EDMONTON, AB (November 10, 2015): Pipeline advocacy must be a key priority of both the NDP government in Alberta and the new federal government after a second train carrying crude oil was derailed in Wisconsin this week, the Wildrose Official Opposition said today.
Crude oil or petroleum product shipped by pipeline in Canada and the United States reaches its destination safely 99.999% of the time, making it is less expensive, safer, and more environmentally friendly than rail.
With the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline, companies are now seeking to expand their facilities to load more trains with Alberta crude.
“The Premier and her fellow opponents of Keystone XL have to realize that their actions result in more oil by rail,” Wildrose Shadow Energy Minister Leela Aheer said. “If the NDP really care about safety, the environment, and Alberta’s prosperity, they will quit trying to play both sides and devote themselves to getting pipelines built as soon as possible.”
A recent study by the Fraser Institute found that rail is over 4.5 times more likely to experience an incident when compared to pipelines in Canada.
For Alberta’s agriculture or forestry industries, increased use of rail to ship oil means less capacity to move other products to market. The NDP have already implemented a train tax, making it more expensive for Alberta industry to move any type of export product out-of-province, and the increased use of oil trains actually harms Alberta’s efforts to diversify our economy.
“The Alberta government’s own website says that Alberta takes our environmental and humanitarian responsibilities seriously, and I wish the Premier believed the same,” Aheer said. “It’s about time the Premier stop apologizing for our energy sector, and fully support pipelines moving in every direction, including: Energy East, Northern Gateway, and Kinder Morgan’s pipeline expansion.”
Wildrose will advocate for pipelines in every direction, and continue to stand up for Alberta jobs and industry.
