Láw | ĆENÁ | Nú | Deey | čačim hihak kʷaa | ʔéx kʷ n̓
Weyt-kp | Kalhwá7acw | gwetaʔaghunt’I | Hadih | Wayʼ
Tansi | Âba wathtech | Aaniin | Dadanast’ada | Tawnshi
December 24, 2021
Dear Communities,
We would like to provide you with an update on the flood situation in British Columbia relating to the Trans Mountain Expansion and existing pipeline.
Members of the Indigenous Advisory and Monitoring Committee for the Trans Mountain Expansion and Existing Pipeline (IAMC-TMX) have been busy since the disaster started and formed an Indigenous Response Team. As part of that operation, one of our Indigenous Monitors was deployed to the Canada Energy Regulator’s (CER) Virtual Emergency Operation Centre (VEOC) in Kamloops on November 25th and joined the CER Field Response Team that same day.
On December 3rd two more Indigenous Monitors (IM) and the Chair of the Indigenous Monitoring Subcommittee joined the team and, working closely with the CER Field Team actively reviewed and monitored the work sites. Between November 26th and December 5th, the IMs observed Trans Mountain, Enbridge, and Ministry of Transport worksites (work in and near water courses), focusing on safety, Sites of Indigenous Significance and Environmental concerns.
The CER, working in conjunction with Trans Mountain, decided that it was safe to restart the pipeline at reduced pressure on December 5th and the VEOC and CER Field Response Team were told to stand down on December 7th . The pipeline has been flowing at reduced pressure since then without incident. The CER has returned to regular practices while some IMs remained in the field visiting sites and doing post-flood follow-up work.
Last week our monitors also went out with the BC Oil & Gas Commission and participated in a drone flight over Line 1 and the Expansion Project. This was our first drone flight and our first in-field activity with a provincial regulator.
“When emergencies happen, Indigenous communities want to participate in the larger response. We assembled a small team as part of an Indigenous response team in the field to support BC flooding. I’m very proud of the hard work the team did in the field and the time spent engaging communities, leaders and Elders,” said Ray Cardinal, Chair of the Indigenous Monitoring Subcommittee.
Sincerely,
Michelle Wilsdon
Indigenous Co-Chair
IAMC-TMX
Tracy Fleck
Federal Co-Chair
IAMC-TMX
