The recent approval of pipeline projects in Canada is expected to increase the amount of oil tankers transiting Canadian waters.
This development, along with the steady rise of tanker movements around the world, has raised questions about the opportunities and risks for coastal and Indigenous communities, the environment and the economy. More specifically questions have arisen in the measures available to deal with oil spills, and any preventative measures to make this vessels safer.
Check out these resources to get in ship shape with tanker facts.
Counter-Point: The National Energy Board concurred that there was a risk to killer whale populations, however Project-related marine vessels would be a small fraction added on to already cumulative effects.
Counter-Point: vessels without AIS are the real culprit for high power wave events. This excludes tankers and tugboats. While tugs do represent a portion of the wave events, not all tug boats are being used to pilot tankers through the inlet.
https://twnsacredtrust.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/20210217_KWL_TWN_WaveMonitoring_Memo-v2.pdf?utm_source=north%20shore%20news&utm_campaign=north%20shore%20news&utm_medium=referral
Despite claims that shipping will increase underwater noise and disturb the habitat of beluga whales, the federal impact assessment found that the effects from the GNL Quebec on sound and on the marine mammal population would be insignificant.
https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/documents/p80115/129690E.pdf
Since 1956 there has never been a spill from oil tankers transporting oil from Trans Mountain’s Westridge Terminal.
https://www.transmountain.com/spill-history
Title: BCBC SUBMISSION: Bill C-48 (Oil Tanker Moratorium Act) Author: Business Council of BC Publisher: Business Council of BC Date: April 12th, 2019 Full Report Here Summary: The B.C. Business Council’s View is that C-48 should not be passed
Title: Risk Assessment for Marine Spills in Canadian Waters Phase 1: Oil Spills South of 60th Parallel Author: SL Ross Publisher: SL Ross Date: January 2014 Full Report Here Summary: This report describes the data that have been collected and explains the methodology that has been applied to calculate risk estimates. This report also
Title: Citizen’s Guide to Tanker Safety & Spill Response Author: Stewart Muir, Don Hauka, Kim Lonsdale, Scott Simpson and Joe Spears Publisher: Resource Works Date: May 2018 Full Text Article Summary: The Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project (TMEP) was announced in May 2012 and approved four and one half years later in December 2016.
