Enbridge spill raises doubts about safety promises in Canada

TERRACE/VANCOUVER – As the Governor of Michigan declares a state of disaster due to a three million litre oil spill from an Enbridge Pipeline near Kalamazoo, New Democrats are dismayed that the company still expects British Columbians to accept assurances a much bigger pipeline from Alberta to Kitimat would be safe.

“Enbridge has been mailing out glossy pamphlets claiming that their technology is so good that nothing can go wrong,” said New Democrat MP Nathan Cullen (Skeena—Bulkley Valley). “However, the major spill in Michigan is just the latest in a trail of leaks that has people questioning their promises.”

The proposed Northern Gateway pipeline would stretch 1,170 kilometers, crossing more than 780 waterways and carrying 525,000 barrels of tar sands crude oil per day - nearly three times that of the leaky Michigan pipeline. It will also bring approximately 225 oil supertankers annually through the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound to transport oil to Asian markets.

“After months watching the Gulf oil disaster, and now this leak in Michigan, Canadians want assurances that Canada's coastline and environment will be protected,” added New Democrat MP Fin Donnelly (New Westminster—Coquitlam). “It is time for the Harper government to put the Canadian people and environment ahead of big oil profits. It's time to ban oil tanker traffic off BC's north coast now.” On the anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Donnelly introduced Bill C-502 that would ban oil tankers in the Hecate Strait, Dixon Entrance and Queen Charlotte Sound.

With opposition to the Enbridge pipeline already strong in northwest British Columbia, many are re-evaluating its potential costs. “Enbridge is asking us to put our rivers and lakes at risk for the sake of bigger profits for themselves and their tar sands backers,” said Cullen “They’re offering us a couple of economic crumbs but a major spill, as we are seeing in the Gulf and now in Michigan, would be catastrophic for our fisheries and tourism industries and spoil our environment for generations.”

“The Conservative government is playing Russian roulette with BC's fishery and coastal ecosystem,” said Donnelly. “The public has made clear their opposition to both this pipeline and the supertankers it would bring. It is time for the Harper Conservatives to finally listen.”