To the editor:
There are two types of fees Enbridge should be required to pay the Government of British Columbia should a decision be made to approve the construction of the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline – essential fees and royalties/taxes.
The following are some of the most important essential fees that the B.C. government should charge Enbridge. These fees must not be considered as a source of profit for the province. The government of B.C. must have a 100 per cent guarantee these fees, whatever their eventual dollar amount may be, will be paid by Enbridge.
• An annual lease fee for the use of Crown land in the construction and operation of the pipeline.
• All costs associated with oil spills from the pipeline and tankers
• All costs associated with removing the pipeline and restoring the land used by Enbridge for the project to an acceptable standard as set by the government of B.C. when the pipeline is no longer needed.
• Fair compensation to the residents of B.C. for having the project constructed in their province.
• Fair compensation to the First Nations regarding the construction and operation of the project.
If Enbridge cannot meet all of the above requirements, it should not be given permission to proceed with the project.
Any royalties and/or taxes Enbridge is to pay the government of B.C. should be considered to be any amounts over and above the essential fees.
In years to come, should the project proceed, the people of B.C. should not have to pay billions and billions of dollars for unexpected costs associated with the project.
This information may help the environmentalists in their endeavour to prevent the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline from being constructed.
Norman Gibson
West Vancouver