Kinder Morgan still blocking spawning beds after warning from NEB
For immediate release
Groups call on B.C. Conservation Officers to remove plastic fencing
VALEMOUNT — Large mats made of orange plastic snow fencing are still blocking key salmon spawning streams along the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline route, more than a month after the National Energy Board warned the company it was breaking the law.
Kinder Morgan started construction work without permits over the summer, blocking Chinook and Coho salmon, Kokanee, Steelhead, trout and other species from laying eggs in streams where the company hopes to dig trenches across sensitive spawning beds next spring.
“If I got caught throwing a shopping cart or dumping motor oil in one of these creeks, I would face charges for tampering with salmon habitat,” said Sophie Harrison of Dogwood. “Why does a Texas pipeline company think it’s above the law?”
The NEB was unaware of the issue until researcher Lynn Perrin noticed a blog post on the Trans Mountain website, touting the “innovative use of a well-known landscaping product […] easily pinned down with sections of rebar driven into the streambed”. Perrin, who volunteers with the PIPE UP Network in Abbotsford, raised the alarm.
After conservation groups and fisheries biologists complained to the NEB, the board ordered Kinder Morgan to halt its plans to install the anti-spawning mats in 26 streams across B.C. However, the company still refuses to remove the snow fencing from eight streams where it has already been installed.
“I’ve submitted a formal complaint to the province’s Forest and Land Compliance and Enforcement Branch,” said Perrin. “If the NEB won’t enforce the law, I would like our B.C. Conservation Officers to remove this garbage from our salmon streams, and prevent Kinder Morgan from tampering with any more fish habitat.”
Dogwood and PIPE UP are calling on conservation groups, recreational anglers, First Nations and ordinary citizens to keep an eye out for illegal construction activity on the Kinder Morgan route.
“The fact is, this pipeline is still before the courts. The final routing is far from being approved. Kinder Morgan has no business starting construction without permits, especially not when it puts salmon at risk,” said Harrison.
Link to video footage and photos of Swift Creek in Valemount B.C.
For more information:
Sophie Harrison, Dogwood
sophie@dogwoodbc.ca
Lynn Perrin, PIPE UP Network
lperrinf@gmail.com
This is bloody ridiculous… If a company that does not have licenses to construct a pipeline illiminates spawning grounds when our salmon populations are already in decline, how responsible are they going to be when their pipeline breaks??? Looks like the NEB is in big business’s back pocket and not looking out for the interests of British Columbians and our fish!
Kinder Morgan STOP tampering with any more fish habitat ! And remove the anti-spawning mats you put in 26 streams across B.C.
Environment officers – do your job. Remove the nets and prosecute the company.
Are there any law enforcement officers near these illegal installations? Where is the law?
Wish I was there. I’d haul them out myself. Piss on them!
Ok so they have the netting out witch the government has told them not to do so if they are not listening and the government. Isn’t reinforcing it then why aren’t the locals out there ripping the netting out??! I would be if I lived near there! Can’t arrest me for taking some thing out that is against the law in the first place!
My thoughts exactly. .how hard can it be to rip it out
Big Oil is getting dirtier.
Kinder Morgan has already affected the spawning of our fish in our waters just by putting up rebar and anti spawning mats of orange plastic snow fencing… imagine what will happen if the project went through!!! Think NEB, Forests and Lands, BC Conservation, Environmental Departments, Government of Canada….. Justin Trudeau STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING! Justin you’re the boss here, what you say goes! All it takes is for you to shut it all down, simple as that!
Could all the groups(politicians, NEB, Courts, Etc..) out there who are bought and paid for, Please post your rates so we know what your soul is worth.
Federal fisheries won’t let a local man clean out a dry Culver without $10,000 in Profesional fees to say he can. They say if he does he will get a large fine. If it floods he can bypass the professional fees. How dumb have our govt agencies become. Or is it all about professions lobbying the govt for more work at inflated prices.
Fisheries should be contracting someone to remove these fences and charge as well as fine KM.
Kinder Morgan IS Enron. What more reason to not trust them?
Oil money goes to other countries, gold leaves USA, fish creates gold, fish or water species a lot of it gets shipped to China. Gold comes back out of these species makes dollar value go up. We are crippling our economy one source at a time. How can you make something extinct, that creates gold or longer life. USA is more worried about now.keep the China dollar up or keep the gold out of our country!!!!!! It’s crazy because that money goes back in the community, so how many people are loosing out, tell you what I need to live, spend money economy goes up…
It is less invasive then the modern gill nets that native fishermen use in rivers all aver the the province during spawning season every year.
In case you weren’t aware, there’s nearly a total moratorium on salmon fishing for 2018. One per person, period, because the salmon population levels are dangerously low. Many rivers have closed salmon fishing entirely. Anyway this is just whataboutism. Lazy tactic to avoid having to defend a bad practice, just point somewhere else and say “look over there”.