Court grants Kinder Morgan injunction to remove Burnaby Mountain protesters

The B.C. Supreme Court has granted Kinder Morgan an injunction to remove protesters from Burnaby Mountain.

The activists, who have been camped out for two months, have been trying to block survey work from taking place for the proposed pipeline through a conservation area.

If the pipeline were to be built, it would run from Edmonton to Burnaby. Kinder Morgan, the largest pipeline company in the US, plans to twin the existing pipeline, which would result in 890,000 barrels of crude oil transported every day.

Protesters on the mountain have been very vocal against the proposed pipeline. In late October, one activist crawled under a survey crew’s truck and refused to be moved.

The City of Burnaby plans to appeal the National Energy Board’s (NEB) decision to allow Trans Mountain to access a municipal conservation area.

However, the NEB has ruled against Burnaby, deciding that the city cannot stop Kinder Morgan from surveying the conservation land because geotechnical information is needed about whether the project should continue.

Kinder Morgan workers have cut down trees in order to conduct their work on the conservation lands and this has angered protesters who are trying to keep the area protected from any environmental damage.

In response to the protesters, Kinder Morgan has also taken action against by suing two SFU professors, a student and two other activists for trying to disrupt the company’s work on Burnaby Mountain.

Earlier today, the U.S. Republican controlled House approved legislation for the ninth time to approve of the building of the pipeline, which would also run from Alberta to Texas.

If the protesters do not leave Burnaby Mountain by this coming Monday, police will be able to arrest them.

Feature Image: zembree/Instagram