Enbridge 9B pipeline reversal: Quebec doesn't have the means to deprive itself of the project's many economic and social benefits, in the opinion of the Quebec Employers Council

MONTREAL, Oct. 10, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - With the Quebec Employers Council set to participate in today's National Energy Board hearings in Montréal on Enbridge's plan to reverse the flow of pipeline 9B and increase the capacity of its existing Line 9 Pipeline, the Council reiterates its support for the project and urges government authorities to promptly approve it so the project can get underway as soon as possible.

"Contrary to what many of the groups that have spoken on this subject in the last few months would like to see, the National Energy Board's mandate isn't to put the petroleum-products industry on trial," said Employers Council president Yves-Thomas Dorval. "Its mandate is to conduct a thorough analysis of the facts, so that it can determine whether the Enbridge project is in the public interest and meets the highest standards in safety and protecting the environment. In a context where the province of Quebec needs to have economic growth, attract investments, promote the preservation and creation of employment and generate new sources of income for the government, the answer, to us, seems obvious."  

In the brief it submitted to the Energy Board, the Employers Council notably stressed the project's many and significant economic and social benefits. These benefits include, for example, the diversification and safety of energy sources for the province, the long-term viability of Montréal and Quebec City-area refineries and the petrochemical industry in the province, and the significant tax benefits for the various governments.

The Employers Council also believes it is incumbent on the Enbridge company to provide the Energy Board with all of the required assurances to demonstrate the efficiency and safety of the initiative and prove it is technically and scientifically feasible, and that it is fully compatible from a sustainable development standpoint.

"Of course, while there is no such thing as zero-risk, the company must take it upon itself to reassure every stakeholder of the conditions the project must meet," stated Mr. Dorval. "But, in our opinion, the project seems desirable and viable, from both a social and economic standpoint. This is why we believe it's imperative that a clear, unequivocal signal be sent to the effect the province of Quebec is a favourable business environment in a sustainable perspective and not the world capital of 'not-in-my-backyard'".

The Employers Council's detailed comments on the Enbridge project are available on the Council's website:
http://www.cpq.qc.ca/assets/files/memoires/2013/memoire2013-08-06.pdf.

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The Quebec Employers Council brings together many of Québec's largest companies and the vast majority of sector-based employers' groups, making it Québec's sole employer federation.

SOURCE: Conseil du patronat du Québec

Patrick Lemieux
Senior Consultant - Communications 
Cell.: 438 886 9804