Media Release

Media Statement: October 1, 2014
National Energy Board Ruling on Adequacy of Trans Mountain’s Answers Deeply Troubling

For Immediate Release

Victoria B.C. – Dr. Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and Deputy Leader of the B.C. Green Party is calling the National Energy Board’s ruling on the adequacy of Trans Mountain’s answers “deeply troubling”.

After weeks of anticipation, the National Energy Board handed down its ruling on the adequacy of Trans Mountain’s answers to intervenors’ first round of information requests on the details of the pipeline proposal. Roughly 50 intervenors challenged more than 2,000 responses that they were given by Trans Mountain on the basis that those responses were incomplete and inadequate. In the end, the NEB ruled in favour of only a very small fraction (less than 5%) of intervenors’ requests for better answers.

“In the case of my submission, I challenged more than 100 incomplete and inadequate answers,” says Weaver. “To be clear, I wasn’t challenging answers that I disagreed with. I was challenging answers that simply did not respond to my questions. Yet despite this, the National Energy Board still only ruled in my favour four times.”

As a part of the first round of information requests, Dr. Weaver submitted nearly 500 questions on a variety of topics, including the risks and impacts of a potential oil spill, Trans Mountain’s ability to clean up such a spill and the extent to which the public on Southern Vancouver Island was consulted about the pipeline proposal.

One of Weaver’s key areas of concern is the apparent contradiction arising from land-based tank experiments conducted by Trans Mountain and those undertaken independently by the federal government. According to a federal government report published in November 2013, diluted bitumen has the potential to sink when it mixes with suspended sediments. Trans Mountain’s experiments were conducted in the absence of suspended sediments. “One thing we have no shortage of in our coastal waters is suspended sediments” notes Weaver. “Next time you travel on a BC ferry from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen, have a look at the water. Water originating from the Fraser River has a very distinct milky colour associated with its high sediment content.”

Identifying whether or not diluted bitumen sinks is essential for determining whether or not we have the capacity to respond to a spill. BC government reports have made it clear that we currently don’t have the capacity to respond to a submerged oil spill and Trans Mountain has not proposed any measures to address this gap.

In its ruling, National Energy Board concluded that Dr. Weaver’s attempts to address the contradictory evidence “would not contribute to the record in any substantive way”.

“That the NEB can say that questions on the science underpinning whether Trans Mountain can even respond to an oil spill are not a ‘substantive’ contribution to the record should be alarming for all British Columbians,” says Weaver. “This is an unfortunate ruling that puts our coastline at unnecessary risk. In the absence of an opportunity for cross-examination, it is decisions like these that make people seriously question the integrity of the entire hearing process.”

-30-

Media Contact
Mat Wright – Press Secretary, Andrew Weaver MLA
Mat.wright@leg.bc.ca
1 250 216 3382

Media Statement: September 25, 2014
Petronas LNG Announcement Highlights Need for Economic Back-Up Plan

For Immediate Release

Victoria B.C. – Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and the Deputy Leader of the BC Green Party, says that Petronas’ threat to call off its $10-billion LNG project is another clear demonstration that British Columbia desperately needs an economic back-up plan.

“We have a government that has gone all-in on LNG,” says Weaver. “We have an official opposition that is essentially parroting the government in an attempt to appear job-friendly. The fact is, Petronas’ announcement has made clear what neither the government nor the opposition is willing to admit: That the promise of a ‘generational opportunity’ in LNG is a pipedream and we desperately need a back-up plan for when it fails.”

Petronas’ CEO, Shamsul Abbas, said that the development of an LNG export industry in Canada was over 40 years behind the United States. His statement echoes the conclusions of a recent Peters and Company report that noted that the U.S. Gulf Coast is now likely the most efficient place to construct LNG facilities in North America. In fact, according to regulatory filings, it would cost roughly twice as much to construct a facility in Canada as it would to build one on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Mr. Abbas was clear when quoted in the Financial Times: “Until investors cross the final investment line with an economically viable project, they remain just potential investors on paper”.

“I’ve been saying this since before the last election – the economics simply aren’t there for what the government is promising. It’s a race to the bottom to sell off our natural gas resources, at the expense of other opportunities.”

While, the government continues to double-down on LNG existing industries in B.C. have been neglected. A few years ago, B.C. was investing heavily in reliable, high-paying and up-and-coming sectors like the technology and renewable energy sectors. However with Premier Clark’s new singular focus on LNG, these sectors lack the certainty needed to continue to thrive. Anytime someone questions their approach, the government responds by saying “trust us.”

“We can no longer accept the government’s ‘trust us’ mantra on LNG development. Jobs and our economy are on the line here and British Columbians deserve to know that their government has a back-up plan for when the LNG dream fails.”

-30-

Media Contact
Mat Wright – Press Secretary, Andrew Weaver MLA
Mat.wright@leg.bc.ca
1 250 216 3382

Media Statement: September 22, 2014
BC Government Silent on Mount Polley

For Immediate Release

Victoria B.C. – Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay – Gordon Head and Deputy Leader of the B.C. Green Party, is calling on the B.C. Government to take immediate steps to address growing concerns about the lack of response to the short-term environmental and economic impacts stemming from the Mount Polley tailings pond breach.

“The Mount Polley tailings pond breach happened over a month and a half ago,” said Andrew Weaver. “Yet local residents are still being kept in the dark about what their government and Imperial Metals are doing to remedy the immediate economic and environmental fall-out from the incident.”

So far the government has only provided information on its monitoring efforts and its commitment to determining the cause of the breach. Local residents are concerned that the government is not doing enough to address more immediate issues, such as financial support for affected families or reclamation of impacted areas.

Andrew Weaver visited the Scwepemc Sacred Fire during his August 28^th trip to the region. The Sacred Fire, which was lit on August 18^th near the entrance to the mine site, has becomes a community gathering point for those affected to voice their concerns.

“I had an opportunity to hear from people about what they believe needs to be done” said Andrew Weaver. “What I heard more than anything is that residents do not trust that the BC government or Imperial Metals are doing what is necessary to address their concerns. We need to change that.”

Since Andrew Weaver returned from Mount Polley more than three weeks ago, these concerns have continued to grow. His office has received correspondence from residents of Likely, BC, who remain concerned that they have still not heard what steps the BC Government is taking to address the more immediate concerns.

“The fact is, residents of the Mount Polley region shouldn’t have to approach an MLA from Vancouver Island to get answers from the government about what is happening to their region. This is a clear sign that more needs to be done.”

A full report of Andrew Weaver’s trip to the Likely, BC region can be found on his website:  http://www.andrewjweaver.ca/2014/09/10/mount-polley-breach-here/

Media Contact
Mat Wright – Press Secretary, Andrew Weaver MLA
mat.wright@leg.bc.ca
1 250 216 3382

Media Statement: September 16, 2014
Tentative Agreement Welcome News in Teachers’ Dispute
For Immediate Release

Victoria B.C. – Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay – Gordon Head and Deputy Leader of the B.C. Green Party, welcomes the news of a tentative agreement in the dispute between the B.C. Government and B.C. Teacher’s Federation. While complete details of the agreement have yet to be released, a vote to ratify the deal will likely be held on Thursday, and if accepted by teachers, schools could reopen shortly thereafter.

“This news must come as a huge relief to the teachers, parents and students who only a few days ago saw no end to the dispute” said Andrew Weaver. “I am hopeful students, especially those nearing graduation, will be able to make up for the lost class time. Over the past weeks I have received hundreds of emails, calls and social media posts from across the province by people deeply worried about the state of education in B.C. and I share their concerns. Education should be the government’s priority, not an after-thought”

This dispute, as well as the historical relationship between the BCTF and successive governments, illustrates the need for an ongoing open discussion on the bargaining framework and on how we sustainably prioritize funding for our K-12 education system.

Media Contact
Mat Wright – Press Secretary, Andrew Weaver MLA
mat.wright@leg.bc.ca
1 250 216 3382

Media Advisory: September 11th, 2014
Binding Arbitration Petition Reaches 25 000 Signature Milestone
For Immediate Release

VICTORIA, B.C. – A petition released by Green MLA Andrew Weaver on Monday afternoon, which calls on the BC government to accept binding arbitration with the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, has accumulated 25,000 signatures in three days. Weaver has now announced a goal of doubling those signatures to 50,000.

“We initially had a goal of 10,000 signatures. We surpassed that in 24 hours. We then increased that goal to 15,000, but accumulated more than 20,000 by the end of the second day. British Columbians are overwhelmingly voicing their strong desire for an end to the dispute between the B.C. government and the B.C.T.F. We are enabling those voices to be heard,” said Weaver. “Binding arbitration has been overwhelmingly voted for by teachers, and with the current impasse, is clearly the only route to get students and teachers back in classrooms.”

Interim-Leader of the B.C. Green Party Adam Olsen speaks enthusiastically about the impact of Weaver’s work on this issue: “Andrew comes from a professional background in education – he is passionate about the issue and understands what’s at stake when teachers can’t teach, students can’t learn, and parents can’t find adequate childcare for their children. I’m so proud that the B.C. Green Party, through Andrew’s work, has been able to move forward on this issue, pressuring an inactive and unresponsive government to do what’s right, fair and in the clear interest of putting families first.”

Weaver hopes that a petition with 50,000 signatures will make a profound statement about the current bargaining impasse the government is perpetuating by refusing to accept binding arbitration. Once the goal has been reached, he will deliver the petition to Premier Christy Clark and Minister of Education Peter Fassbender.

Note:

We have also been asked to make a available a printable version so that people can collect signatures locally and then mail completed pages back to us.

A downloadable copy is now available

Media Contact
Mat Wright – Press Secretary, Andrew Weaver MLA
mat.wright@leg.bc.ca
1 250 216 3382