Media Room
For Immediate Release: August 31st, 2010
“While Enbridge’s project would introduce oil tankers to our northern coast and threaten the Great Bear Rainforest, they have no liability for when an oil spill would happen,” said Nikki Skuce, ForestEthics Energy Campaigner. “A legislated federal oil tanker ban for our north coast is the most effective way for protecting British Columbia’s valuable northern coast from an inevitable catastrophe.”
Coastal First Nations have already declared a ban under their traditional laws on tankers carrying tar sands crude oil in their territorial waters. Federal legislation would demonstrate Parliament’s shared commitment to safeguarding the Pacific. There are currently no crude oil tankers travelling the inside waters of B.C.’s north and central coast.
“Since BP’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and Enbridge’s catastrophic pipeline spill into the Kalamazoo River, confidence in the ability for Enbridge or anyone else to be able to respond effectively to an oil spill on our rocky coast is gone,” said Stephanie Goodwin, Greenpeace B.C. Director.
ForestEthics commissioned a poll in May 2010 by the Mustel Group that showed 80 percent of British Columbians support a ban on crude oil tankers.
In June, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff expressed commitment to a legislated oil tanker ban for British Columbia’s North coast. NDP Finn Donnelly currently has a private member’s bill on this issue. Federal Members of Parliament from the Liberal Party and NDP were at the Vancouver rally.
“Polling shows that support for an oil tanker ban stays strong across the political spectrum,” said Eric Swanson of Dogwood Initiative. “We expect legislation to be advanced in some form this fall, and local Conservative MPs will be hard pressed to defend their government if it stands in the way.”
The Vancouver rally was held in solidarity with a Kitimat rally where hundreds gathered outside the first National Energy Board public hearings on the pipelines proposal in British Columbia. Speakers at the event in opposition to Enbridge’s controversial proposal included several First Nations leaders, NDP MP Nathan Cullen and municipal leaders opposed to the project. First Nations from communities along the proposed pipeline and tanker routes had a strong presence at the Kitimat event.
For more information, contact:
High resolution digital photos available for download at http://www.flickr.com/photos/forestethics/sets/72157624851427374/
Broadcast quality video of the Kitimat event available by contacting 250-877-9745
Supporters Rally for Federal Tanker Ban Outside Enbridge Office as Review Panel Comes to B.C.
(Vancouver, B.C.) – More than 200 supporters rallied today at Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipelines headquarters and marched to the Vancouver Art Gallery in support of a federal crude oil tanker ban. The federal panel to review Enbridge’s controversial project, that would bring over 225 crude oil tankers to B.C.’s Pacific north coast for the first time, conducted its first public meeting in Kitimat where a regional protest greeted them.
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Coastal First Nations have already declared a ban under their traditional laws on tankers carrying tar sands crude oil in their territorial waters. Federal legislation would demonstrate Parliament’s shared commitment to safeguarding the Pacific. There are currently no crude oil tankers travelling the inside waters of B.C.’s north and central coast.
“Since BP’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and Enbridge’s catastrophic pipeline spill into the Kalamazoo River, confidence in the ability for Enbridge or anyone else to be able to respond effectively to an oil spill on our rocky coast is gone,” said Stephanie Goodwin, Greenpeace B.C. Director.
ForestEthics commissioned a poll in May 2010 by the Mustel Group that showed 80 percent of British Columbians support a ban on crude oil tankers.
In June, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff expressed commitment to a legislated oil tanker ban for British Columbia’s North coast. NDP Finn Donnelly currently has a private member’s bill on this issue. Federal Members of Parliament from the Liberal Party and NDP were at the Vancouver rally.
“Polling shows that support for an oil tanker ban stays strong across the political spectrum,” said Eric Swanson of Dogwood Initiative. “We expect legislation to be advanced in some form this fall, and local Conservative MPs will be hard pressed to defend their government if it stands in the way.”
The Vancouver rally was held in solidarity with a Kitimat rally where hundreds gathered outside the first National Energy Board public hearings on the pipelines proposal in British Columbia. Speakers at the event in opposition to Enbridge’s controversial proposal included several First Nations leaders, NDP MP Nathan Cullen and municipal leaders opposed to the project. First Nations from communities along the proposed pipeline and tanker routes had a strong presence at the Kitimat event.
For more information, contact:
High resolution digital photos available for download at http://www.flickr.com/photos/forestethics/sets/72157624851427374/
Broadcast quality video of the Kitimat event available by contacting 250-877-9745
