Thursday, September 13, 2007
The first meeting of the Saint John CLC was held at the Fort Howe Hotel, Main Street North, Saint John, beginning at 7:00 p.m. For the initial meeting, Christianne Vachon-Horgan of Revolution Strategies acted as facilitator.
Present for the first meeting were:
Horst Sauerteig
Midge Thompson
Carmel and Gerard (observer) McCaig
Ellen Murphy
Christine Saumure
Al MacDougall
Claude MacKinnon
Robin McAdam, President, Brunswick Pipeline
Mike MacIntyre, Co-Chair for Brunswick Pipeline
Susan Harris
Karla Reesor, National Energy Board
Paul Georgeson, National Energy Board
David Peterson, NB Environment and project Compliance Officer
John Kellock, ROW Supervisor
Regrets were received from Tammy Calvin, Brian Fitzpatrick and Gordon Dalzell.
Robin welcomed the committee members and thanked them for their willingness to participate and for their commitment to the community. An overview of the Brunswick Pipeline team, Emera, and partner companies, Spectra Energy, Maritimes & Northeast Pipelines, etc., was given. Having a pipeline in the community brings to Brunswick Pipeline the necessity to be aware of and provide public education, to hold realistic risk discussions, and to put in place regulatory and accountability frameworks. The Committee will be an asset to Brunswick Pipeline, keeping the company in touch with community issues and concerns so that we can gear our information accordingly. An overview of the current status of the appeal of the Friends of Rockwood Park was also given, as was a commitment from Brunswick Pipeline for the support and information that we can provide to the SJCLC.
The draft Terms of Reference (ToR) was reviewed. Only one change that was requested by the Committee was with respect to VII (B.) v.) with respect to in-camera discussions. The new paragraph will read “Meetings will normally be open to the community, except in cases where confidentiality requires in-camera discussion at the discretion of the Committee Co-Chairs and agreement by the committee. An explicit statement will be made that discussion has shifted to in-camera . Non-committee members who attend the meetings will be designated as “observers and will not participate in the committee discussions.”
For clarification, it was agreed that committee members should forward comments and questions from residents to Brunswick Pipeline as they are received rather than waiting for the next meeting. Brunswick Pipeline is accountable for following up, with results to be reported at the next meeting. Committee members are not accountable for the follow-up.
Susan Harris, Community Relations Manger, is the primary contact for committee members; however, other company representatives are also available.
It was agreed that:
i. The committee would meet monthly, at the Fort Howe Hotel, on the 3rd Thursday of the month from 7-9 p.m.
ii. The times and frequency can be changed with committee agreement as the project moves forward.
iii. Additional meetings can be called at the discretion of the SJCL Committee co-chairs.
To gain an understanding of each SJCLC member’s particular interests and/or concerns with respect to the project, visitors and Brunswick Pipeline representatives reviewed their reasons for joining. This list will also be used to establish a presentations roster for the Committee. Without attributing names to the interests or concerns, the items were:
* safety, during construction and operations including patrolling
* successes in other cities, towns
* technical information about a pipeline
* reaching people who don’t know information
* relations with landowners as property is surveyed
* emergency access and parental access to an area of a school in an emergency
* expanding places for children in the community
* engagement with the community
* technologies being employed in the pipeline related to safety
* poverty issues in the Saint John community
* pipeline as a part of the bigger growth picture of Saint John and region,
* success stories, including other parks where pipelines exist
* visible and environmental impacts and safety
* geology of the area of the pipeline
* esthetics of the right of way
* recreation opportunities that may result from the pipeline project
* information of regulatory framework offered to both the CLC and to the broader community
* reaching the community, especially those who will not ask questions until the trucks begin work near their properties/neighbourhoods
* examples of what it will look like during and after
* what will the citizens get from the Rockwood Park section
* emergency access and noise
* sports fields impacts and noise
* informing the public
* issues related to construction, operations and maintenance
* environmental regulatory issues
The committee co-chair will be selected at the October 2007 meeting. Members were asked to consider offering in relation to the responsibilities of the co-chair position.
This topic was touched on only briefly. A facilitator will be chosen at the October meeting.
Mike MacIntyre, Brunswick Pipeline General Manager provided an overview of construction in the city and other cities where natural gas pipelines exist, Brunswick Pipeline’s contractor and base of operations, and offered that members of the project team would be invited to present to the SJCLC if and when requested.
A request was made for photographs of other pipeline installations in parks such as Banff.
ii) NEB roles & responsibilities
Karla Reesor and Paul Georgeson spoke about the National Energy Board’s regulatory role, and offered whatever resources it has to help with the committee’s questions and also for information to the public. Throughout the construction phase, NEB inspectors will be making trips to the area and will attend committee meetings if they occur at the same time as their visits so that members can have questions answered directly by staff.
i. How far apart are the cathodes spaced?
ii. Shut-off valves – number and generally where?
iii. Differences in infrastructure standards, related to the Mexico terrorist explosions.
iv. Effect of a leak near the refinery?
Thursday, October 18, 2007, 7 p.m., Fort Howe Hotel
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