OEB Energy East Public Consultation City of North Bay Mayor McDonalds Presentation April 2 2014
April 2, 2014
On behalf of the City of North Bay, I extend our thanks and appreciation to Minister Chiarelli and the Ontario Energy Board for taking the initiative to hold consultation sessions in North Bay and throughout the Province.
The proactive role that the Ontario Energy Board has taken by holding these consultations and participating in the National Energy Board’s application and hearing process is key to ensuring all implications of this project are considered. With this project having potential implications across all of Northern Ontario, as well as parts of Central and Eastern Ontario, it is vital that the Province accepts the responsibility to ensure the interests of the Province, as well as, all municipalities, townships, districts etc., are addressed.
Today we are here to:
1) Outline the concerns of the City of North Bay.
2) Ask the Province to provide and ensure appropriate technical and specialty resources are made available to municipalities to assess the full potential of this project and to develop appropriate action plans, including submissions to the National Energy Board.
3) Request that Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, Gord Miller, be engaged, consulted, and asked to provide recommendations to our municipality, the OEB, and the NEB.
4) Request the Province to apply for intervener status at the National Energy Board hearings and support North Bay’s application for the purpose of protecting the interests of not only the province, but also those of the many municipalities potentially impacted by this project.
The introduction of the Energy East project has raised issues surrounding greenhouse gas emissions, the oil sands, and the merits of our national environment policies. The submission of the City of North Bay is specifically about the transportation of oil through our community.
North Bay’s Concerns:
1. Source Water Protection: It is our understanding; this proposed project crosses a number of sources of municipal water. In the case of North Bay, the proposed conversion pipeline route goes through the watershed (Trout Lake) that provides North Bay’s sole source of drinking water. The primary concern of the municipality is ensuring Trout Lake and the associated watershed is fully protected from a potential pipeline spill or leak.
North Bay draws its municipal drinking water for our 54,000 residents and seasonal visitors from one source: Trout Lake. The pipeline route not only crosses Trout Lake, it also crosses a number of streams and tributaries that flow
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