Former U.S. vice president Al Gore has waded into the Trans Mountain pipeline debate, siding with the First Nations and Canadian politicians fighting to stop the expansion project.
Gore posted his stance on Twitter Thursday, condemning the “destructive” Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion that would triple the amount of diluted bitumen from Edmonton to Burnaby, B.C. He said he’s taking a stand with B.C. Premier John Horgan, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and Indigenous people in their pipeline opposition.
The Kinder Morgan pipeline carrying dirty tar sands oil would be a step backward in our efforts to solve the climate crisis. I stand with @jjhorgan, @MayorGregor, and all of the Canadians – including the First Nations – who are fighting to stop this destructive pipeline. #StopKM
— Al Gore (@algore) May 10, 2018
Kinder Morgan has halted all non-essential spending on the project, as the federal government figures out a way to reassure the Texas-based company that the pipeline will be built despite opposition.
Gore posted the tweet almost three weeks before Kinder Morgan’s self-imposed deadline of May 31. The company has threatened to pull out of the project by then if B.C., Alberta and Ottawa cannot come to an agreement.
The Liberal government approved the pipeline expansion in 2016, but the B.C. government has been fighting it. The project is also facing a number of legal challenges.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Trans Mountain is in the “national interest” and his government is exploring all legislative and financial means of pushing it through.
