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CALGARY-The proposed Alberta Clipper Pipeline is expected to create only two full-time permanent jobs in the province, admitted Enbridge Pipeline's executive under cross examination in front of the National Energy Board (NEB) yesterday.

The admission came as part of a regulatory hearing into Enbridge's application to build the controversial mega-pipeline that would have the capacity to transport more than 600,000 barrels of oil each day from Alberta to refineries and upgraders in the United States.

The NEB is required by law to only grant approval to projects that can be demonstrated to be in the "public interest of Canadians." Enbridge executives argued that by creating several hundred temporary construction jobs and two permanent operating jobs, the Alberta Clipper project passes the public interest test.

Alberta Federation of Labour lawyer Leanne Chahley asked the pipeline executives if it would be possible to estimate the job impact the pipeline might have on the creation of upgrader and refinery jobs in both Alberta and the U.S. The executives replied that it was theoretically possible, but they said the NEB had not required them to do such studies.

"This is the really frustrating part of this whole process," said AFL President Gil McGowan who has been attending the regulatory hearings in Calgary yesterday and today.

"Whether it was during the hearings on the Keystone Pipeline last summer or the Alberta Clipper Pipeline today, everyone agrees that it's possible to estimate the impact on Alberta jobs if new pipelines are built to ship unrefined bitumen to the U.S. - but no one is doing it. The pipeline companies aren't doing the research, the NEB isn't doing the research and the Alberta government isn't doing the research. How, in good conscience, can we possibly approve these pipelines before we can be sure that we are not exporting thousands of jobs along with our oil?"

The AFL's position is that the Alberta Clipper's application should be rejected or at least put on hold until proper studies of potential Alberta job impacts can be conducted and an "Alberta First" upgrading policy can be put in place.

"A medium-sized upgrader employs about 500 people and a big upgrading operation like Suncor employs thousands - not to mention the thousands of spin-off jobs and contract maintenance job," says McGowan. "I don't know about you, but I'll take thousands of jobs over two jobs any day."

The AFL will continue its cross examination of company and industry witnesses today - including a cross examination of Greg Stringham, the prominent and outspoken Vice President of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).

The hearings resume this morning at 8:30 a.m. and will continue until 1:30 p.m. The AFL's cross examination of witnesses will take place in the NEB's main hearing room, on the second floor, 444 - 7 Avenue S.W., Calgary. McGowan will be available to speak to reporters upon adjournment.

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For more information call:

Gil McGowan, AFL President @ 780.218-9888 (cell)

CALGARY - Starting today and continuing tomorrow, lawyers representing the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) will grill executives from Enbridge Pipelines on their plans to build yet another massive "bitumen highway" to refineries and upgraders in the United States.

The cross-examination will take place at the offices of National Energy Board in Calgary as the Board considers Enbridge's application to build a new pipeline, dubbed the Alberta Clipper. If approved, the Clipper will have the capacity to transport more than 600,000 barrels of diluted bitumen from the Alberta oil sands to buyers south of the border each day.

"We're not opposed to new pipelines," says AFL president Gil McGowan. "But the big question is: what are these pipelines going to be used to transport? We should be shipping value-added products, not diluted bitumen. If these pipelines end up being nothing more than bitumen highways, then we'll be exporting literally thousands of high-paying, family-sustaining jobs along with our oil. That's simply not in the best interests of Albertans."

McGowan says the Stelmach government's recently announced plan to take an undetermined amount of bitumen in lieu of royalties and make it available for domestic upgrading is an "interesting idea" - but he says it doesn't come close to being the kind of comprehensive "Alberta first" upgrading strategy that the province needs.

"We'll be asking the Board to reject Enbridge's development application or at least delay making a final ruling until the Alberta government has put a comprehensive policy in place," says McGowan.

"If this project is approved - on top of TransCanada Pipelines' Keystone project that was approved in September - then it will be game over. Big energy companies will start investing in U.S. upgrading capacity and Alberta will have missed its opportunity. We simply can't afford to let these pipelines proceed until Alberta has put a value-added policy framework in place. If the pipelines come first, developing a policy will be like closing the barn door after the horse has already gotten out."

In addition to challenging the Alberta Clipper, the AFL is supporting the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada in its efforts to lobby the Federal cabinet to stop the Keystone pipeline from winning final approval. The cabinet has to give final approval to all recommendations from the NEB - something it hasn't yet done with the Keystone project.

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For more information call:
Gil McGowan, AFL President   @  780.218-9888 (cell)