Suzuki slams Irving's plans for second refinery

A world-famous environmentalist has joined those whosay that building a second oil refinery in Saint John goes against the best advice of scientists, and that New Brunswick politicians are only thinking of the next election.

Irving Oil announcedThursday thatit isregistering its plan to build a second oil refinery for an Environmental Impact Assessment, and Premier Shawn Graham has already said his government supports the expansion, even though the provincial government will administer the assessment.

The refinery would produce 300,000 barrels of oil a day, doubling Irving Oil's refining capacity in Saint John.

The project fits into the Liberal election promise to make Saint John an energy hub. Itis expected to create about 1,000 jobs in the city.

Friday morning, David Suzuki told CBC Newsprovincial politicians are notconsidering thelong-termimpact of the project onthe environment.

"The political reality is that when a politician says I want to do blah, blah, blah, he's doing that with an eye to the next election. He's not doing it with respect to our children or our grandchildren," Suzuki said. "The reality is the Irvings are in business to make money, and don't tell me they're looking long-term. You can't have a non-renewable resource that's being used in a sustainable way."

The fossil fuel industry is acting like the oil supply is going to last forever, Suzuki said, but it's a sunset industry and clean, sustainable energy is needed for the future.

The planet cannot reabsorb the emissions that come from burning fossil fuels at the rate the world is burning them, and this is contributing to global warming, he said.

The world's leading scientists have been warning the public for 20 years that the planet is in danger, he said.

"So, if your premier isn't taking that very, very seriously, you've got to ask [Graham], who is your authority?" Suzuki said. "The Bible? The oil industry? Who are you listening to, and what are we going to do about it?"

Meanwhile, an environment watchdog in New Brunswick said the province's environmental impact assessment process is too weak.

David Thompson of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick said the 25-year-old process is useless.

"We're currently looking at the situation to see if it's applicable to a national energy board hearing, a legal hearing, a real hearing, because it will mean the import of fuel into Canada and the export of fuel out of Canada," he said.

Graham said the provincial Department of Environment would expand to deal withthe Irving oil refinery.

"We recognize that there will be increased pressure on the department of environment to undertake the permitting process because of the magnitude and scope of the project," Graham said. "That's why we've asked them, identifying on recruitment and bringing in the people that will be required, to make sure the due diligence is undertaken in the proper fashion."