No oil to be shipped from Churchill
Winnipeg Sun
A Manitoba wilderness group were claiming victory Friday after plans to ship crude oil by rail through the Port of Churchill were abandoned.
OmniTRAX Canada officials announced Friday that plans to ship oil out of the port have been suspended following discussions with the Selinger government, as well as First Nation and Metis leaders.
Merv Tweed, OmniTRAX Canada’s president, said increased grain orders also played a role in the decision, noting the company is anticipating a record shipping season in 2014 thanks in part to new customers and contracts to ship a variety of items to Nunavut.
Eric Reder, Manitoba campaign director for the Wilderness Committee, said his members and northern Manitobans are ecstatic that this “risky oil-by-rail plan” has been shelved, noting derailments have plagued the region within the past year, with another one occurring on Thursday.
“The Wilderness Committee laid out the risks and concerns with this preposterous plan, and then our members and supporters made sure the governments knew this was a terrible idea,” said Reder, in a prepared statement. “Thousands of Manitobans signed letters to both the federal and provincial governments to stop this crude plan. People from around the world voiced their objection. Today, we are all relieved.”
Reder said his committee would continue to pursue legislation that bans the shipment of crude oil through northern Manitoba and Hudson Bay.
