Winnipeg, April 14, 2016: “The Green Party urges the next government of Manitoba to uphold the law and protect the Whitemud Watershed Wildlife Management Area from the proposed Energy East pipeline,” said David Nickarz, Green Party of Manitoba critic for Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship.
Research by the Manitoba Chapter of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee has uncovered a legal roadblock where the route crosses the Whitemud Watershed Wildlife Management Area (WMA). WMAs are protected from oil and gas development, and the proposed pipeline will change the use of the existing pipe from natural gas to diluted bitumen from the tar sands — a substantial change.
“Using a 40 year old natural gas pipeline that already leaks to force diluted tar sands bitumen is a drastic change of use. A Green government and any future Green MLAs would oppose the Energy East pipeline because of the threat to the climate, our water and now our treasured Wildlife Management Areas,” said Nickarz.
David Nickarz is the Green candidate in the Wolseley constituency in the upcoming Manitoba provincial election.