TransCanada (TRP +0.9%) will now have to face just one injunction request related to its Energy East pipeline.

After a Quebec court rules an injunction sought by an environmental group can be folded into a similar court action that has been launched by the Quebec government.

Quebec wants TRP to provide a more detailed account of its Energy East proposal, which would result in a more complete environmental review process than the one currently taking place.

While the judge noted the environmental law group’s application for an injunction came before the provincial government’s, he ruled it was reasonable to combine the requests to avoid multiple, similar cases.

Alaska Headlamp’s Comments du Jour

KTUU hosts Alaska at Stake forum.  Check out what viewers had to say here!

50 people in the audience and a panel of “experts” at KTUU’s forum last night added nothing new to the discussion on closing the fiscal gap. Headlamp notes that every panelist chosen receives state funds and has a vested interest in maintaining current spending levels. Furthermore, with the exception of Gunnar Knapp, Headlamp wonders how the panel was chosen and what qualifications those on the stage brought to the table? Knapp, with the Institute of Social and Economic Research provided the only sane commentary to an audience made up of “don’t touch the PFD and tax the oil companies not me” Alaskans. Rick Halford repeatedly misled the audience with his claim that the state is spending $1.5 billion a year on tax credits. At one point, Halford, an AGDC board member supposedly working in partnership with Exxon, BP and Conoco Phillips on AKLNG, suggested the 3 companies be recipients of the “Pick. Click. Give.” program and let Alaskans decide if they want to give them money….should Headlamp point out that the money for “Pick. Click. Give.” comes from the Permanent Fund that was built on oil revenue?

AKLNG on the sideline. According to a U.S. Energy Information Administration article, Australia’s Gorgon project, one of the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in the world, shipped its first cargo last week to Japan. Gorgon LNG is the first of the four new projects off the northern coast of Western Australia to be partially commissioned. Three other projects in the northwest—Prelude, Wheatstone and Ichthys—are still under construction.

Phillip North, the scientist who was at the center of the government’s effort to block a mega-mine traveled to Washington, D.C., to testify about his role in the project. North worked as a Soldotna-based ecologist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Pebble Limited Partnership contends he came up with the scheme for the EPA to use its authority under the Clean Water Act to block the mine even before developers sought a major permit to dredge and fill wetlands and salmon streams.  The mine developer is suing the EPA to undo its work on Pebble. “I can confirm that the North deposition is taking place this week,” said Pebble spokesman Mike Heatwole. “Beyond that we have no comment.”

Read much more from AkHeadlamp here….

More Reader Comments On Yesterday’s Column

Dave:  

You are spot on calling it a civil war.  America has never been so polarized and divided in my life-time; although there were some really ardent fights against communists and socialists just before I was born.  What we have today is largely a result of the neglect of our education system as it became increasingly partisan and indoctrinating.  I have serious doubts if we can reverse the trend.  “Conservative” in-fighting looks like it may well hand Hillary or Sanders the White House, despite the strong opposition nationwide to the direction Obama has taken us (and either Clinton or Bernie will continue, perhaps faster and more extreme).  Only in my worst nightmares did I envision this disaster. 

-K.S., A Southeastern Alaskan Reader


Dave,

I’m gratified that you’re brave enough to call them socialists.  It’s been going on a long time in AK, and now across the USA.

I think the Democrats and others will only care about being exposed as supporting socialism if the public is made aware of the link between socialism and communism. Not enough citizens know what socialism is.  We fought the Cold War (in which Korea and Vietnam were battles) and won against socialism.  Now we have citizens supporting the former enemy’s goals.  Remember it was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in which we engaged in a worldwide struggle for freedom.

Americans supporting socialism dishonor all who served in the Cold War.  Socialism also is not consistent with our U.S. Constitution and its guarantee of liberty, property rights, and State sovereignty. An elected official who supports socialism (even if he/she is not honorable enough to admit it) is violating his/her oath to uphold and defend the Constitution.  This is grounds for impeachment.

Thanks for fighting for us.

Matt Cronin


Dave:
So true and little did I think the free-enterprise would so bastardized in my lifetime.

  -C.N.,  a Southcentral Alaska business leader


Dave:Love your website.  …   Please change my email address in your records xxxx@xxxxx.

Would love to keep receiving the emails. Thank you.

R Clarke, Project Manager, Calgary