned citizens. 

 My background is in Public Health Risk Assessment.  When  I found out the convoluted machinations imposed on anyone who wanted to provide their concerns about the Line 9 project, I was appalled by the UNJUST CONSULTATION PROCESS as it obviously was an attack on our: freedom of speech;  meaningful public consultation; government transparency; and; the precautionary principle . 

 Unlike the Northern Gateway, those concerned who wanted to comment on Line 9,  had to fill out a 9 page rationale as to why they met criteria set by NEB "to be considered to comment".  The process also entailed those wishing  to comment to provide copies of their correspondence to each and every other comment applicant,  an extremely time consuming exercise for the average citizen, and, an exercise excluding those poorer vulnerable citizens lacking  computers, and time to spend in complying with tight deadlines for application, submission of information requests and in obtaining the affidavits required by the process. And, still some applicants were denied the right to comment.  Less than 200 were "permitted" by NEB to comment.   It is my understanding that Clayton Ruby of  ForestEthics is representing Donna Sinclair for NEB violating  her freedom of speech.  NEB denied  her  right to comment.  Apparently, she had pertinent information stemming from her comments on the Northern Gateway project.  
The deadline of April 19, 2013 to submit your application to participate in the "public consultation" was unjustifiably short.  With exception to a Public Hearing notice published in Toronto sometime around March 3, 2013,  notification about a Line 9 public consultation did not hit the Media until after the deadline for applying to comment had passed.  Citizens who found out after the April 19, 2013 were denied the opportunity to apply  participate in the consultation process despite the  October 2013 final argument date being several months after the deadline to apply.  

Line 9 is also a Climate Change issue. It is  a Climate Change enabler.  It is interesting the web Line 9 weaves, it even was a focus of  Senator Duffy's little black book with insight linking Line 9, Senator Duffy and Stephen Harper.

Environmental organizations attempting to bring awareness to the public about Line 9 were targeted  by the Federal CRA  auditors.  Those audits hampered  Line 9 communication efforts by tying the organizations up with financial audits.   
There is concern, by many,  that Bill C-51 is further  hampering those citizens who are still trying to communicate, in non violent fashion,  safety  concerns and injustices pertaining to Line 9.  Line 9 after all is an infrastructure that the Federal Conservatives have gone out of their way to ensure gets approved by NEB.  

So Line 9 is a poster child for attack on our Environment, an attack on  our freedom of speech, an attack on our First Nation people ( another example of the cultural genocide outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation  Commission (TRC) report. )

Please tell us know what action you can take about pipeline Line 9 here in Ontario, because as it stands now,  Ontarians threatened by Line 9 do not feel included in the Liberal or Conservative campaign. 

Hoping to hear your feedback on Line 9 concerns.  Please don't leave us hanging like Mr. Trudeau's team did last year when we raised our concerns then. 

Kind Regards,

Ms. Eriksen,
Willowdale, Ontario
 

Dear Ms. Eriksen:

Thank you for your communication re Enbridge Line 9 Pipeline Project in Ontario, which, as you have pointed out, may carry potential threats to the well-being of, among other Canadians, the citizens of Willowdale as well.
 
Our beautiful country (and as such it’s citizens) have been blessed with immense myriad natural resources. At the outset I would like to assert my strong and unwavering belief  that exploration/development, transportation and marketing of our natural resources be conducted in a safe and responsible fashion (in conformity with Canadian values).  

Environmental issues have for too long been shelved by our successive governments -- and by each of the parties vying to wield power in the next parliament after October -- to the point that they have now turned into urgent public safety issues. Short-term gains should never be allowed to cloud our obligations to address/fulfill our long-term needs and objectives. Strengthening of Environment Protection laws is need of the day. We can expand our business opportunities as a nation in every sector, including Energy sector, without posing a threat to our environment (and to Citizens).

I can assure you that if given the responsibility to represent Willowdale in Ottawa, I will not shy away from holding the government’s feet to the fire and putting the safety of our citizens and the future welfare of our children and grand children on the top of our collective to-do list. 

I strongly believe that jobs and enterprise can be protected, and our transportation and energy needs can be met without in any way compromising on all that we hold dear and close to our heart.

I therefore seek your support in the coming election, so that I can be your voice and representative in ensuring that we protect our precious Canadian values and build a healthy and secure future for our nation.

I will be glad to meet with you and your colleagues on this and other issues that concern you.

Yours Sincerely,
Dr.Birinder S Ahluwalia