ForestEthics Reacts to BC Tar Sands Pipeline and Tanker Risks Report

Vancouver, B.C. – Nikki Skuce, Senior Energy Campaigner with ForestEthics, made the following statement in response to today’s release of an NRDC report titled, “Pipeline and Tanker Trouble: The impact to British Columbia’s communities, rivers and Pacific coastline from Tar Sands oil transport.”

Download the report here >>

“This report highlights how corrosive and dangerous transporting diluted bitumen is,”said Nikki Skuce, Senior Energy Campaigner with ForestEthics. “With the toxic nature of tar sands, how can the federal government expect British Columbians to take a chance on our salmon and our coast?”

ForestEthics is a registered intervenor with the federal review panel considering the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline.

ForestEthics has put forward a motion to the panel to include assessing the environmental impacts of tar sands. While the National Energy Board has a guideline to respond to motions within seven days, the intervenors are still waiting for a decision on this motion put forward in early October.

While Enbridge’s economic arguments in favor of the pipeline are all linked to the tar sands, they are reluctant to have the full environmental and social impacts of tar sands considered by the panel. Enbridge spilled over 7 million litres into the Kalamazoo River last year and it remains closed today.

“Enbridge flashes around dollar signs while completely ignoring the true costs and risks of its proposed pipelines,” says Skuce. “British Columbians have said no and will do what it takes to prevent the Northern Gateway pipeline and tankers from ever becoming reality.”