Canadian Government Announces Plan to Prop Up Unpopular Kinder Morgan Pipeline

Ottawa, Canada -- This morning, the Canadian government announced a plan to buy out Kinder Morgan’s proposed Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline expansion. The controversial project faces opposition among First Nations, the public, and elected officials across Canada and the Pacific Northwest, including steadfast resistance from British Columbia Premier John Horgan and opposition from Washington Governor Jay Inslee.

In response to mounting legal challenges and widespread public resistance, Kinder Morgan announced in April that it would suspend work on the pipeline and make a decision by May 31st about whether to move forward with the project or cancel it altogether. Today’s announcement represents a last-ditch effort by the federal government to save the unpopular pipeline.

Not only would the project threaten land, water, and communities along the route in Canada, it would also dramatically increase dangerous tanker traffic along the West Coast, putting coastal communities in Washington, Oregon, and California at risk of increased pollution and threat of spills.

In response, Sierra Club Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign Director Kelly Martin released the following statement:

“The movement to fight back against dirty, dangerous tar sands pipelines across North America will not back down. Despite Justin Trudeau’s efforts to put a thumb on the scale in support of the dirtiest energy source on the planet, we will continue to work in solidarity with First Nations and other allies in Canada to ensure that this dirty pipeline is never built.”