Resisting the Northern Gateway Pipeline

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The greatest danger to the Northern Gateway pipeline is in the Pacific Northwest. The Haisla First Nations have rejected Enbridge in using their land for the Gateway. The Haisla First Nations have allowed a liquefied natural gas pipeline on their land in the past, receiving a total of $60 million in return. The unique aspect of this story lies in the fact that the Haisla First nations are not business-uncanny; they are, however, strongly opposed to crude oil. Enbridge, the backer of the pipeline, is in a very difficult situation. They are dealing with a party that is willing to do business with them, but one that is not willing to adhere to the environmental aspects of their deal. In this instance, I do not see an easy way for Enbridge to create a win-win scenario. As the Haisla First Nations claim, “no amount of money can buy support” it appears as though Enbridge is a stand still. However, Enbridge could still argue the legality and logistics behind a project being diverted due to the national, environmental, and financial interests of the Haisla First Nations, they could still carry through with the project. Now Enbridge must ask themselves, at what cost to the Haisla Nation are they willing to go through with the Northern Gateway Pipeline?

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