A total of 34 protesters have been arrested by Burnaby RCMP over the last two days for blocking Kinder Morgan crews from accessing the area to do survey work for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
One of the demonstrators arrested on Friday was Kevin Washbrook of Voters Taking Action On Climate Change, the group opposing plans to barge US thermal coal through Georgia Strait. Washbrook he was there on his own behalf, as a concerned citizen.
Washbrook says government processes are failing citizens. He calls the National Energy Board ruling that approved Kinder Morgan’s work on Burnaby Mountain “a sham”. Kinder Morgan got a court injunction last week to have protesters removed from the site.
Washbrook says there’s no perfect time to stand up and say “this is wrong”, but the survey work on Burnaby Mountain is an integral part of the process of expanding the Trans Mountain pipeline. If the survey work doesn’t happen, Kinder Morgan won’t be able to proceed.
Washbrook was released several hours after being arrested. He calls the terms of his release “fairly liberal”. He’s not restricted from returning to Burnaby Mountain, as long as he doesn’t cross the yellow line RCMP have set up as a boundary.
