Enbridge Inc.'s proposed $6-billion, 728-mile bitumen pipeline from Alberta's oil sands to Kitimat, British Columbia, is meeting stiff opposition.
The Calgary-based energy company took a knock in July, when the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) dubbed the company "Keystone Kops" for its handling of a massive 2010 oil spill that polluted Michigan's Kalamazoo River. Now, five key stakeholders are fighting the firm's efforts to run a pipeline from the tar-sands fields to a port providing Pacific Ocean access. The latest volley came during federal hearings on Oct. 10, when B.C. Environment Minister Terry Lake condemned Enbridge's refusal to commit to automatic shutdown technology in the case of a leak, instead opting for manual shutdown controls.