If the proposed oil refinery in Kitimat is built, it could end
up forcing the province to jettison its long-term environmental
goals, opponents say. “Building the refinery would have very
large implications for B.C.’s green commitment,” said Jennifer
Grant, director of the oilsands program at Alberta’s Pembina
Institute. “B.C. could potentially have to give up its green
targets because [constructing the facility is] an intensive
project with huge carbon footprints.” Grant’s statement was in
response to Victoria-based community newspaper tycoon David
Black’s suggestion Friday that a $13-billion oil refinery be
constructed in B.C. to process Alberta oilsands bitumen flowing
in via Enbridge’s controversial Northern Gateway pipeline. Grant
called Black’s remark an “oversimplification of potential
risks,” but declined to comment in greater detail on the
implications of a refined fuel spill versus crude oil because
Pembina had not yet performed enough analysis on the issue. But
she said the proposal to build the re