Northern Gateway Pipeline Analysis

Introduction

Background

The construction of pipelines can have both positive and negative impacts on the areas through which they are constructed. Although a pipeline creates thousands of jobs and pumps massive amounts of currency into a region, there are significant social and ecological implications as well.

Enbridge has proposed the construction of a two-way pipeline from Bruderheim, Alberta to Kitimat, British Columbia. This pipeline will serve to export petroleum and import condensate via a new marine terminal in Kitimat.

According to Enbridge, the construction of this pipeline will create over 60,000 person-years of construction and, with the long term operation of the marine terminal in Kitimat, will provide a significant boost to the economy of the area of BC it is proposed to run along.

However, as with all large scale projects (especially those dealing with potentially dangerous materials such as petroleum), there are always possible environmental and social implications. Will construction of the pipeline destroy culturally significant areas or interfere with traditional events in First-Nations peoples? Does the destruction of the forest along the pipeline’s route effect ecologically sensitive areas? Would a leak permanently damage wildlife habitats in the region?

Abstract

This project attempts to analyze the potential effects of the Northern Gateway Pipeline on the environment and the peoples living along its route. Using multiple parameters , we created different cost surfaces which were used to model different potential pipeline routes. Then, using our generated routes as well as a digitized route that Enbridge has proposed, we analyzed the pipeline's potential ecological and socioeconomic impacts along its path.