VANCOUVER — Federal approval of Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline must be set aside until flaws and information gaps in the Joint Review Panel (JRP) final report are addressed, environmental groups said today.
Ecojustice lawyers, representing ForestEthics Advocacy, Living Oceans Society and Raincoast Conservation Foundation, launched a new legal challenge today at the Federal Court of Appeal. The groups, participants in Northern Gateway’s 18-month review hearing process, seek a court order quashing federal approval of Northern Gateway until an adequate environmental assessment report can be produced.
“We’re challenging a flawed decision based on flawed report,” said Barry Robinson, Ecojustice staff lawyer. “It is our position that federal government and National Energy Board approvals of Northern Gateway have no legal grounds. We are asking the Court to set aside those approvals until the flaws in the Joint Review Panel report are fixed.”
The groups are also challenging Cabinet’s failure to provide reasons for its approval order.
In January, the groups launched a lawsuit alleging that the JRP’s report erred in law or jurisdiction by (among other things):
“The JRP report only tells part of the story. The Panel reached its conclusions without considering all the necessary and available science,” Robinson said.
“Now we are asking the court to ensure that this flawed report, and federal approval based on this flawed report, doesn’t stand as the final word on whether Northern Gateway is in the national interest.”
For more information, please contact:
Barry Robinson, staff lawyer | Ecojustice
403.705.0202 | 403.830.2032
Nikki Skuce | ForestEthics Advocacy
778.210.0117
Paul Paquet | Raincoast Conservation Foundation
306.376.2015
Karen Wristen | Living Oceans Society
604.788.5634
- See more at: http://www.ecojustice.ca/media-centre/press-releases/environmental-groups-seek-court-order-to-quash-federal-approval-of-enbridges-northern-gateway-pipeline#sthash.pNmJaVnr.dpuf
Ecojustice lawyers, representing ForestEthics Advocacy, Living Oceans Society and Raincoast Conservation Foundation, launched a new legal challenge today at the Federal Court of Appeal. The groups, participants in Northern Gateway’s 18-month review hearing process, seek a court order quashing federal approval of Northern Gateway until an adequate environmental assessment report can be produced.
“We’re challenging a flawed decision based on flawed report,” said Barry Robinson, Ecojustice staff lawyer. “It is our position that federal government and National Energy Board approvals of Northern Gateway have no legal grounds. We are asking the Court to set aside those approvals until the flaws in the Joint Review Panel report are fixed.”
The groups are also challenging Cabinet’s failure to provide reasons for its approval order.
In January, the groups launched a lawsuit alleging that the JRP’s report erred in law or jurisdiction by (among other things):
- failing to comply with subsection 79(2) of the Species at Risk Act;
- considering irrelevant evidence;
- failing to balance Northern Gateway’s economic benefits and environment impacts; and
- determining, despite a lack of evidence, that the project is unlikely to result in significant adverse environment impacts as a result of a diluted bitumen spill.
“The JRP report only tells part of the story. The Panel reached its conclusions without considering all the necessary and available science,” Robinson said.
“Now we are asking the court to ensure that this flawed report, and federal approval based on this flawed report, doesn’t stand as the final word on whether Northern Gateway is in the national interest.”
For more information, please contact:
Barry Robinson, staff lawyer | Ecojustice
403.705.0202 | 403.830.2032
Nikki Skuce | ForestEthics Advocacy
778.210.0117
Paul Paquet | Raincoast Conservation Foundation
306.376.2015
Karen Wristen | Living Oceans Society
604.788.5634
- See more at: http://www.ecojustice.ca/media-centre/press-releases/environmental-groups-seek-court-order-to-quash-federal-approval-of-enbridges-northern-gateway-pipeline#sthash.pNmJaVnr.dpuf