Opposition unites against tanker traffic
Support for a legislated ban on tankers off B.C.‘s northern coast drew support from all opposition parties in the House of Commons Thursday and New Democrats, who introduced the motion, say they are confident that it will pass a vote Tuesday.
The motion, introduced by NDP energy critic Nathan Cullen, calls on government to “immediately propose legislation to ban bulk oil tanker traffic in the Dixon Entrance, Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound.” If the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline is approved, raw bitumen would be piped from Alberta’s oilsands to Kitimat, where it would be loaded on to tankers for shipment to Asia.
That would mean between 225 and 250 supertankers a year in treacherous waters with 90-degree turns required in an area notorious for storms, said Victoria MP Denise Savoie, who originally tabled a motion to ban tanker traffic in 2007. “It’s absurd to think our coast would be somehow immune to an Exxon Valdez-like disaster,” she said.
“Even if the possibility of an accident is small, if it does happen, the impact is catastrophic.”
For decades, under the former Liberal government, it was assumed there was a moratorium on tanker traffic in northern waters, a move led by former environment minister and Victoria MP David Anderson. However, when the Conservative government came to power, it was claimed that no legislation was in place and the ban was voluntary.
Support Thursday from the Liberals and Bloc Quebecois is encouraging, especially as three-quarters of British Columbians are very much against allowing tankers in northern waters, Savoie said.
However, even if the vote passes, it does not mean the Conservative government will act on it, Savoie said.
“It would be nice if the government listened to the people of B.C,” she said.
“If they don’t enact it, the people of B.C will have to come to their own conclusions about how accountable and respectful this government is.”
Meanwhile, in Vancouver, 61 First Nations from the Fraser River watershed dealt another blow to the proposed pipeline when they met to declare their opposition. They said Ottawa was violating their rights by allowing the process to move forward.
“The Enbridge pipeline would risk an oil spill into our rivers and lands that would destroy our food supply, our livelihood and our cultures,” said Chief Larry Nooski of Nadleh Whut’en First Nation.
“Our laws do not permit crude oil pipelines into our territories, This project isn’t going anywhere.”
Enbridge said earlier this week that First Nations along the route would be offered a 10 per cent stake in the project.
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