Before people throw up their hands in horror at David Black's proposal to build a refinery at the terminus of the proposed Enbridge pipeline, they should consider the fact that Kitimat owes its existence entirely to heavy industry.
The community was started as a place to process bauxite imported from far away by bulk ore carrier into aluminum.
Subsequently, it became a petrochemical hub when Methanex built a methanol plant there to convert surplus B.C. natural gas into an important chemical feedstock that could be transported to world markets by tanker.
This development was soon followed by the construction of an acetic acid manufacturing facility, which converted some of the methanol produced at Kitimat into another added-value product with numerous industrial applications.
In addition, the forestry sector established at Kitimat a pulp facility. Of and on, over the last 30 years, Kitimat has been viewed as a potential location for liquefied natural gas exports. Within this broad industrial context, a refinery seems hardly out of place.
We owe our high standard of living to industry. A negative reaction to the remarkable proposal made by Black is hypocritical, while any environmental comparison made between a new refinery and existing facilities elsewhere ignores the technical advancements that have been made over the last half-century. What is the point of funding university and industrial research if we are unwilling to reap the benefits?
The project deserves respectful consideration.
Boudewyn van Oort
Victoria
