I am writing about the company Quicksilver making an application to the Canadian National Energy Board to export 20 million tones a year of liquefied natural gas from its Campbell River site. Our Mayor Walter Jakeway advises us to “watch, wait and wave the Campbell River flag” – mirroring what he said over a year ago: that […]
Comment: Tugboats should protect B.C. coast from another Exxon Valdez disaster
The federal government’s recent approval of the Northern Gateway pipeline requires the company to meet 209 tough conditions. Some of those conditions specify marine and tanker safety requirements, including provisions for both oil spill recovery and, more critically, oil spill prevention. As someone who frequently kayaks along our beautiful mid-coast, I’m well aware of the […]
Grounding in Prince Rupert Shows Tanker Risks
Earlier this month a 750-foot coal carrier ran aground outside Prince Rupert in British Columbia. While there wasn’t a spill, critics were quick to take advantage of the situation and declare a proposed pipeline in the region underscores the risks of increasing tanker traffic. The Japanese-flagged ‘Amakusa Island’ was moving from its berth at a […]
Aluetians preparing for more oil tanker traffic
A decision by the Harper government to give conditional approval to the Northern Gateway pipeline is pressuring residents in the Aleutian Islands to prepare for the possibility of more tanker traffic. Enbridge the company behind the Northern Gateway pipeline must meet more than 200 conditions before it can start. While many of the conditions relate […]
Comment: Northern Gateway pipeline-risk versus reward
(excerpt from Gwyn Morgan commentary) The proposed Northern Gateway project has become a flashpoint for the growing debate about the safety of oil pipelines. Yet despite the arguments put forward by its proponents and opponents, many Canadians lack a broader perspective from which to measure the risks and rewards of what would be a vital […]