One woman who spoke as an intervenor in the very first hearing held by the National Energy Board into the Energy East project is angry about the prospect of having to re-do her presentation, but at the same time, thinks restarting the process is the way to go.
At this time, there’s no word on whether the NEB will actually be going this route. We have been told by the National Energy Board that it will be up to the new panel to decide how they want to move foward.
Hearings were held successfully in Saint John and Fredericton, but things came to a screeching halt once the process moved to Montreal. The panel stepped down following the reveal of the so-called Charest Affair.
Lynaya Astephen spoke on behalf of herself and the Red Head Anthony’s Cove Preservation Association at the hearing in Saint John and tells us she sent a motion to the board to request the panel recuse themselves along with the CEO of the Energy Board.
“This should never have gone this far to begin with,” Astephen says. “It should have been a complete restart with the National Energy Board when the Liberal government came to power last October.”
“I’m sure with our First Nations communities I’m sure that they’re upset with it as well, I mean the Liberal government promised a nation to nation relationship and this is not happening very well. I know I’m not the only one who feels that way. I put a lot of effort in it.”
Those who live in the Red Head and Anthony’s Cove area, where TransCanada is looking to build a marine terminal and a tank farm for Energy East, didn’t hold back when it came to criticising the Calgary-based company at the Saint John hearing, with feelings of distrust and frustration being expressed. Energy East president John Soini responded to that by telling us that they have reached out to all landowners will a stake in the project and will continue to do so.
Natural Resources minister Jim Carr is expected to announce the new panel members for the NEB hearings on the project soon.
