Two Greenpeace Canada activists have occupied one of the most important pieces of equipment Kinder Morgan needs to build its new tar sands pipeline, and they are calling on people across the world to stop it from fulfilling its destructive purpose: drilling a path through unceded Indigenous lands on Burnaby Mountain.

Just before dawn, the two women climbed atop Kinder Morgan’s Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) — which they’ve dubbed a “monster drill.” They have dropped a banner reading “Protect Water, Stop Pipelines” and are signalling the arrival of the monster drill with a giant flag reading “Here’s the Drill: Stop KM.”

Greenpeace Canada tracked the monster drill all the way from Germany on a cross-continental journey to a holding facility in the Vancouver suburb of Delta, where the ongoing action is taking place. [1] Without this piece of equipment, there can be no pipeline expansion, making it a sure flashpoint for the growing resistance against oil pipelines.[2]

sχɬemetəna:t / Audrey Siegl from the Musqueam Nation community, who plans to support the action from the gate, said: “I don’t just say no to this pipeline. I say no to any more destruction. I say no to any more violations of the land, the water and the people. I say no because my ancestors cared for and protected this land since the first sunrise. Kinder Morgan will not destroy what we love.”

Mary Lovell, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States who calls the Pacific Northwest home, said: “We’re here in solidarity with Indigenous Water Protectors and Land Defenders who do not consent to the Kinder Morgan tar sands pipeline in their territory. We’re here because this pipeline poses too great a threat to the land, air, and water. We can’t let it go through — so we’re exposing the destructive drill Kinder Morgan would prefer to keep hidden away.”

Laura Yates, a long-time Vancouver resident and activist is the second climber. She said: “Enough is enough. Right now, we need leaders who are brave visionaries, who are willing to take the leap, leave dirty oil projects behind and choose a path to a better future. What we don’t need are leaders, like Justin Trudeau, who continue to be swayed by corporate interests rather than honouring Indigenous rights, protecting drinking water from oil spills and ensuring healthy ecosystems and a liveable climate for people all over the world.”

Mary and Laura have indicated that they intend to stay in place for as long as possible and hope that by exposing this monster drill, the people-powered movement to stop pipelines will be there to resist this project every step of the way.

Greenpeace Canada is calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to abandon his consideration of a pipeline bailout following an ultimatum from Kinder Morgan, which — in the latest example of its bullying tactics — has threatened to cancel the project if the federal government doesn’t quash B.C.’s opposition to the project by May 31st. With less than a month to go before this deadline, it’s time for Trudeau to get on the right side of history.

From the fight again Kinder Morgan to those against Energy Transfer Partners, [3] TransCanada and Enbridge, Greenpeace stands with a united movement to stop oil companies’ new pipelines from polluting water, fuelling climate change and violating Indigenous rights.

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Notes to editors: 

Location: The Apex storage facility where the TBM is being stored and where the Greenpeace activity is taking place is the lot just lot north of 7954 Webster Rd, Delta, B.C.

Photos: Photos are available for download here and will be updated throughout the day: https://media.greenpeace.org/shoot/27MZIFJXFRUVS

Footnotes:

[1] Tunnel boring, if the pipeline project continues, would begin from Kinder Morgan’s Westridge Marine Terminal.

[2] More than 200 people have already been arrestedresisting Kinder Morgan’s pipeline in solidarity with Coast Salish communities and a poll released on Friday shows that more than half a million people in B.C.may also be willing to undertake civil disobedience.

[3] On August 22, 2017, Energy Transfer Partners filed a baseless $900 million SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) that seeks to do three things: rewrite history by falsely claiming the movement to stop the Dakota Access pipeline at Standing Rock was led by Greenpeace, rather than Indigenous Peoples; silence free speech and infringe on rights to peacefully assemble and freely associate; and intimidate and drain the resources of the people and organisations who disagree with the company. Click here for more information about the case.

For more information or to book an interview with the activists from the scene, please contact:

Jesse Firempong, Communications Officer, Greenpeace Canada, 778-996-6549, [email protected]