the energy east pipeline is a proposed bitumen pipeline in canada .

it would deliver bitumen from western canada and north western united states to eastern canada , from receipt points in alberta , saskatchewan and north dakota to refineries and port terminals in new brunswick and possibly quebec .

the tc pipelines project would convert about 3,000 kilometres of natural gas pipeline , which currently carries natural gas from alberta to the ontario-quebec border , to bitumen transportation .

new pipeline , pump stations , and tank facilities would also be constructed .

the ca$ 12 billion pipeline would be the longest in north america when complete .

the project was announced publicly on august 1 , 2013 , while the keystone xl pipeline proposal was being debated .

in october 2014 , transcanada pipelines filed its formal project application with the national energy board .

at the same time a number of groups announced their intention to oppose the pipeline .

energy east

national energy board - regdocs - a59129 energy east pipeline ltd . - energy east pipeline project - project description
energy east : deciphering the neb review process – learn about four energy east review process and how you can participate .
the national energy board said that the new panel examining the energy east project would decide how to proceed .
harper should take lead with energy east pipeline , sask . premier says | ctv news
transcanada chief executive russ girling expects the energy east pipeline to easily pass regulatory muster .
2014 - 10 - 30 - applications for energy east , asset t . . .
while the energy east review continues , the neb itself is also undergoing significant change .
the national energy board’s announced scope for its review of transcanada corp’s energy east pipeline project is — in a word — madness .
energy east ' will happen . ' it ' s just taking forever : irving oil chair
an east - west alliance is developing between the premiers of new brunswick and alberta to push the proposed $ 12 - billion energy east pipeline .
transcanada’s energy east pipeline would be the first oil pipeline to span the length of our province .
energy east would cause more greenhouse gas emissions than all four atlantic provinces combined . learn more .
the red head anthony’s cove preservation association organized a major protest against the proposed energy east pipeline today .
calgary mayor naheed nenshi recently said that
energy east is about energy independence for canada . it not only allows us to get market access , it allows us to serve canadian customers with canadian energy .
it also reverses an earlier determination that the applications for both the energy east and eastern mainline proposals are complete .
the ndp government in alberta appears to be supporting both the transcanada energy east and kinder morgan trans mountain pipelines .
environmental groups are calling for the energy east pipeline review process to start from scratch following the national energy board’s formal appointment of the new members of the review panel .
climate implications of the proposed energy east pipeline provides a preliminary assessment of energy east ' s impact on canada’s greenhouse gas emissions . it estimates the proposed pipeline’s upstream impact as being between 30 and 32 million tonnes of annual emissions .
transcanda corp . says it will
strive to reach consent
with first nations over the proposed energy east pipeline .
transcanada corp . says it will
strive to reach consent
with first nations over the proposed energy east pipeline .
trudeau’s game plan on energy east — if that’s what he’s up to — is a big political and economic gamble .
a statement issued thursday by the canadian association of oilwell drilling contractors condemned the neb’s expanding of the energy east review .
the environmental group greenpeace said it is still unclear what impact the neb’s expanded scope will have on energy east’s fate .
prime minister justin trudeau and montreal mayor denis coderre discuss their meeting on the energy east pipeline proposal . 3 : 22
) proposed energy east pipeline will consider its indirect greenhouse gas contributions , canada’s national energy board ( neb ) regulator said on wednesday , expanding the scope of the assessment .
transcanada corp . ' s energy east pipeline project imposes more risks to ontario than it offers in benefits , the province ' s energy regulator said in a report thursday .
doubts are growing over the fate of the energy east pipeline after members of the national energy board panel examining the project resigned , leaving questions over how the review will proceed .
a telephone survey conducted by the polling firm som late last year found that 57 per cent of quebecers opposed energy east .
following public outrage over the appearance of bias , hearings for energy east were stopped in their tracks . less than a month later , in september 2016 , watson and the entire energy east panel recused themselves from proceedings related to the pipeline project .
/ cnw / - the national energy board ( neb ) has issued the list of approved aboriginal intervenors in the energy east project and has offered to begin collecting oral traditional evidence .
a letter submitted to the national energy board by transcanada corp . lawyers calls the evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions on its energy east pipeline
unnecessary .
letter courtesy of the neb
canada ' s national energy regulator says it will for the first time consider the impact of upstream and downstream emissions from potential increased consumption of oil at hearings into the energy east pipeline .
energy east could lead to dramatic reductions in access to western gas for ontario and quebec , which could increase costs and cause shortages .
the council of canadians is celebrating the defeat of the transcanada energy east pipeline - which we have been campaigning against since february 2013 .
energy east ? use oil from newfoundland , not the tar sands , by gordon laxer , rabble . ca , august 26 , 2013
energy east was first proposed in 2013 . if the national energy board approves transcanada ' s amended proposal , construction is set to start in 2018 , with the pipeline up and running by 2020 .
calgary — a decision by canada’ energy regulator on friday could cause delays for transcanada corp . ’s energy east pipeline , just after another major proposal by the company—keystone xl—was swiftly revived earlier this week .
“the canaport energy east marine terminal will connect transcanada’s energy east pipeline to an ice - free , deepwater port , ” said irving oil president paul browning . “it will allow canadian producers direct access to world markets for exporting canadian oil via the world’s largest crude carrying vessels . ”
prime minister justin trudeau made headlines tuesday when he met with montreal mayor denis coderre , an outspoken opponent of the proposed energy east pipeline .
a restarting of energy east hearings comes just one day after transcanada announced it had filed its presidential permit application for its keystone xl pipeline .
the energy east pipeline proposed route is pictured as transcanada officials speak during a news conference in calgary , on aug . 1 , 2013 .
transcanada said it is focused on engaging with canadians to discuss energy east , to listen to questions and concerns , and to address them .
environmentalists argue it makes no sense for ms . wynne and mr . couillard to put off talk on climate change until the national energy strategy , when the subject could be discussed immediately on energy east .
watch above : the national energy board is bowing to pressure from critics claiming the board ' s panel members overseeing hearings of the proposed energy east project broke conflict of interest rules . gary bobrovitz reports .
the national energy board’s unprecedented decision to widen its study of the energy east pipeline to include much broader climate change impacts suggests that the fix is in to kill the proposed $ 15 . 7 billion project .
newly - appointed energy east hearing panelists ( from left to right ) don ferguson , carole malo and marc paquin restarted a review of the controversial pipeline proposal from scratch . photos courtesy of the national energy board
“i think that there’s a lot of common ground in terms of the way the energy east project needs to go ahead , ” said wynne .
only a third of quebecers support the controversial energy east oil pipeline project , according to a poll conducted by researchers at the université de montréal .
further reading concerns over beluga whales delay energy east pipeline project ( october 19 globe and mail article ) thousands march against energy east pipeline in quebec ( october 12 blog ) suncor sneaks tar sands shipments past great lakes and st . lawrence river communities ( october 9 blog by emma lui )
there ' s a suggestion that backing the trans mountain pipeline expansion from alberta to b . c . would cost trudeau fewer votes than energy east
the energy east pipeline would move oil to eastern canada refineries and an export marine terminal in new brunswick . ( jeff mcintosh / canadian press )
the national energy board’s ( neb ) new conditions for transcanada’s proposed energy east pipeline are another signal that the federal government is committed to ensuring the completion of kinder morgan’s trans mountain pipeline ( kmx ) . what is the connection ? to win a second mandate in 2019 , the trudeau government is prepared to sacrifice energy east to justify the trans mountain expansion .
the energy east hearings process was marred in controversy following a report by media outlet national observer that found former quebec premier jean charest had met privately with some neb members while working as a lobbyist for transcanada . soon after , all three panelists tasked with assessing the energy east proposal stepped down .
the ontario premier said she would save larger climate change matters for a national energy strategy the provinces and territories will negotiate next year .
the energy east project is not the whole discussion ,
she said .
after careful review of changed circumstances , we will be informing the national energy board that we will no longer be proceeding with our energy east and eastern mainline applications . transcanada will also notify quebec ' s ministère du developpement durable , de l ' environnement , et lutte contre les changements climatiques that it is withdrawing the energy east project from the environmental review process .
transcanada’s energy east line shouldn’t become a “political football , ” notley said , adding that she supports that pipeline because it helps create value from alberta crude .
protesters demonstrate against the energy east and line 9b pipelines during a rally in montreal on saturday , oct . 10 , 2015 . ( the canadian press )
the product that would flow through energy east is not like conventional crude oil . this is not the stuff you put in your vehicle . learn more .
energy east pipeline project has requested transport canada marine safety to have a termpol review committee assess the marine transportation components of its proposed canaport energy east marine terminal project under the voluntary technical review process of marine terminal systems and tran - shipment sites ( termpol ) . the purpose of the technical review process is to :
canada ' s national energy regulator is expected to release a list of topics later today to be considered in its review of the energy east pipeline , which could for the first time include broad consideration of upstream and downstream emissions .
transcanada president and ceo russ girling ( 2nd l ) announces the new energy east pipeline during a news conference in calgary , alberta , august 1 , 2013 .
alberta’s premier rachel notley says she supports the trans mountain and energy east pipelines but that transcanada corp . ’s keystone xl poses a threat to alberta’s resource control .
all these things i believe are very reasonable principles and ones which are achievable when it comes to the energy east pipeline ,
mr . gallant said .
the fact 700 of the 820 public submissions to the neb regarding the energy east project were form letters , makes it fair to ask who provided this input .
the neb is still aiming to have a decision on the $ 15 . 7 - billion energy east pipeline project by march 18 , 2018 , she added .
the termpol review report on the canaport energy east marine terminal project contains recommendations , findings and conclusions related to the navigation and ship safety components of the project .
in a press release , the national energy board said it would restart the hearings process for energy east “from the beginning , ” a move that is likely to delay the eventual startup date for the $ 15 . 7 billion pipeline .
energy east represents the safest and least [ greenhouse gas ] - intensive way of moving canadian oil to canadian refineries , helping to make canada energy independent and reducing the amount of oil being transported through ontario communities by rail .
harper hails west - east pipeline as n . b . seeks to halt exodus of workers
$ 12 - billion energy east project , with a new report that argues the cross - country pipeline will contribute to soaring greenhouse gas emissions in the oil sands .
the neb this year ordered energy east’s review to start again from the beginning , voiding all decisions from the project’s previous examining panel that has been accused of bias .
the energy east panel has since closed the submission process ( may 31 , 2017 ) in order to finalize the list , however , this does not mean that canadians have missed their opportunity to effect change . the neb has created a short online survey asking the public for opinions regarding the shaping of the energy east hearing process .
saskatchewan premier brad wall is calling on prime minister stephen harper to take leadership in supporting transcanada’s proposed energy east pipeline , saying the massive project is a “national issue . ”
energy east proponent transcanada corp . has yet to respond to the neb’s expanded scope , which would put the company at the centre of another charged and costly national discussion .
in its effort to be more inclusive and position itself as environmentally responsible , the neb’s move to expand the scope of its energy east review is a bridge too far .
considering energy east’s associated emissions makes the upcoming regulatory review for the pipeline more onerous and had been opposed by transcanada , which had called it “completely redundant and unnecessary . ”
others say that energy east is more important that ever because , unlike keystone xl , it will allow western producers to lessen their heavy dependence on the u . s .
alberta ' s energy minister says she ' s disappointed in the national energy board ' s decision to widen the scope of its review of the pipeline .
energy east is a proposed 4 , 600 - kilometre pipeline by calgary - based energy corporation transcanada . it would stretch from alberta to an export terminal in new brunswick and could carry up to 1 . 1 million barrels of crude oil per day .
premier rachel notley says she’s no pushover . she’ll never hand an energy east pipeline veto to quebec or ontario . and we won’t see her throwing a tantrum in a corner .
“energy east would negate all the good work on climate that has been done at the provincial level , pose a major threat to millions of people ' s drinking water . ”
for more on our campaign against the energy east pipeline , including a speaking tour in new brunswick and nova scotia that starts on october 26 in halifax , please click here .
ottawa set the table on energy east wednesday when the neb announced it would include a review of all upstream and downstream climate change impacts that could be associated with the pipeline .
in addition to transporting fracked bakken shale oil – the substance that exploded in the lac megantic tragedy – energy east would make ontario and quebec more reliant on fracked gas imports .
“any reasonable assessment of the carbon pollution of energy east would show that the pipeline is inconsistent with canada’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions , ” it said in a statement .
emotions are running high on both sides of the debate when it comes to transcanada ' s proposed , 4 , 600 - kilometre energy east pipeline . here ' s why .
“we look forward to the resumption of the energy east regulatory process and showing why this project is in the national interest , ” said transcanada spokesman tim duboyce in an email .
investing in fossil fuel infrastructure detracts from needed investments in a green energy future .
transcanada filed its 30 , 000 - page energy east application to the national energy board in october , but will now need to submit an amendment to the federal regulator . the company has said it will submit its amendment in the fourth quarter of this year .
“today is a great day for the climate and the hundreds of thousands of canadians who stood up to energy east and its risks to our land , water and communities , ” said andrea harden - donahue , energy and climate justice campaigner , council of canadians .
in may 2015 , more than 60 organizations , including the david suzuki foundation and greenpeace canada , signed a letter to the national energy board asking that it overhaul its review process and begin evaluating the energy east project again only when more information had been submitted .
the council has been organizing to stop energy east since the first day it was announced . the opposition of communities and organizations has played a decisive role in halting the controversial project .
transcanada president and ceo russ girling ( 2nd l ) announces the new energy east pipeline during a news conference in calgary , alberta , august 1 , 2013 . reuters / todd korol
energy east would transport up to 1 . 1 million barrels of bitumen per day , allowing a 40 per cent expansion of the oil sands , canada’s largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions
the energy east pipeline will cross through our unceded mi ' qmaq traditional lands , which we hold aboriginal title to . thus the project will require our consent ,
ginnish said .
energy east , which would take crude from alberta to the atlantic coast , would attain higher prices for canadian producers whose landlocked product trades at a discount to the west texas intermediate benchmark .
energy east would ship up to 1 . 1 million barrels of oil per day from producers in alberta , saskatchewan and north dakota to refineries and marine ports in quebec and new brunswick .
“most of the land owners are in favour of energy east . they are pro development . but they have serious concerns about how the land is treated , ” said jim ness , an alberta farmer , who also represents the canadian association of energy and pipeline landowner associations .
on friday , the national energy board announced that the three people overseeing the review of energy east were stepping down following complaints that two of them met last year with former quebec premier jean charest , a consultant for developer transcanada at the time , to discuss the pipeline .
wall made the comments on ctv’s question period , following a unanimous motion in the saskatchewan legislature earlier this week calling for the removal of what he describes as “barriers” to the energy east pipeline .
if completed , energy east would be the largest pipeline in north america , delivering 1 . 1 million barrels of crude every day from alberta and saskatchewan to refineries in quebec and new brunswick .
transcanada corp . president and ceo russ girling , right , speaks at the company ' s announcement of an energy east pipeline project on aug . 1 , 2013 , in this file photo .
the prime minister has not come out definitively in favour of or against the energy east pipeline . instead , he ' s criticized the current approval process for pipeline proposals , calling it flawed .
after meeting this week with quebec premier philippe couillard , notley had seemed to suggest quebec’s view of alberta policy might be crucial to getting approval for the $ 12 - billion energy east oil pipeline .
the private new brunswick company issued a statement thursday saying the canaport energy east marine terminal at its refinery in saint john would handle crude oil flowing from western canada and export it to world markets .
the neb said the new energy east panel overseeing the process has “voided all decisions made by the previous hearing panel , ” and that those decisions would be “removed from the official hearing record . ”
transcanada , the proponent behind energy east , has said it remains committed to the project . spokesman tim duboyce said construction would begin shortly after approval , with the goal of shipping oil in 2021 .
the 2013 mayflower oil spill in arkansas , which involved bitumen from the oil sands — the same product energy east would transport — was the most expensive onshore cleanup in u . s . history .
eagle spirit energy’s pipeline plan in northern b . c . gets backing of first nations chiefs
energy industry with the safety of canadians and protection of the environment as its top priority . its purpose is to regulate pipelines , energy development and trade in the canadian public interest .
in a statement , the canadian energy pipeline association said it does not support the decision .
the proposed 4 , 500 - kilometre energy east pipeline would carry more than a million barrels a day of canadian crude from alberta to refineries and export terminals in atlantic canada . ( the canadian press )
still hungry for more info ? great . check out our energy east resource library for links to reports , news articles , videos and other materials from the conservation council and our allies . learn more .
energy east will strive to reach consent with first nations and also seek to avoid and mitigate any potential effects the project has on the community and that ' s how we will continue to operate .
energy east would transport crude roughly 4 , 500 kilometres from oilfields in alberta in saskatchewan to refineries in quebec and new brunswick . the majority of the pipeline would be converted from an existing natural gas line .
“the neb should pull the plug on the energy east review and restart it only when an overhauled review process with a credible climate test is in place , ” said environmental defence’s patrick derochie in a statement .
harper hails west - east pipeline as n . b . seeks to halt exodus of workers - the globe and mail
the energy east project makes sense on a number of levels , including the ability to supply canadian refineries with canadian crude oil , which is cheaper than brent - priced imports from places like venezuela and saudi arabia .
prime minister justin trudeau shakes hands with montreal mayor denis coderre following their joint press conference about the proposed energy east pipeline in montreal on tuesday , jan . 26 , 2016 . ( graham hughes / canadian press )
“apparently you can teach an old dog new tricks , ” said environmental defence in a statement . “the national energy board ( neb ) has finally listened to canadians and agreed to study the climate impacts of energy east , as well as whether the pipeline makes economic sense in a carbon - constrained world . ”
he and ms . notley will use some of their time with the other premiers to lobby for energy east . ontario premier kathleen wynne and quebec premier philippe couillard have conditions for the project to go through their provinces .
the decision could pose significant delays to the energy east proposal . it requires the panel to host a new round of public hearings on the project , and will require participants in those public hearings to resubmit their arguments .
the complaints are the latest in a saga of controversies that have plagued the calgary - based transcanada corp . ' s energy east oil pipeline , the largest project of its kind ever to be proposed in north america .
transcanada chief executive russ girling said last week he expects energy east to face a relatively easy ride through the regulatory process , compared with keystone xl , which is stalled by the obama administration in the united states . transcanada expects to submit an application to canada ' s national energy board by the end of the summer .
in 2014 , transcanada proposed the energy east pipeline project . if built , the pipeline would stretch 4 , 600 km across canada , connecting the western tar sands to an export terminal in eastern canada . energy east is the largest tar sands pipeline ever proposed with a functional capacity of over one million barrels per day . the project involves both the construction of new pipe and the converting of existing natural gas pipe into a crude oil transporter .
this is an extremely exciting project ,
he said during a visit thursday to the irving oil refinery in saint john , which is to be the end of the line for transcanada ' s proposed energy east pipeline .
but ms . wynne and mr . couillard now say they will look only at the relatively small emissions from work that has to be done on energy east in ontario or quebec , such as exhaust fumes from construction vehicles .
one of them is dan tsubouchi , chief market strategist at stream asset financial management lp in calgary , who said back in may that “energy east is not likely to get done , primarily due to the social opposition to the pipeline in ontario and more so in quebec … we can’t see the liberals fighting against quebec firstly and ontario secondly on energy east , especially if keystone xl and trans mountain expansion proceed , or even if they don’t . ”
energy east is the biggest pipeline proposal in canada to date , and is part of a much larger pipeline push by big oil . it is a critical part of industry plans for a threefold expansion of the tar sands .
in january of 2017 , three new members were appointed by the neb to undertake a review of the energy east project . the new panel immediately voided all decisions made by the previous panel – entirely restarting the review process .
. ' s energy east ' s pipeline would traverse the traditional territory of 180 different aboriginal communities , each of whom must be consulted and have their concerns accommodated as part of the company ' s effort at winning project approval .
transcanada corp . ’s decision not to build a crude oil export terminal near a beluga whale habitat on the st . lawrence river will delay its $ 12 - billion energy east pipeline project by two years and could run up costs
trudeau is allowing the neb to do his political dirty work for him . undermining energy east is a transparently political move to shore up the liberals’ political support in quebec , the home of 40 of trudeau’s 183 mps and where anti - pipeline sentiment is strong . sabotaging energy east will also appease his erstwhile climate - change and aboriginal - activist supporters , who are still unhappy about his earlier approvals of trans mountain and the replacement of enbridge’s line 3 pipeline .
transcanada corp . ceo russ girling announces the energy east pipeline during a news conference in calgary , alta . , on august 1 , 2013 . one of the biggest concerns is the impact on the province’s natural - gas markets .
the wall of opposition to the 1 . 1 million barrel per day energy east project continues to grow all across the pipeline route . heading into the summer months , here are some exciting campaign updates and next steps . atlantic region
ontario is doing its own review of the energy east project and has promised to consider upstream climate effects , though it has no power to act on its findings other than making submissions to the neb and exerting political pressure on ottawa .
ontario and quebec have decided to mostly ignore climate - change concerns when deciding whether to support energy east , clearing one the of largest single obstacles out of the way of transcanada corp . ' s $ 12 - billion pipeline proposal .
this isn’t like the mackenzie valley pipeline , which was tied to natural gas fields that had to be developed . it’s about the markets to which the barrels would go , and if it’s not energy east it will be somewhere else .
however , energy east’s importance has somewhat diminished for transcanada since u . s . president donald trump this year signed an order reviving the company’s keystone xl pipeline , which would run from alberta’s oil sands to u . s . refineries .
one of trudeau’s gravest miscalculations is that if the company backs out of energy east , the graveyard of energy projects spiked directly or indirectly by him would get even bigger — with the $ 36 - billion petronas lng project just the latest example — and canada’s reputation as a politically and regulatory unstable place to do business would get even worse .
transcanada has rolled its long - awaited 20 , 000 - page , 68 two - inch binder application for the energy east project into the calgary office of the national energy board on thursday . it is the company ' s attempt to build the largest oil pipeline in north america , while also enabling the expansion of alberta ' s oil sands .
a report was completed by the expert panel on the modernization of the national energy board in response to repeated submissions from canadians . the report emphasizes that the neb is outdated and not trusted by the canadian population . until the modernization of the neb is complete , cela and ed have called for the energy east review to be put on hold .
the study concludes the production of 1 . 1 million barrels per day of crude needed to fill the energy east pipeline would result in up to 32 million tonnes per year of additional greenhouse gas emissions – the equivalent to seven million cars .
prime minister stephen harper gave his strongest endorsement yet of the $ 12 - billion west - to - east pipeline project , enthusiastically pitching it as a job creator for all canadians and one that will expand the country ' s energy markets .
kathleen wynne said wednesday morning she will not consider
upstream
greenhouse - gas emissions – the extra carbon released when alberta jacks up oil sands production to supply the crude for energy east – when deciding whether ontario will back the pipeline .
transition initiative kenora , which was one of two groups to file a motion last year calling for the prior panel members to be removed , requested that the current energy east process be declared void or referred to the federal court of appeal .
we’re a long way from that now . down east , there will be a chuckle or two in the ontario and quebec delegations .
most significantly , the report recommends separating and expanding the neb’s core functions by creating two new legislatively - empowered bodies : the canadian energy transmission commission ( cetc ) , and the canadian energy information agency ( ceia ) .
calgary – transcanada corp . ’s decision not to build a crude oil export terminal near a beluga whale habitat on the st . lawrence river will delay its $ 12 - billion energy east pipeline project by two years and could run up costs .
saint john mayor don darling spoke at the national energy board hearings on behalf of the city . 11 : 09
the national energy board says the decision is based in part on 820 public submissions it received since last spring .
this decision appears to contradict the two provinces ' previous position . last month , ms . wynne and mr . couillard issued a list of seven principles they would use to judge energy east ; one was that the project ' s emissions be taken into account . and a motion passed by quebec ' s national assembly specified the government look at the
global contribution
of energy east to climate change . these conditions were understood by many politicians and environmentalists to mean ontario and quebec would consider upstream emissions .
when dealing with pipelines , spills caused by ruptures or leaks in the line are inevitable . when dealing with a pipeline of the magnitude of transcanada’s energy east , spills can be very costly to the environment , human health , and taxpayers . learn more .
energy east is primarily about getting western crude to eastern coastal waters . why ? faced with fierce opposition to tar sands pipelines in b . c . and the u . s . , big oil needs to find a different way to get its crude to international markets . if the pipelines can’t go west , big oil will send them east to ship to international markets in order to maximize profits .
adding downstream emissions to the energy east review process opens a pandora’s box of competing scenarios of end - use possibilities . the no - more - pipelines - ever coalition will seize this opportunity to clog the neb process with an endless line - up of studies , “experts” and consultants , all predicting disastrous increases in ghg emissions if energy east is built . for transcanada , this translates into more time , more uncertainty and more money , which is why it recently requested an immediate 30 - day suspension of the hearings .
we believe we are most certainly the municipality with the most at stake here in terms of the components of the energy east project , but also , you know , we feel economically there should be real benefits received to this community from this project .
perhaps you ' ve heard of energy east , but aren ' t really sure what it is — or why emotions are running so high on both sides of the debate . if so , check out this primer on the important facts of the proposed pipeline .
the proposed pipeline project has not gone unnoticed by canadian environmental non - governmental organizations ( engos ) like environmental defence ( ed ) . ed has published reports commenting on the proposed pipeline’s environmental effects and the rationale behind the pipeline , whose oil is destined for export . ( 1 ) cela is acting for ed in the energy east proceedings before the national energy board ( neb ) .
the important challenge we have now is to inform communities about the energy east project ,
he said .
you can be certain there won ' t be a single conversation or discussion that takes places that doesn ' t make some reference to benefits .
the pembina institute , a calgary - based environmental think - tank , estimates energy east would cause 32 million tonnes of added greenhouse - gas emissions every year , which would cancel out the emissions reductions ontario achieved by closing all of its coal - fired power plants .
the comments – the starkest yet over the fate of the $ 12 - billion pipeline – are a clear sign that transcanada believes energy east is on solid footing , despite noisy opposition from environmentalists and a commercial challenge the company says threatens the project ' s viability .
energy east respects the legal and constitutional rights of aboriginal communities . and we are operating under the current canadian law with respect to how we are governing our engagement with aboriginal people . and we ' ll continue to do so ,
said van der put .
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working with mr . fontaine , transcanada has begun that process with the 180 aboriginal communities along its energy east path . he acknowledged that pipeline companies face a special problem because the projects are linear and involve far more communities than a mine or oil sands project would touch .
in august 2013 , transcanada announced its intention to build a pipeline and export terminal project called energy east . the proposed route would run from alberta to new brunswick , and the pipeline would have the capacity to transport 1 . 1 million barrels per day of crude oil .
this backgrounder provides information on the climate impacts of the oilsands and the link between pipelines , market access and oilsands expansion , as well as the regulatory context in alberta . these factors all play into the assessment of ontario and quebec’s fourth condition for the energy east pipeline .
the project would pump an astonishing 1 . 1 million barrels per day of bitumen from alberta to the atlantic - - a volume double the proposed northern gateway pipeline . most of energy east would be built by converting one of transcanada ' s existing major natural gas pipelines .
saint john , n . b . – irving oil says it plans to build a $ 300 - million marine terminal in saint john , n . b . , following an announcement from transcanada corp . that it has decided to proceed with its energy east pipeline project .
collecting relevant information early from aboriginal intervenors is an opportunity to identify and increase understanding of the perspectives of aboriginal groups in relation to energy east . due to the unique nature of oral traditional evidence , it is not dependent on the timing of any other hearing process steps .
the new three - member energy east panel consists of don ferguson , a former senior civil servant in new brunswick , carole malo , a former vice - president at engineering giant snc - lavalin , and marc paquin , a quebec - based lawyer focused on environmental law .
energy east pipeline project is proposing to construct and operate a crude oil pipeline system to transport the product from alberta and saskatchewan to a marine loading terminal in saint john , new brunswick . this report summarizes the outcome from the technical review of the proponent ' s submissions .
calgary , alberta - - ( marketwired - oct . 5 , 2017 ) - news release - transcanada corporation ( tsx : trp ) ( nyse : trp ) ( transcanada ) announced today it will no longer be proceeding with its proposed energy east pipeline and eastern mainline projects .
our advice is that ontario needs to be assured that there is sufficient supply [ of gas ] to meet the needs of consumers throughout ontario , and that its consumers will not subsidize through higher natural gas prices the cost of energy east ,
mr . fraser said .
the canadian chamber of commerce , which represents 200 , 000 businesses on national and international issues , sent a similar letter to the neb on may 31 , objecting to the inclusion of upstream and downstream ghg emissions and canadian climate targets and policies in the review of energy east .
monday , at the city council meeting , concerned citizens gave presentations to north bay city council about the energy east pipeline and the importance of protecting municipal drinking water . council chambers were expected to be packed , with well over 100 residents expected to bear witness to the presentation .
gord young / the nugget yan roberts speaks to north bay city council monday , urging politicians to take a stand against transcanada ' s energy east pipeline proposal to use a natural gas pipeline which cuts through the trout lake watershed to carry diluted bitumen from the tar sands in western canada . roberts was among five people who made presentations to council in front of a packed audience opposing the pipeline proposal and raising concerns about trout lake and the city ' s supply of drinking water . the city was also presented with letters and petitions opposing the energy east project .
the move marks a major victory for alberta premier jim prentice , who visited his ontario and quebec counterparts this week to promote the project . but it drew swift condemnation from environmental groups that warned energy east would erase much of the recent progress this country has made fighting global warming .
neb spokesperson katherine murphy said the regulator will continue to review the energy east application , but would not issue a notice that the application was complete — which would trigger the neb’s legislated 15 - month - maximum hearing and review period — until after the amendment was filed and reviewed .
our team will continue to work closely with the ontario government to ensure the project meets proven safety standards and environmental protection while delivering important economic benefits for the people of ontario ,
françois poirier , transcanada ' s president for the energy east project , said in a statement .
the downsides of its decision are bound to outweigh any upside — all to the detriment of canada’s energy sector and the economy .
the energy east plan is to bring 1 . 1 million barrels per day of western crude to eastern canadian refineries and export terminals ; it has been touted by politicians and its proponents as a nation - building exercise , and by industry as providing access to new markets for landlocked crude .
is girding for a scrap with corporate rivals over plans to ship western oil to canada ' s east coast ahead of regulatory hearings expected to begin next year .
wynne will meet with alberta premier jim prentice tuesday to discuss the energy east pipeline , one day after prentice is scheduled to meet with couillard . wynne said her talks with prentice have been “constructive” to date , and that she hopes to have an equally productive conversation with wall on the pipeline .
we ' re not just expanding our markets for energy projects , which we need to do ,
the prime minister said ,
but we are also at the same time making sure that canadians themselves benefit from those projects and from that energy security .
cbc story from february 2014 about a report critical of transcanada’s inspection process which was buried by the national energy board for several years .
in quebec have said calgary - based transcanada ' s energy east project would jack up costs and potentially curtail natural gas deliveries in the provinces during times of peak demand . in a year - end interview , transcanada chief executive russ girling called such arguments
ludicrous
with no basis in fact .
transcanada announced thursday it was scrapping plans for a marine terminal at cacouna , que . and looking for an alternative site in the province that wouldn’t affect dwindling beluga whale populations . as a result , the company doesn’t expect energy east to ship crude oil until 2020 , two years later than expected .
three years ago cherri foytlin , a resident of south louisiana and author of spill it ! the truth about the deepwater horizon oil rig explosion , joined maude barlow and council staff in a series of meetings and public talks warning of the dangers of transcanada’s , now dead , energy east pipeline project .
however , many are concerned about the environmental impact an increased demand for oil could have . the pembina institute , an environmental think - tank , released a report in 2014 that found producing the amount of crude needed to fill energy east might generate an extra 32 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year .
with a number of new pipelines possibly coming into service by 2020 , some argue that the massive 1 . 1 million bpd - capacity of energy east won’t be required to get alberta oil to tidewater . moreover , there is no guarantee eastern refineries would prefer western canadian oil to possibly cheaper imported feedstocks .
the energy east hearings were stalled last fall after neb chairman peter watson and vice - chair lyne mercier were accused of a conflict of interest for meeting privately with jean charest , who was a paid consultant at the time for the pipeline’s backer , transcanada , to discuss public opinion around the controversial project .
then he left for the meeting in newfoundland , where all the premiers will gather to discuss many issues , including the canadian energy strategy .
the fate of energy east has become entwined in the federal election . while the main opposition parties are supportive in principle , new democratic party leader thomas mulcair says the environmental review process needs to be strengthened , including efforts to assess the climate impact of building pipelines that would lead to greater oil sands production .
the assembly of first nations’ chiefs in new brunswick said it would not support the west - to - east pipeline until environmental protection and aboriginal and treaty rights were guaranteed .
the recent election and change in the federal government has also put a new complexion on the issue . although prime - minister - designate justin trudeau has not fully endorsed energy east , mr . gallant is optimistic the new leader will help build the brand and credibility with canadians and internationally enough to see it through .
the ecological impact and viability of the project has not been the only topic of controversy . as a result of concerns about real or perceived bias , and controversy undermining the perception of impartiality of the energy east review panel , all three panel members recused themselves , adjourning further review hearings until new membership was established .
at present , the neb oversees a portion of canada’s overall energy system : transboundary pipelines and electric transmission lines , and energy imports and exports . the neb is also responsible for publishing data on energy transmission and infrastructure , which it uses as a basis for many of its regulatory decisions . the panel was convened in late 2016 following a prime ministerial mandate issued to the minister of natural resources . the panel was given a broad mandate to “modernize the neb” and “aim to position the neb as a modern , efficient and effective energy regulator and regain public trust . ”
as the neb continues to assess the energy east project application , issuing a list of participants provides greater certainty for those involved and allows access to participant funding for those who qualify . the full list of approved participants will be issued in the coming weeks as the neb finalizes its assessment of the applications to participate received .
lawyers wrote that an analysis of greenhouse gas emissions for the proposed 4 , 500 - kilometre energy east pipeline would be
completely redundant and unnecessary ,
given that such analysis falls within the purview of the federal government . the details are in the canadian government ' s interim measures for pipeline reviews , they said .
“note that cost for the 1 . 1 million [ barrel per day ] energy east project remains unchanged at $ 12 billion , although it is possible the cost and / or schedule could change when the amended application is filed with the neb , ” cibc world markets analyst paul lechem said in a research note following transcanada’s announcement .
“the neb is mandated to “promote safety and security , environmental protection and efficient energy infrastructure and markets in the canadian public interest , ” it said .
transcanada has been holding consultations with communities across the country , including some 155 first nations , to inform them of the energy east project and seek their support . the company has hired phil fontaine , former chief of the assembly of first nations , to represent it in meetings . but one leading activist says the company has a tough sell .
to address concerns about the integrity of canadian energy information and analysis , the panel recommends establishing the ceia . presently , the neb produces much of the data that underpins its own regulatory decisions . the report suggests this has undermined public confidence in the neb as an independent and impartial regulator . the ceia , as an independent body reporting to the minister of natural resources , would serve as a single clearinghouse for all energy data , sourced from both domestic and international agencies . the ceia would collect and disseminate energy data , produce annual public reports , and measure quantitative analysis against the ambitioned goals of canada’s energy strategy .
adding upstream emissions to the neb process for energy east is also a prima facie violation of provincial jurisdiction over the development of oil and gas reserves . it is an attempt to do indirectly through the neb what section 92a of the constitution explicitly prohibits the federal government from doing directly . section 92a — which grants to provinces explicit jurisdiction of the management and development of their natural resources — is the concession that then alberta premier peter lougheed extracted from the last prime minister named trudeau at the conclusion of the energy wars sparked by the 1980 national energy program . be assured that , like before , western premiers will not let this jurisdictional breach go unchallenged .


melville house publishing is an independent publisher of literary fiction , non-fiction , and poetry .

the company was founded in 2001 by the husband and wife team of dennis loy johnson and valerie merians in hoboken , new jersey , a location johnson jokingly called " the left bank " of new york city .

in 2007 , they were named by the association of american publishers as the winner of the 2007 miriam bass award for creativity in independent publishing , popularly known as the " indie publisher of the year " award .

melville house publishing

brooklyn - based publisher melville house will open a british publishing company in london called melville house uk .
glassdoor gives you an inside look at what it ' s like to work at melville house publishing , including salaries , reviews , office photos , and more . this is the melville house publishing company profile . all content is posted anonymously by employees working at melville house publishing .
at melville house publishing ' s blog , an . . . - franklin park reading series | facebook
valerie merians and dennis johnson of melville house : successful small publishers in a conglomerate world .
the founders of the us independent publisher melville house are to open a london - based publishing business with the aim of forming a “distinctly british company” .
the founders of the us independent publisher melville house are to open a london - based publishing business with the aim of forming a “distinctly british . . .
melville house publishing is an independent publisher of literary fiction , non - fiction , and poetry . founded in 2001 by dennis loy johnson and valerie merians .
the head of a small publishing house in manhattan , mr . lynn reports , was even more blunt :
, which has done “sensationally well , ” as johnson says , and also became melville house’s first e - book .
creator of mobylives , one of the world’s first and most well - known book blogs , dennis johnson , put his fictional and journalistic careers on standby back in 2001 to launch melville house , an independent publishing house located in brooklyn , new york .
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random house llc a penguin random house company use of this site indicates your consent to the terms of use . copyright © 1995 - 2018 penguin random house llc . all rights reserved .
dlj : if they can’t send money , buy melville house books , at an indie bookstore , or at a kgb bar event .
melville house publishing is an independent publisher of literary fiction , non - fiction , and poetry . they were founded in 2002 by dennis loy johnson and valerie merians , and are based in hoboken , new jersey . wikipedia *
that was a decade after johnson’s first spat with amazon , when melville house’s books were pulled from the site completely until johnson paid what he referred to as “a bribe . ” more recently , he and the team at melville house have spent plenty of time tweeting and blogging criticisms of amazon’s new physical bookstores , which they take issue with because they’re run algorithmically and don’t employ booksellers . at the london book fair in march , johnson live tweeted the pitiful traffic to amazon publishing’s booth , which some weirdo decided to set up directly across from melville house’s .
top : valerie merians and dennis johnson , founding proprietors of melville house , photographed by gaetano cavelli ; below , their bookshop and office in dumbo , brooklyn .
dlj : the next piece of fiction we’re publishing came from the slush pile .
publishing books of literary fiction , nonfiction , and poetry , and liking it .
this was not the first time amazon had used this stratagem . the retailer’s executives had previously cut off small firms such as ten speed press and melville house publishing for bucking their will . but the fight with macmillan was by far the most public of these showdowns .
“the publishing industry had its first opportunity to fight the trump administration and it failed miserably . ”
dennis johnson , co - founder and co - publisher of melville house books and one of the first book bloggers , is possibly best known for the fight he picked in the spring of 2014 .
that ' s what got people saying it ' s time to stand up to this and try to do something ,
says dennis johnson of melville house publishing . johnson , who has long been a vocal critic of amazon , characterizes the book industry as
a very timid industry .
dennis johnson co - founded the us company with valerie merians in 2001 , as an activist publishing effort aimed at opposing the bush administration . the duo will now open a uk publisher , with the intention of responding to demand for melville house titles in britain , as well as growing a new list .
ellie robins is a translator from spanish and has worked in publishing in the us and the uk .
“we’re just doing something that all the great , famous american publishing houses did at their beginnings . ”
melville house is now publishing about 60 books per year ; still , attempting to define what typifies a melville house book is a bit tricky for the couple . merians and johnson cited categories ranging from investigative journalism and politics to history and literary fiction . translations and repackaged public domain classics are also mainstays . the house even does some cookbooks . their list , they said , is a reflection of their “interests and tastes . ” the staff they have assembled includes two other editors , one person dedicated to indie bookseller outreach , and another dedicated solely to overseeing the company’s web site , which has morphed from johnson’s original blog into mhpbooks . com .
melville house celebrates this renegade art form and its practitioners with titles that are , in many instances , presented in book form for the first time . forty novellas are currently available—and can be yours for only $ 288 .
a new edition of bulgakov ' s blistering satire about the great russian director stanislavski , inventor of
method acting ,
part of melville house ' s reissue of the bulgakov backlist in michael glenny ' s celebrated translations .
in 2002 . babes in the tangled wood of modern publishing , they stumbled in and never left . when the
the results of a new survey to measure diversity in publishing , released last week by the children’s publisher lee & low , loudly concur with díaz’s point . but interestingly , publishing isn’t just white : it’s dominated by white women .
one good sign is that the melville house series has spawned some imitators - - most notably , penguin uk ' s
mini modern classics
series . these are clearly inspired by—if not a total ripoff of—the melville house editions . the series ' cover layout , streamlined design , and single - color covers are an obvious nod to its antecedent . surely , interest in mid - length stories from a major publisher is a sign of good things for the form .
the first issue of tin house magazine arrived in the spring of 1999 , the singular lovechild of an eclectic literary journal and a beautiful glossy magazine . n 2002 , tin house ventured into the world of book publishing as an imprint with bloomsbury . in 2005 , the independent press tin house books was launched , spearheaded by editorial director lee montgomery , tin house books publishes a dozen titles a year , and its authors have garnered attention from the new york times , the los angeles times , the wall street journal , and o , the oprah magazine .
one important aspect of melville house’s non - virtual books is that they look terrific . in the tradition of great paperback series such as the original penguins , mhp has created several uniform series with very simple but clear and clean designs—some , like their
kgb : you said that when you published what we do now , a collection of essays by literary voices and cultural figures on ways to respond to bush’s 2004 reelection , it made you realize that there is a place and a need for independent publishing . i’m wondering if that’s one of the reasons why you founded melville house , which grew out of your blog , moby lives . is publishing something that you had wanted to become involved in from the beginning ? dlj : it was all her idea .
the verge sat down with johnson and melville house’s director of marketing and publicity , julia fleischaker , to talk about amazon , trump , the internet’s warped idea of “censorship , ” and how to build a brand centered on , of all things , anger .
mr . lynn reports on a conversation with the head of one of the largest publishing houses in the u . s . :
yes , i would like to receive newsletters from penguin random house canada with promotions and the latest on books and authors .
“our goal is to feature hilarious , fascinating , off - beat , and quirky content…to present these classic titles in fresh new ways while embracing digital as a whole , demonstrating that digital and print can exist together . ” — dennis loy johnson , publisher , melville house
vm : i also think word has gotten out to foreign publishers that we’re publishing—we’re getting a lot of foreign projects pitched to us .
” ( key excerpts at link , full article by subscription ) barry lynn views the state of book publishing through a different lens .
mobylives was one of the world’s first and most well - known book blogs , founded by dennis johnson in 2000 and based upon his syndicated newspaper column about books ( the original mobylives ) . mobylives now resides on the melville house site covering all aspects of the book business .
urltoken is sponsored by the association of american publishers , the leading trade association for the u . s . book and journal publishing industry .
on the c - span networks : the melville house publishing has 8 videos in the c - span video library ; the first program was in a 2008 , [ i could tell you but then you would have to be destroyed by me ] . the year with the highest average number of views per program was 2015 with an average of 1 , 565 views per program . most appearances with dennis loy johnson ( 4 ) .
melville publishing is trying to develop a number of products to help booksellers . one of them is the
shelf talker ,
a digital display that helps customers browse through print books in a brick - and - mortar store but buy e - books from that store ' s website instead of amazon .
the knopf doubleday publishing group : alfred a . knopf , doubleday , nan a . talese , vintage , anchor , pantheon , schocken , everyman’s library
the coolest bit of online wizardry so far may be their hybridbooks series . these include some of mhp’s classic short stories and novellas , such as herman melville’s own
black , ceramic mugs sporting , on the front , the phrase that made bartleby the scrivener famous , and , on the back , the melville house logo . beautifully crafted and well - balanced with an ergonomically designed handle for maximum holding , this is the only 13 oz . mug you’ll ever need .
i’ve seen on tumblr that there are a lot of teenagers posting about the novella subscription series — i think because they’re so aesthetically appealing . and i noticed that you guys experimented a little bit with vine before it died . do you have a lot of young people who are interested in melville house ?
you’re pretty well known on twitter for the “fights” you pick with other publishing houses . can you tell me whose idea that was , how it started ?
still , melville house released their first five novellas , in print runs of 3 , 000 , in 2004 . henry james ' s
the lesson of the master ,
anton chekhov ' s
my life ,
leo tolstoy ' s
the devil ,
and a forgotten edith wharton gem called
the touchstone
were the first four . the fifth book was the herman melville classic
bartleby , the scrivener ,
available on its own for the first time .
but that was just devastating to me the first time around . i ' m going up the
new york times
bestseller list and they don ' t have enough books . this time , the people of melville house have been extraordinary in their understanding of how you market a book and get people to buy it .
melville house co - publisher dennis johnson , a fierce and relentless amazon critic , wrote that nelson’s new job “was another one of those stories that take the wind out of your sails : a beloved book industry champion was going to work for the company doing so much damage to the industry and book culture at large . ”
johnson and merians spoke with me at length about the challenges of independent publishing , their fondness for french literature , and how they hope to revive an older , more sustainable model of publishing where authors perceive publishers as collaborators rather than enemies . johnson and merians are unlikely publishers - - he is a literary journalist and she an artist and poet ; neither had anticipated entering the book business before founding melville house . fueled by a passion for literature and steered by their keen taste , their recent successes reflect their vision and hard work and illustrate how backing books you believe in is still relevant and , to quote merians , “a lot more fun . ”
the press’s biggest hit , to date , is another translation : hans fallada’s every man dies alone . the novel , written by a german author who died in the late 1940s , was inspired by an actual couple who dispersed antifascist notes throughout berlin as the nazis were coming to power . the book had never before appeared in english , and it has sold over 100 , 000 copies in the u . s . ; melville house licensed the paperback rights to penguin . ( penguin has since swooped in to acquire a number of titles by fallada , though melville house has three others by the author on its list , all of which it recently reissued . )
now the beleaguered genre , at long last , has found a worthy and consistent champion : melville house publishing , whose
art of the novella
series is an ongoing celebration of the form . the brooklyn - based press offers 47—and counting—novellas from writers like cervantes , jane austen , anton chekhov , joseph conrad , mark twain , and virginia woolf . specifically drawing attention to the novella ' s brevity , diversity , and lineage of distinguished practitioners , the series is the first of its kind .
the future of the contemporary novella may lie with a melville house initiative called hybridbooks . these editions pair each short book with a generous collection of digital supplements , called illuminations , available through a qr code on the final page . take
bartleby ,
for instance : illuminations include correspondence related to the story , excerpts from the philosophy that melville cites , maps of early wall street , illustrations of 1850s new york , a contemporaneous ad for a scrivener , and so on—almost 300 pages of supplemental material .
dlj : it’s a lot more fun to be more involved with your book . once i asked stephen dixon how this is working out for him , how he thought about working with melville house . he said he loved it because it was the first time in his career that he’s been able to get the publisher on the phone .
in its early days , melville house not only bet against the prevailing wisdom that novellas can ' t sell—they wagered that novella sales could be the driving engine of their brand and business .
it was greeted as a really numbskull idea by our sales team ,
co - founder dennis loy johnson told me , in an interview .
i’ve been following your “publishing during wartime” series , because we’ve also had to cover some of these issues , particularly as it pertains to the alt - right and the strange , willful ignorance people have about what “censorship” and “free speech” actually mean . what do you think the publishing industry’s role is , going into the next four years ?
“it’s the one piece of the publishing puzzle that i haven’t yet done in my career , so it seemed like it was time to do it , ” she told me .
johnson likes to champion the long - shot , the underdog , the also - ran . his company is named for herman melville , the great american novelist who very nearly never was : moby - dick was first in a string of supreme critical failures , and melville died obscure and penniless . johnson ' s website mobylives . com , which has since been subsumed into mhpbooks . com , was one of the internet ' s first book blogs . its title suggests that hope springs eternal for literary culture .
the whale survived , unlike his detractors , who had harpoons ,
johnson wrote on the
about
page .
similarly , the literary arts will survive , are surviving , these confusing times .
this belief informs not only the novella series , but another melville house project , the neversink library ( die - hard melville fans will note another allusion here ) —a collection of lost , forgotten , and
foolishly ignored
books from around the world .
the next month , an amazon recruiter sent an e - mail to several editors at big publishing houses , looking for someone to launch a new new york - based publishing imprint . “the imprint will be supported with a large budget , and its success will directly impact the success of amazon’s overall business , ” read the e - mail , which was obtained by bloomberg businessweek .
although johnson is never short of quips about cash flow or amazon , he is as quick to talk about the joys of being able to publish the books he and merians love . melville house started , he pointed out , as “an art project . ” the true phenomenon is that , a decade , hundreds of books , and eight new employees later , it remains that way .
too short to be a novel , too long to be a short story , the novella is generally unrecognized by academics and publishers . nonetheless , it is a form beloved and practice by literature ' s greatest writers . in the art of the novella series , melville house celebrates this renegade art form and its practitioners with titles that are , in many instances , presented in book form for the first time .
as kait howard , a publicist at melville house , points out , male representation increases to 40 percent at the executive levels of publishing , suggesting that men and women are still being promoted at different rates . a publisher’s weekly survey last year also found that the pay gap persists , citing an average salary of $ 70 , 000 for men versus $ 51 , 000 for women . in other words , while white women have clearly amassed a great deal of power in publishing , that power is in many cases concentrated at the lower and middle levels of the ranks , suggesting it’s too soon to declare total hegemony . but the survey is an essential , depressing reminder of the extent to which the feminist movement has swept in new opportunities for primarily straight , white , and affluent women while excluding others , especially women of color .
just three months after random house’s announcement , amazon had all but declared war on the six unruly members of its book supply chain . jeff bezos had $ 6 billion in cash , the patience to absorb losses for years , and a former big six chief to lead the fight . the long - running behind - the - scenes battle for control of the publishing industry had finally broken into full public view .
melville house uk has recruited director of marketing zeljka marosevic to run the business , joining from fourth estate . johnson said the british arm would at first concentrate on marketing its 60 frontlist titles , as well as selected backlist , distributed in britain through turnaround . the intention is to appoint an editorial director by the end of the year , reporting to johnson and “responsible for crafting a list distinct from that of the us company” .
it seems overly sentimental , but they really do impressive and brave work as a press—publishing debut authors and challenging writers of all kinds , moving the needle on amazon discourse , and bringing a blunt and plainspoken style to an often - stuffy industry . they strongly advocate for the value of the book and the industry in ways few publishers do or can . additionally , the staff is composed of incredibly smart , hard - working people who genuinely care about what they do and are willing to work long hours for low pay to pull it off . they are what’s behind the melville house brand and they deserve the credit for the company’s success .
johnson admits that the contemporary series has been a harder sell . the market for new novellas is not large , and it ' s difficult for living authors to compete with the canonical writers in the classic series . also , because melville house must pay its contemporary authors—unlike the classics line authors , whose work is now public domain—the books are twice as expensive to produce . as of now , the old masters are subsidizing the upstarts .
when people fall in love with a book , johnson told me , they don ' t want the experience to stop—readers will drift from a story ' s final page to wikipedia , to further reading about the character , themes , and world . melville house wants extend the novella experience through a wealth of high - quality , curated materials ; though the series only includes six classic books now , it will continue to grow—eventually including its contemporary counterparts .
the survey comes just weeks after the much - lauded news that penguin random house’s uk office will no longer require job applicants to have a college degree—but , as salon reports , the us offices have followed a similar policy for years , with minimal effect on the company’s diversity . jennifer baker , creator of the minorities in publishing podcast , points out that “marginalized people with degrees” already have a disproportionately hard time getting a foot in the door .
despite the success of the series , contemporary novella writers still face an uphill battle . encouraged by the success of their classics line , melville house launched a sister series called
the contemporary art of the novella ,
in 2006 . showcasing mid - length works from living authors , this collection of 15 books demonstrates the form ' s current diversity and vibrancy with works from well - known practitioners like steve stern and lore segal and young guns like tao lin .
about them just before their first two books came out , the writer began it : “how’s this for a disaster in the making ? a writer and artist , living and working out of a third - floor walkup , decide to start their own publishing house . they have limited funds and almost no experience in the book business . to make matters even worse , the first two volumes they plan to issue seem to have almost no commercial potential . ”
david cay johnston : melville house press which is a little outfit in brooklyn and in london that do something - - when i did my very first book which you interviewed me about ,
temples of chance
back in 1992 , i complained back then that my publisher was doing everything on paper and they were slow and they ' re efficient , i said , somebody needs to make this modern and quick and modernize the book business , these folks did it .
and then melville house calls out of the blue and they asked , could we do the book in i think it was three weeks , i said no but i said i can do it by a date that was four weeks later , i wrote that book in 27 days . it was hell and i ' m frankly not sure i ' ve physically recovered at my age from doing it . i ' m certainly never going to do it again but 27 days .
i was upset about what was happening to the book business in this country . random house had just been taken over by bertelsmann , amazon was new and being really weird , so i just kind of started commenting on all that . i felt like nobody was really talking about these things in the mainstream media . it was just kind of sad to see what was happening to these great , historic publishing companies . we’ve been lucky to link up with people who share that attitude .
, and got it into stores by early december—a miracle in itself because of the competition for shelf space at christmas . everyone was really excited . barnes and noble called to thank us ! ” besides political activism , one area where melville house has made its mark is in resurrecting minor classics and important writers in translation whose work has sunk out of sight ( full disclosure : last fall they republished my father michael glenny’s out - of - print translation from russian of soviet dissident georgii vladimov’s wonderful short novel
although johnson remains an outspoken figure on the difficulties of publishing , especially for indies , his successes are impressive . melville house , now located in a warehouse in brooklyn’s dumbo neighborhood ( after moving from hoboken ) has an additional staff of eight , and a handful of notable bestsellers . merians and johnson’s first real hit , bernard - henri lévy’s who killed daniel pearl ? , came together the way many of their books seem to : they sought out the author , ignored at the time by u . s . houses because of disappointing past sales , and told him they were fans . after first asking lévy’s french publisher about some backlist titles , they were told he was working on a new book and asked if they would be interested in that .
akashic books is a brooklyn - based independent company dedicated to publishing urban literary fiction and political nonfiction by authors who are either ignored by the mainstream , or who have no interest in working within the ever - consolidating ranks of the major corporate publishers .
the art of the novella
dates from 2002 , when johnson ' s own fledgling press—founded with his wife , valerie merians , in 2001—was still running on credit cards .
at that point , melville house was a company that valerie and i were running off our kitchen table from a 3rd - floor walkup in hoboken ,
johnson told me . their first book , poetry after 9 / 11 , had been a surprise hit , and the callow publishers were looking for their next big thing .
melville house is an independent publisher located in brooklyn , new york . it was founded in 2001 by sculptor valerie merians and fiction writer / journalist dennis johnson , in order to publish poetry after 9 / 11 , a book of material culled from johnson’s groundbreaking mobylives book blog . the material consisted of things sent in to the blog by writers and poets in response to the 9 / 11 attacks , and johnson and merians felt it better represented the spirit of new york than the call to war of the bush administration .
the den mother , also described in the article as “one of publishing’s most visible cheerleaders , ” soon landed on her feet as book editor at oprah’s o magazine . but four years later came another astonishing story , when nelson accepted a position as editorial director at urltoken books .
dj : we’re doing something that publishers used to do . we get a lot of credit for being very edgy , state - of - the - art , digital hipsters , and i feel like we’re just doing something that all the great , famous american publishing houses did at their beginnings , when they were all privately owned companies . when random house was owned by bennett cerf , when knopf was owned by alfred a . knopf , when simon & schuster was owned by two guys named simon and schuster . now those companies are completely different , they’re conglomerates and they have to be more concerned with their bottom line . not that i’m not concerned with our bottom line , but i do feel like the company should express its passion , and that makes for great publishing . that’s how all the publishers i admire started .
“that display space they have in the store is really one of the most valuable places that exists in this country for communicating to the consumer that a book is a big deal , ” said madeline mcintosh , president of sales , operations and digital for random house .
david cay johnston : well , because i have a pretty good sized twitter following . they - - melville house is very good at marketing and they were out telling people about the book . the initial orders we got from bookstores were just nothing because there are a bunch of trump books and my fear was what would happen to my last two bestsellers , they ran out of books . well , that happened . a lot of bookstores ran out of books first week in and then they ' ve started ordering lots of books . so it ' s now readily available .
these stories capture pretty well the state of book publishing : this appears to be no ordinary , cyclical crisis that future authors and publishers will shrug off . to understand how the book industry got into this predicament , however , a broader perspective may be needed . the cover story of february’s
even with a large budget , directly affecting the success of amazon’s overall business is a tall order for a new publishing imprint . amazon pulled in well north of $ 40 billion in revenue last year ( final numbers aren’t yet in ) , dwarfing the combined revenues of the big six publishers .
a strange object is an independent press based in austin , texas , dedicated to publishing surprising , heartbreaking fiction alongside thoughtful ephemera . we ' re talking about fiction that haunts and inspires us—big work that engulfs , that takes risks , that bucks form , that builds warm dwellings in dark places .
booksellers and publishers are worried that amazon is going to devour their industry . the giant online retailer seems to have its hands in all aspects of the business , from publishing books to selling them — and that has some in the book world wondering if there is any end to amazon ' s influence .
dlj : it’s no criticism of them , though . they are what they are . they have businesses and they need to make money , and they need to survive . but there are two publishing models , and in this model , the agent is another person with needs that don’t benefit their client . and they can’t admit that . if you need an agent to deal with melville house , then valerie and i are not doing our job . we have had many instances of writers , even well - known writers , bringing us a book project that no other publisher would do because it’s small or different or weird or out of their norm . and we’re happy to do it and excited to do it , and an agent will step in and say , “if you can’t give us an advance , you’re not getting that book . ” and we won’t get that book and so that book is never ever made .
and so i went to work when i was 10 years old . i went to work fulltime at 13 . i became a reported for some weekly papers at 17 and my work immediately got noticed because i did some simple things . if the school board said the average owner - - the owner - - the average $ 34 , 314 house in santa cruz next year will pay $ 42 . 11 more in property taxes , i thought that was useful , so with long division i said , you ' ll pay so much more per thousand in the value of your house .
dj : [ milo yiannopoulos’ book deal ] , that was kind of a crucial incident i was very sorry to see pass as it did . i feel like the publishing industry had its first opportunity to fight the trump administration and it failed miserably by essentially supporting yiannopoulos . i was shocked by that and extremely disappointed that such a great , historic publishing company like simon & schuster went there . but they did . i was unable to foment a boycott of them because apparently they also publish some good books and people felt like that was reason enough for them to be allowed to publish really heinous hate speech by a fascist .
write bloody publishes and promotes great books of poetry every year . they are a small press with a snappy look , dedicated to quality literature printed in the usa . they are not a printer , they are a sweet publishing house located on the outskirts of austin , texas . as of 2015 , they have launched 102 titles and 40 ebooks . they publish some of the top - selling , living poets in america . they are proud to be one of the few publishers that prints their books in the usa . they plant a tree in a needy forest for every book they print during first run printings .
we have received a few amazing entries and have some goods ones to show off . we were surprised to get one from a professional house . the others have been amateur . but we are really pleased and i actually like the one that nathan , our publicist , did with the cartoons and japanese fighters .
no one had done it before ,
johnson told me .
it was a new idea , and new ideas always meet resistance . the publishing industry , like anything else , is uncomfortable with change . if somebody hasn ' t done it before , the thinking goes , there must be a reason for it .
when i asked how people at harpercollins have reacted to her arrival from amazon , nelson laughed and said , “people are curious . i mean , nobody has sat me down and tried to deprogram me or something . i think that people think that i know something about publishing and bookselling from having been at amazon for four years . ”
lee & low sent its survey to 13 , 237 people at all levels of the publishing and book reviewing professions , from marketing assistants to senior editors . some major publishers , including penguin random house , participated , although it appears that others , including harpercollins and simon and schuster , did not . the overall response rate was 25 . 8 percent . of the respondents , 79 percent were white , 78 percent were cis women , and 88 percent were straight . the pool was 4 percent black , 7 percent asian / native hawaiian or other pacific islander , and 6 percent hispanic , latino , or mexican ; 8 percent of respondents reported being disabled .
melville house is also well - known for its fiction , with two nobel prize winners on its list : imre kertesz and heinrich boll . in particular , the company has developed a world - wide reputation for its rediscovery of forgotten international writers — its translation of a forgotten work by hans fallada , every man dies alone , launched a world - wide phenomenon . the company also takes pride in its discovery of many first - time writers — such as lars iyer ( spurious ) , tao lin ( shoplifting from american apparel ) , jeremy bushnell ( the weirdness ) and christopher boucher ( how to keep your volkswagen alive ) — all of whom have gone on to greater success .
it is and it isn’t . it is an original idea from melville house . consumers were not necessary beating down doors . for any indie bookseller that is selling e - books , we wanted to give printed matter a specific qr code , so if people are in the store , they can buy it right there in the bookstore . indie booksellers are always complaining that indie stores are just a display , then customers proceed to buy the e - books from amazon right in the store . we are trying to give booksellers the opportunity to keep those sales . we do think that there is value in shopping in an indie store ; you can do everything you want right there .
fair point . i actually give sara credit for staying each place for as much as four years–that indicates digging in deeply enough to learn how publishing looks from that perspective . and given how entrenched and distrustful it’s possible to get when an industry undergoes disruption , i appreciate someone willing to see the world from the other side of a divide .
what’s clear is that as long as publishing houses stay overwhelmingly white , so will the authors they select and the characters and stories that they put into the world . lee & low points out that the proportion of children’s books that contain “ multicultural content ” has hovered at around 10 percent for the past 18 years . adult publishing isn’t much better . that’s a problem for people of color , who deserve to tell their stories , and to read stories that reflect them . and it’s also a problem for society as a whole . “there’s a currently popular argument that books help us feel empathy , ” rebecca solnit wrote recently , “but if they do so they do it by helping us imagine that we are people we are not… which is a reminder that literature and art can also help us fail at empathy if it sequesters us in the boring old fortress of magnificent me . ” lee & low has quantified the extent to which publishing remains a boring old fortress . hopefully the survey will help to crack open the gates .
and then the next year , i went to the white house to get the president ' s tax returns and i said , there ' s nothing here about the new book , what is it and i think ( jodie ender from night river ) hollered out letters to buddy and socks and i go , yes , about the pets .
inadvertently , johnson said , melville house
had come up with a way of having a classics line that featured very famous names but lesser - known works in most cases .
the series quickly became profitable . because all the works were public domain , there weren ' t authors to pay—only translators , and not in all cases . they saved money on the simple design , which turned out to be a boon (
people really responded to not only what the books were , but the look of them ,
johnson said .
people liked the look enough to show them off .
) the end result was an eye - catching series of
new
and overlooked books by beloved authors , priced reasonably . customers snapped them up .
who killed daniel pearl ? , published in the u . s . on september 1 , 2003 , not only sold well—johnson said it has moved , in the u . s . , about 35 , 000 in hardcover and another 19 , 000 in paperback—it also generated a lot of news . it broke information about pakistan that mainstream journalists in the states had not been able to crack , drawing a notable amount of press for its author and , in turn , melville house . ( johnson recalled how he and merians , at the time of the book’s publication , would find themselves hanging out at the carlyle with the author , who was taking secret meetings with people like tom brokaw . “all the american journalists wanted information from [ lévy ] about pakistan , ” johnson said . )
david cay johnston : i was born in san francisco . i consider home to be santa cruz , california . my father was 100 percent disabled veteran of world war ii . my mother was a disowned heiress and i had the odd experience of growing up in a house on a cliff over the beach that my parents rented for maybe $ 400 on today ' s money , nothing .
there is so much , so many wild things…for example , letters that melville was writing around the time of bartelby and the philosophy he was trying to espouse , which then lead us to giving examples of that philosophy . we have examples of his friends writing back to him , and of course the de tocqueville criticism . we even found a newspaper ad about the book , maps from wall street of the day , a recipe for ginger nuts .
when we started the company , valerie and i knew nothing about publishing . so we were always going to people and asking for advice , and i remember everyone telling us that the way you sell books was through word of mouth . you could never see it , or know how to achieve it , but if a book sold well you would just assume you had it . nobody could tell you how to generate word of mouth .
on the same day the pair struck their deal with ipg , the new york times sent a reporter to profile johnson and merians . although the reporter , johnson said , was a fan of mobylives , his piece called the publishing endeavor , named after johnson’s web site , a “disaster in the making . ” ( the times journalist cited the pair’s “limited funds” and the fact that they had “almost no experience in the book business . ” )
vm : it was an art project kind of idea . kgb : i read that in the beginning you planned on doing six books a year , and it seems that number has already expanded . have you expanded because you are approached with more ideas , or is it because you have the capability to do more ? vm : as we were going along , we were learning more and more about the book publishing business , and how you can do it and make it work . our capabilities were growing and our interests kept expanding . we felt like we had this amazing staff—they’re all completely brilliant and we’re very thankful to have them . we feel like we can really do some exciting stuff here and really contribute to the culture in a concrete way . and one of the things we’ve been very interested in , throughout the short history of the company , is publishing european and foreign work .
but as to where the industry’s going , i think everything’s different . the media is suddenly very different , tuned differently . we’ve been doing a whole bunch of books , for the last year or so , what i call “crash books” — books that you make in a month or two as opposed to the normal 18 months . and it’s a really different kind of publishing . the business is not built up to support that kind of publishing . you’re supposed to have much more time for editing and production and salesmanship and pre - publicity , pre - marketing . we’re kind of changing everything for these books . the neat thing is that people really dig it . people in the industry are really responding to that , our sales team gets really excited . it makes their lives harder to do these books and they don’t have enough time , yet they’re very excited to handle books like that .
and the spokesman says , well , the clintons gave the copyright to a public charity which is the implicit advice to my story and i said , really , and the spokesman said , yes , and the white house wants to be on record , the clintons did not take their advice from the
new york times
which went everybody erupted to laughter because they obviously did that and it meant more money for charity and less for the government .
their decision to launch a line of classic novellas generated fierce opposition from advisers , and received outright disdain from colleagues in publishing . johnson remembers a famous publisher , whom he wouldn ' t name , vowing he would
eat his hat
if they could sell joyce ' s
the dead
as a standalone volume . thin - lipped sales reps promised that
the art of the novella ,
if greenlighted , would amount to a quixotic and very public form of suicide .
discusses amazon’s campaign to prevent other booksellers from securing a foothold in the booming e - book market and the company’s furious reaction to random house’s decision last march to adopt agency pricing for e - books , just as five of the other “big six” trade publishers had the previous year . ( before agency pricing , amazon could sell e - books from big six publishers at deep discounts , taking losses at a rate that barnes & noble could never afford to match . see
went on to sell 12 , 000 copies , small potatoes in general terms but a massive hit in the poetry world—“i think maybe only [ former poet laureate ] billy collins has sold more in recent years , ” johnson says proudly . johnson’s blog , which had a big readership , and where some of the poems in the collection had originally appeared , was a big source of publicity . incidentally , the blog , mobylives . com , was the inspiration behind the new company’s name , for obvious reasons—though they settled on melville house only as a last - minute fallback after trying “leviathan” and “runagate , ” both of which turned out to be taken . “we were in the process of incorporating the company , and our attorney was saying , ‘hey , guys , i have an hour to file these papers , ’” says johnson . “it ended up being a good choice , even though we weren’t crazy about it at the time”—perhaps its combination of weight and unobtrusiveness lends it an authoritative , established air .
over the years , i have found that the best way to publish is also the best way to write — from the heart . i was fortunate to approach the publishing industry without any experience . so i went with what i knew . i didn’t like books with introductions , so the novellas were stripped down without introductions . the illuminations represent the kind of research i would do after reading a classic . it gives you an opportunity to follow your passions after reading a book . it is a full experience .
social media is fantastic if that is your attitude about publishing because there’s so many more ways to get your passion out . we can’t make books fast enough to cover the kinds of things i think we need to cover . we get a lot more done by social media that we do , by the blogging in a very in - depth , particular way , but also by twitter , instagram , you name it . i’m delighted , really thrilled that we’ve got people here who are as into it as i am .
david cay johnston : i don ' t remember reading that shakespeare . maybe that ' s there . but fred trump was an incredibly industrious guy . he was really hardworking but he also was a guy who profiteered on gi housing after the war and president eisenhower , when he found that out that fred trump had $ 4 million of excess profits , threw a fit in the white house and the proof of that is a 100 federal investigators reported on fred trump and a few other developers .
the survey results suggest that instead of patting itself on the back for lowering superficial barriers , the literary world needs to actively recruit more staff who aren’t , well , straight white women . ( no bonus points allotted for straight white men . ) as quartz suggests , “pushing publishing companies to launch diversity initiatives may take things a step in the right direction . readers and writers can also be more vocal about what they’d like to read ; after all , publishers are businesses , and businesses need people to buy their product . ”