Opponents of an expanded Trans Mountain Pipeline will be holding a town hall meeting in Langley to talk about potential risks.

The PIPE UP Network, along with other environmental groups opposing the expanded pipeline, will gather on Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m. at Kwantlen Polytechnic's Langley campus auditorium.

"Residents want answers to important questions about this pipeline," said PIPE UP member Michael Hale. "How risky is the shipment of diluted bitumen? Is there a greater risk transporting it in an old pipeline? Are first responders adequately trained and prepared to deal with diluted bitumen?"

Groups both for and against the pipeline have been working on public opinion for some time. While the Trans Mountain Pipeline has caused less furor than the Northern Gateway plan, it has drawn pickets to downtown Langley City, and an oil executive from Alberta recently talked about economic spinoffs at the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce.

The Trans Mountain Pipeline carries crude and diluted bitumen from Alberta's oil sands to a Chevron refinery in Burnaby.

The current pipeline carries about 300,000 barrels per day; the twinned pipeline planned would carry about 750,000 barrels.

In August, it was revealed that oil was being brought into Langley on train tankers and transferred to trucks to be hauled to the Chevron refinery.

The alternate route was due to the pipeline being oversubscribed.

Opponents of a bigger pipeline are worried about leaks and spills, especially into watercourses. The pipeline runs through North Langley and Surrey before crossing the Fraser and heading to North Burnaby.

mclaxton@langleyadvance.com