VANCOUVER — A prominent economist has dropped out of the National Energy Board's review process of Kinder Morgan's proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, saying the system is broken.
Robyn Allan, former CEO of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, says she is withdrawing as an expert intervener because the panel is biased and the outcome is predetermined.
The National Energy Board had approved her participation in the review process for her expertise in risk, insurance, economics and corporate structure.
Kinder Morgan is proposing a $5.4-billion expansion that would triple the capacity of an existing pipeline to carry 890,000 barrels of petroleum per day from Alberta to a terminal in Burnaby, B.C.
Allan points to several issues she sees with the review process, including that it excludes oral cross-examination, allowing the company to respond to questions in writing, and doesn't consider the environmental or socioeconomic effects of bitumen exploration.
The National Energy Board and Kinder Morgan did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A final decision on the project is expected in January 2016.
