Kinder Morgan meeting with First Nations in B.C.
Kinder Morgan transports 300,000 barrels of oil from Edmonton to Burnaby every day. It’s hoping to triple that capacity with a proposed expansion to the Trans Mountain pipeline. This week, Kinder Morgan is meeting with the local First Nations in Kamloops, discussing Aboriginal title and rights, environmental protection, and First Nations’ economic participation in the project.
The Trans Mountain pipeline would run through 11 First Nations reserves in B.C., many of whom are concerned about the risks that come with expansion. The expansion would triple bitumen output to 890,000 barrels a day, requiring another 1,000 kilometers of new pipe.
Grand Chief Stuart Phillip says there is nothing Kinder Morgan can do to change his mind and allow the expansion to go through.
But how does that steadfast position work with the Whispering Pines Indian Band, which signed an agreement with kinder morgan last march. The Trans Mountain pipeline is already twinned through that territory and ready to go. If the project is approved, there are promises from Kinder Morgan of transfers, up to $10 million.