Derek 2.0

I have no idea, I’m neither a seismologist or geologist……… I would see the cost differential in terms of Earthquake “proofing” TAPS versus Northern Gateway as being attributed to several reasons…… First, during the construction of TAPS in the 70s the natural geography and terrain of Alaska, was lacking supporting infrastructure and made most of the build both very remote and difficult……with the pipeline, came much of the infrastructure that‘s in Alaska today (in much the same manner as the ALCAN highway did a generation before)…….Northern Gateway will have the benefits of modern ports, railways and highways etc. Second major difference would be technology……Unlike TAPS, Northern Gateway will benefit from CAD, satellite topography maps, GPS, robotic wielding machines etc….all things that reduce the every expensive workforce and increase efficiency. Third, TAPS, unlike Northern Gateway, has a greater percentage of it’s build along seismically active ground…..increasing the number of safeguards and design features (like you outlaid)….This is not the case with Northern Gateway (and Kinder Morgan).

I have no idea, but those educated people covering boxes can’t be dragged off the street and retread a Colonel with ~20 years experience flying a given type of aircraft, and made instructors…….. The RCAF has no problem filling training quotas with pilot cadets (when they are short they defer the required University degree), but through natural attrition, at times, they do indeed have requirements for qualified instructors and aircrew……..No amount of money will make some kid out of high school a 20+ year experienced pilot overnight.

85% reduction in imports? You have a link? Why is it difficult? Said terrain hasn’t caused any serious impediments to Trans Mountain and TAPS How many ruptures in the Trans Mountain and TAPS have been caused by earthquakes in 60 & 40 years of existence? And one would assume the moratorium will be lifted. That’s easy, you don’t address counter points and offer only unfounded political taking points.

A common theme no doubt

First, Energy East, the line you support, will cross environmentally sensitive areas and the product shipped through it, like the Northern Gateway, will be sold on the international market…….I have stated these points, but you choose to ignore them Second, you point to the actual natural geography of the Northern Gateway. Does not the current TAPS and Trans Mountain pipelines traverse similar conditions? If you feel these conditions preclude the Northern Gateway, I expect you’d be in favour of decommissioning these existing routes……Of course, you’ve yet to provide any data demonstrating TAPS and Trans Mountain have caused serious, negative environmental impacts in their ~40 & 60 years of service. Third, you’ve pointed to the potential impact caused by a major earthquake as a reason to reject the Northern Gateway……yet you can’t demonstrate a negative impact caused by the TAPS and Trans Mountain lines, of which, both traverse through the same “ring of fire” Fourth you point to the potential hazards of tankers going through the Douglas Channel, but can’t point to any examples of a major or minor incident involving commercial shipping, including hazardous Petrochemical tankers, traveling those very waters for decades. You state you have real-life experience in risk mitigation, obtained through the use of “facts”, yet you can’t provide a single example to support your alleged concerns……would that not run counterintuitive to your claimed past?

What reality is that?

Winnipeg was a TransCanada project.

Trans Mountain is not an Enbridge project.......and didn't you completely ignore TransCanada's pipeline safety record?

Sure they have, I don't discount that, but how many times has the Trans Mountain pipeline been breached by an earthquake since it was built in the 1950s?

Didn't you say above: So if you don't know how many time the Trans Mountain pipeline has been negatively affected by earthquakes, how are you dealing with “facts” in your risk assessment/management theorem?

Where did I say that? I referenced the Northern Gateway having the benefit of engineering advancements.

Unlike TAPS, Trans Mountain and the expansion are/will be predominantly buried lines

You wish to deal with the facts…ok…..How many times has the current Trans Mountain pipeline ruptured due to an earthquake?

I agree, Earthquakes are both bad and scary…….frankly, I feel all is lost and we should abandon the West Coast and move to the prairies.

Yet based on historic evidence, both the Trans Mountain and TAPS pipelines, built in the 1950s and 1970s respectively, haven’t shaken apart…….That of course isn’t to say it could never happen, but of course, the proposed Northern Gateway will have ~40 years of gained engineering advancements incorporated into it‘s design, as such, it will be safer then the above mentioned older pipelines, with the two current pipelines posing a greater threat to shaking apart.

There sure is, it's terminus is about a 15 minute drive from my home.......aside from a negligent backhoe operator a few years ago, the Trans Mountain pipeline has survived all earthquakes in this region since the 1950s.

Perhaps, but using the fact that TAPS (built in the 1970s) survived the largest interior earthquake in North America in 150 years, it’s a safe guess…….unless of course you feel the engineering of pipelines has regressed in the last ~40 years.

Yeah........what of it? As I said, in '02 a 7.9 earthquake didn't destroy TAPS......I'd hazard a guess that pipeline construction technology has improved since the 1970s...So what was your point again?

No, you're the one that brought up today's earthquake in the Aleutian Islands to somehow make a "point" on the Northern Gateway...

The same reason Nanaimo and Vancouver are nuclear weapons free zones?

Yet you just said: Are maps not your forte?

"I wonder where divine intervention was for the city of Winnipeg. That didn't even require an earthquake."

Then why would you call this quake timely?

Why would you say that? If you did your homework, you'd see that TAPS survived the 2002, 7.9 Denali quake….So you are now hoping for divine intervention to support your point?

Did it wipe out the ~40 year old TAPS?