To the editor,
The recent increase at the pumps for gasoline, while world oil prices remain unchanged, has made me question government policies. If B.C. is required to allow the expansion of pipelines for Alberta oil exports, one of the conditions should be that the oil industry upgrade and re-open the three refineries in Metro Vancouver (closed in the ’90s) so that British Columbia is not dependent on the U.S. refineries.
The Chevron plant in Burnaby is the sole operating refinery in Metro Vancouver but is only able to produce 30 per cent of fuel requirements for the area. The only other refinery in B.C. is located in Prince George. This refinery produces gasoline for about a $1 a litre for people in northern B.C. while those in Metro Vancouver and on Vancouver Island, who rely primarily on U.S. refineries, pay $1.30-$1.40.
Even with a Chevron plant in Burnaby operating to capacity, we must import from Washington State refineries to meet our needs. We have become totally reliant on the U.S. refineries and are subject to all of their price increases.
British Columbians will be better served if more Alberta oil were processed in Canada. Under the present situation, prices of gasoline fluctuate whenever one of the Washington State refineries is closed for maintenance, for some seasonal change, or a shortage caused by events such as Hurricane Harvey. In comparison, Prince George residents, who rely on their local refinery and are not subject to these issues, enjoy a lower and more stable price for gasoline.
R.K. Tsuji, Nanaimo