The Lake Talon Conservation Association has written the Prime Minister.

President John Kelsall says their big concern is what the Energy East Pipeline could do to Trout Lake, the Mattawa River and Lake Talon.

He says the pipeline, as currently constituted is not safe, it’s had several breaks and the government needs to say no.

Kelsall says if something happens there would be a major impact in the area, starting with Trout Lake which is the source of North Bay’s drinking water, but that’s not all.

He says the Mattawa River System could be polluted for decades to come if there’s a spill.

He says they’re also concerned about the National Energy Board’s objectivity.

Kelsall says any decision on the pipeline should be made with what’s best for the public and not the cheapest proposal to get the Bitumen to the east coast.

Copies of the letter have been sent to the premier, the federal Minister of Natural Resources and MPP Vic Fedeli.

TransCanada officials have previously said as far as TransCanada’s safety record is concerned, they’re industry leaders.

“TransCanada spent $1 billion on safety and integrity on pipelines last year, with the aim of ensuring zero incidents. We employ a multi-layered safety approach which includes 24/7 monitoring of pipeline activity, and the ability to remotely activate the shut-down of the line immediately if a problem occurs. We also make sure to prepare no matter how unlikely an accident is to happen, by having concerted response plans with local first responders to ensure we would be able to act very quickly and minimize any impacts.”

They also say pipelines are the safest way to transport oil, much safer than trains, and would help reduce the amount of oil tanker traffic on the tracks in communities such as North Bay.