DR. ANDREW THOMPSON . .. inquiry opening Oil terminal inquiry opens The Thompson Inquiry into the social, economic and_= en- vironmental impact of a west coast oil port opens July 18 at the Devonshire Hotel in Vancouver. Originally mandated: to study only the Kitimat oil port proposal, the terms of reference for the inquiry have since been broadened to include the Cherry Point and Port Angeles proposals as well. The main intervenors against the oil port schemes: will be the Kitimat Coalition, uniting labor and environmental groups around the province, and the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union. An oil port at Kitimat or Cherry Point would create serious en- vironmental risks for Canada. A major oil spill would be virtually inevitable and would ruin large sections of B.C. coast line and do irreparable damage to the fishing industry. In face of the enormous risks involved, the oil ports would serve no Canadian need. All of the oil would be destined for American markets, a large part of it coming from Indonesia and the south Pacific. The Inquiry will hold sessions in Vancouver, Victoria, Kitimat and Prince Rupert. Commissioner Andrew Thompson will hear evidence in four phases continuing until December of 1977. His report is due early in 1978. Dempster, B.C. lines not studied Alcan: ‘the uninquired pipeline’ Cont'd from pg. 1 route. Since that time the Arctic Gas consortium has quit the Lysyk commission, indicating the willingness of the major oil companies to go the Alcan way. The NEB ruling also follows the line set by the U.S. Federal Energy Commission which gave the nod to Alcan in June as the route best suited to American needs. Unless massive pressure can be brought to bear on the Canadian govern- ment, thereis every likelihood that Trudeau will approve the Alcan route in August, meeting the September 1 “deadline’’ imposed by U.S. president Carter. Immediately following the NEB decision last week, the B.C. Working Group for Moratorium issued an information paper aimed at dispelling notions that the Alcan route is a victory for environ- mental and social concerns. “This may well be a mistake borne out of relief that the NEB report seems to kill the Arctic gas proposal for a Mackenzie line,”’ the statement said, ‘‘however the Alcan route may well hold just as many critical problems with it as the Mackenzie route — both for the North and the South.” The paper points out that the Alcan route may carry more risks than the discredited Mackenzie Valley route because little is known about the project. The Foothills Gas consortium made application for the project only in February of 1977 and is being considered without the benefit of the extensive in- vestigation that the Arctic Gas proposal was put to. The so-called ‘‘Dempster Link,”’ which the NEB added as a con- dition to the Alcan proposal has never even been proposed by an oil company, and has never been studied at all with regard to the dangers involved. Neither has the largest section of the. project, the 540 miles through northern B.C. ever been studied. While the Yukon section of the project is currently under examination by the Lysyk com- mission, LLysyk must report | his findings August 1, after only two months of investigation. By comparison, the Berger report heard evidence for over two years. In addition to the havoc that would be wrought on northern life Island labor councils press for moratorium The Victoria and Campbell River labor councils this week joined in the demand for a moratorium on all northern pipeline developments — including the Alcan pipeline recommended by the National Energy Board. The Victoria Council went on record at its July 6 meeting to oppose the Alcan, Mackenzie Valley and Kitimat pipelines. IWA delegates Ernie Knott sponsored the resolution that also called for the development of a national energy policy that would end the north-south flow of energy. “There is nothing in these pipeline projects for Canada ex- cept monumental costs, en- vironmental damage and the further erosion of our national sovereignty,’’ Knott told the delegates. Nick Chernoff, secretary of the Campbell River Labor Council, added his council’s opposition to northern pipelines with a letter to the minister of Indian affairs and northern development, Warren Allmand. “Tt would appear that the urgency created around the pipeline does not emanate from the Canadian people in the north or the south,” Chernoff said, ‘Rather it is created by the. multinational corporations and the U.S. govern- ment. “Tt is our opinion that there must be sufficient planning in the development of the North so as all of the resources can be harvested in such a way to ensure that the development of one industry will complement others, and in a way that the people of the North can expect to realize a permanent livelihood from such development. “‘We would therefore urge you as minister not to be stampeded into the various pipeline projects until such time as a comprehensive plan is accepted by all Canadians.”’ PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 15, 1977—Page 2 by a pipeline, the Alcan line promises to carry with it grave consequences for all of Canada. The proposed cost of the Alcan line is between $7 billion and $10 billion. Even the NEB, however, cautioned that the Foothills group were underestimating expenses by 20 to 30 per cent. The experience of the Alyeska line through Alaska was a cost overrun of 10 times the original estimate. The vague and sketchy technical data of Foothills throws the entire cost estimate into question and makes the NEB decision to grant the Foothills group an “‘all events tariff’? an even more questionable one. The tariff allows Foothills to charge natural gas distribution companies, even if there is no gas flowing through the line. In effect, the consumer will pay for. Foot- hills’ costly errors. The strain on investment capital that will be produced by the ‘“‘mega project” will also likely result in increased mortgage and lending rates as billions of dollars are re- directed from southern industry to the northern pipeline project. And let me repeat... that weCanadians... need that Northem Gas... that we Camadians. .. need that NorthemGas... it we are to prosper... Severe pollution hazard seen in Hydro proposals By ALD. HARRY RANKIN B.C. Hydro is applying for a permit to burn sulphur content bunker oil at its Burrard Thermal Generating Plant, located at Ioco near the eastern end of Burrard Inlet. The plant is a back-up facility used to provide energy in low years, to provide emergency standby in event of power system failures, and to provide peaking service during heavy demand periods. Power from the plant has also been exported to the U.S. The plant is equipped to use both natural gas or bunker C residual oil, although natural gas is used most of the time. All industrial air emissions in the Greater Vancouver Regional District, with one exception, are under the control of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. That exception is B.C. Hydro, which is under the direct control of the provincial director of pollution control. Because members of the GVRD have expressed great concern over the possible effects of burning high sulphur content oil in the Burrard plant, Robert Bonner and other officials of B.C. Hydro recently appeared before the GVRD to press the application. Alle GVRD members and all municipal councils should be concerned because excessive sulphur dioxide emissions into the atmosphere could do great harm to human health as well as the whole environment. F. R. Bunnell, the director of air pollution control for the GVRD, made these observations to the regional directors: : “Levels of suspended particulate are high in this area. Ambient concentrations throughout the regional district rise under stagnant weather conditions. The Port Moody area is particularly susceptible to these conditions of poor ventilation.’’ “.. .it is not possible to predict with certainty the effects of bur- ning high-sulphur fuel. These will vary from time to time depending on meteorological conditions. At certain times there may be no ALD. HARRY RANKIN... Hydro thermal. plant proposals pose great hazard. problems, at other times there could be very serious effects.” The director also pointed out that the GVRD has ruled that Chevron oil refinery on Burrard Inlet utilize desulphurized fuel oil or natural gas in all combustion sources, and in its permit the emissions by Chevron are limited to the following: Particulates 696 lbs./day NOx 3,982 lbs./day S02 4,437 lbs./day B.C. Hydro in its application is asking for the emission of: Particulates 29,956 lbs./day NOx 49,440 lbs./day S02 453,600 Ibs./day The director pointed out that “this is a tremendous increase over what we estimate B.C. Hydro is now emitting as a gas-fired operation for particulates and SO2 which we now estimate as 3,240 and 142 pounds per day respectively.” He therefore recommended that “the same requirement be made of B.C. Hydro as applies to the Chevron refinery, that is, that only desulphurized fuel oil or natural gas be utilized in all combustion sources instead of ordinary residual fuel oil or that equivalent source control be required.” When B.C. Hydro made its ap- plication it stated, ‘‘natural gas has been in increasing short supply for electricity generation.’’ The question I would like to ask is: Why is it in short supply? Is it because we are exporting so much of it to the U.S. that we are not keeping enough for our own needs? That is the case, of course, and I think it’s damn well time for the government of B.C. and the government of Canada to put a stop to such exports until all of Canada’s foreseeable needs aré taken care of. To export all of our clean natural gas to the U.S. and leave us to use our high sulphur oil for our own purposes is a dis- graceful sellout of Canada and B.C. When are the politicians in Ot- tawa and Victoria going to begin to put Canada first? I don’t think the citizens of the Lower Mainland are going to accept inhaling harmful sulphur fumes so that more of our natural gas can be exported to the US. —_ Maurice Rush on vacation ~ JIRiBUNE Editor - MAURICE RUSH Assistant Editor SEAN GRIFFIN . Business and Circulation Manager — FRED WILSON Published weekly at Suite 101 — 1416 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. VSL 3X9. Phone 251-1186 Subscription Rate: Canada, $8.00 one year; $4.50 for six months, All other countries, $10.00 one year Second class mail registration number 1560