Kinder Morgan goes to court to try to discourage anti-pipeline protests
Posted March 9, 2018 10:00 am.
Last Updated March 9, 2018 12:32 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A civil lawsuit against anti-pipeline protesters kicked off at 10 a.m. today in downtown Vancouver. It’s the latest round in the battle over the Trans Mountain expansion.
The Calgary-based company says protesters have obstructed roads that it requires to access the Westridge Marine Terminal in order to build a new dock complex with three berths.
It says activists also obstructed workers at the Burnaby Terminal, where it plans to install 14 new storage tanks, an enhanced storm water treatment system as well as clear trees, for which it has received approvals.
Trans Mountain says since the end of November and nearly every day since, protesters have caused delay and financial harm to the company, with the goal of stopping the entire project, which has received approval from the federal government.
Sven Biggs with the group Stand.earth says the group has filed an affidavit of support for the defendants, arguing the lawsuit wrongfully limits non-violent public protest — and not just those specifically named in Kinder Morgan’s lawsuit.
“There are 15 named respondants. But they also include ‘Jane and John Doe’ and ‘persons unknown,’ which means that the suit can literally be expanded to anyone that stands up to Kinder Morgan.”
“One of the things they’ve said is that no one should be allowed to come within 50 metres of their facilities. That includes places like dog paths and public streets, which should always be open to the public,” adds Biggs.
Biggs vows they’ll fight what it calls intimidation tactics, though he suspects the company may try to drag out the court process so legal costs for the defendants build up.
