"In this recent government-commissioned risk-analysis report on tanker traffic safety in Canada, figure 3 shows in vivid red the “very high risk zone on Southern Vancouver Island. Within that area lie 17 of the province’s 33 Ecological Reserves which have a marine component within their boundaries. The report indicates that the Kinder Morgan proposal would essentially double the volume of oil passing through an already vulnerable marine environment, the area south of Vancouver Island where Washington-bound [conventional crude] oil tankers are common. The Trans-Mountain project website indicates there will be up to 34 tanker visits per month in this already crowded marine vessel area by 2017."
"Four marine Ecological Reserves in particular at the Southern tip of Vancouver Island would be directly exposed to contamination in the event of a marine accident in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The most northerly and only colony of breeding and pupping elephant seals in Canada is in the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Also it is a winter haulout site for two species of sea lions, and a birthing colony of harbour seals. . Three seabird species have nesting colonies on the island and the subtidal marine life in the Rockfish Conservation zone has extremely high biodiversity values. The risk for these rare colonies and populations from increased tanker traffic within a few kilometres is very high. Containment of an oil spill in adverse weather conditions and with tidal currents running daily up to 7 knots make clean up in this reserve impossible. Moreover, the population of marine birds and mammals is highest in the winter months."
The supertanker route threads the archipelago formed by BC's Gulf Islands and the adjacent San Juan Islands of Washington State. From there it's out through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, literally scraping American territorial waters.
This is one of those things that stabs me in the gut - one in a long line these days. Hope is hanging on by its fingernails these days.
ReplyDeleteThis is playing with fire.
ReplyDeleteWell, for what it's worth, the Northern Gateway was not a NIMBY issue for most of us who opposed it and I suspect I am not the only northerner willing to help fight southern pipelines too.
ReplyDeleteI think Junior was playing it politically safe - approving a project that's not going to happen. What it does to his constituency base is another question.
ReplyDeleteAt the first spill they should all be thrown into it.
ReplyDeleteMontreal Simon has a good post on Justin Trudeau and the Great Pipeline War. There is much political (cynical) stick handling in this. Essentially, Trudeau can afford to lose seats in BC. It will be up to us to make sure he does. At least three of his MP's are distancing themselves from this decision.
ReplyDelete"Two of his MPs, Terry Beech of Burnaby North-Seymour and Ron McKinnon of Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam, have publicly warned Trudeau that the project isn’t supported by most of their constituents.
On Tuesday, veteran Liberal MP Hedy Fry became the third member of Trudeau’s West Coast caucus to oppose the Kinder Morgan project, joining Beech and McKinnon." Vancouver Sun