If 58 per cent of the Enbridge pipeline is to be built in B.C., the province should receive more than just eight per cent of the revenue it creates, Environment Minister Terry Lake said Monday.

Lake attended a lunch meeting of the Rotary Club of Kamloops on Monday to talk about environmental issues — specifically the proposed Enbridge pipeline and Ajax mine.

On the subject of Enbridge and its profits, Alberta and the federal government come away with more money than B.C. yet it’s the province’s coast and remote northern terrain at risk if there’s a leak or spill.

“We do expect some risks, but they do have to be acceptable risks,” he said.

As an example, Lake said tanker trucks full of gas drive city roads in order to deliver fuel to service stations. These vehicles pose a risk to other motorists, but the benefit is the cargo they carry keep our cars, trucks and SUVs on the road.

“If we’re having a pipeline going across northern British Columbia, where it’s quite remote, we have to ensure that the pipeline is built to the very highest standards to prevent any leaks,” he said.

Even then, if half the pipeline is in B.C., then the people of British Columbia should get more than just eight per cent of the revenue, said Lake.

Lake was asked what an acceptable dollar amount would be, but didn’t provide a figure.

Money is just one of five conditions the province presented Enbridge during recent negotiations with the Calgary-based company.

The other four include a world-class oil recovery system in case of a spill and ensuring First Nations benefit from having the pipeline built across band land.

On the subject of Ajax, there are 60 proposed projects before the Environmental Assessment Office and he must remain objective on all of them. Lake said he can’t play favourites with the mine because it could be built in his own back yard.

“Right now we’re just getting information,” he said. “The process is about getting the information. It’s about getting all the data . . . before you come to a conclusion.”