The long-awaited National Energy Board Joint Panel Report has shocked many Canadians by concluding [in Dec. 2013] that the Northern Gateway Pipeline is in the public interest. There were more than 1,000 submissions against and only a handful in favour during hearings in 21 communities.
The NEB panel claims that overall total benefits exceed the overall total costs of the proposed $6 billion Northern Gateway pipelines. To understand the report, one must wade through two volumes (the first, “Connections,” is 76 pages; the second, “Considerations,” has 417 pages). There is no executive summary, but there are many pictures of beautiful landscapes, wild animals and sleepy coastal communities!
