VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - March 25, 2013) - The Coastal First Nations responded today to an Enbridge damage-control message, sent in response to a new ad campaign reminding British Columbians of the dangers of bringing oil tankers to BC's coastal waters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XNwjdI5m_E
"Enbridge says double hulled tankers make oil transportation safe, and yet they've admitted before the Joint Review Panel that there have been 30 double hulled tanker incidents in the last 20 years," said Art Sterritt, Executive Director of the Coastal First Nations. "That's more than a tanker incident every year, and our communities are determined to make sure British Columbia never joins that list."
It's estimated that taxpayers could be on the hook for as much as $21.4 billion in costs and damages if there was an Exxon-sized spill in the Great Bear Sea, which is known as one of the four most treacherous bodies of water in the world.
"In the winter months, waves can reach up to eight metres here, and in the Queen Charlotte Basin," said Sterritt. "Waves over 30 metres high have been recorded. Yet in Enbridge's pipedream, oil tankers - as long as the Empire State Building is high - are expected to navigate these waters and transport toxic crude oil across the Pacific Ocean."
According to BC Environment Minister, Terry Lake, Enbridge has not shown how it would access or respond to spills in remote areas, and it was recently revealed that there would be no oil spill response plan developed until six months before the pipeline would commence operations.
"BC's coast is no place for oil tankers," Sterritt said. "The proposed pipeline would bring as many as 220 supersized oil tankers into B.C.'s sensitive coastal waters every year. It could damage or destroy the cultural, ecological, and economic values this region offers and it's a big step back from the hard work done to manage and safeguard this global treasure."
Contact Information:
Art Sterritt
Executive Director
604-868-9110