Image by TheoRivierenlaan from Pixabay.
In response to today’s decision by the federal government to approve the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, Georgia Strait Alliance’s Executive Director Christianne Wilhelmson said:
“Today’s decision isn’t surprising, unfortunately. Federal approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion prioritizes fossil fuel products, which we know are destabilizing our climate as the frequency and intensity of floods, fires and droughts increase.
We know that for the first time in four years, there are two new Southern Resident orca calves, both born this year, which are navigating the already noisy waters that are stressing this critically endangered population.
We know that spill response on the B.C. coast, which the government calls “world-class”, has failed multiple times.
We know, based on our technical study submitted to the National Energy Board, that wind, wave and currents make oil mitigation efforts impossible, or severely limited, 198 days of the year at the mouth of the Juan de Fuca Strait, near Port Renfrew.
We are not prepared for a significant diluted bitumen spill on our coast.
The Prime Minister knows that a large-scale spill of diluted bitumen would have dramatic consequences to our coastal communities, economies and waterways. And that is the reason we will continue to stand up to defend our coast from this risky and unnecessary project. Pipelines in this province have been fought off before, and we’ll do it again.”