“It’s definitely a concern that the company was not required to make mitigation plans for many of the species at risk along its route,” said Wilderness Committee Climate Campaigner Peter McCartney. “Because B.C. doesn’t have an endangered species law and there are loopholes in the federal law, these critters don’t get covered.”

 

Kinder Morgan made mitigation plans for some of the species along the route but a majority of them are left without. A provincial endangered species law would have afforded many more with legal protections. 

 

“In B.C., projects like this pipeline get the green light without requiring them to make effective mitigation plans for all species at risk,” said Wilderness Committee Conservation and Policy Campaigner Charlotte Dawe. “We need a law to protect them ASAP.”

 

British Columbia is working right now to create an endangered species law that would protect species at risk and mitigate impacts from harmful projects. But this law is too late to require Kinder Morgan to make dozens of more mitigation plans. 

 

Loud construction is planned for the pipeline route and heavy machinery may disturb habitat. This disturbance can stress an already struggling species. Yet, the greatest risk is the threat of spills within critical habitat.

 

“Not only are these species facing construction impacts but the potential for a catastrophic oil spill in their dwindling habitat could spell their end,” said McCartney. 

 

Map PDF here.

Map JPEG here.