VANCOUVER – The mayor and council of the City of Vancouver passed a resolution today against the massive proposed oil tanker and pipeline plan of the Texas-based energy giant Kinder Morgan. Wilderness Committee campaigner Ben West was among the delegates making presentations in favour of the resolution.

The City’s resolution calls for a by-law to be drafted which would make Kinder Morgan completely financially liable in the case of an oil spill.

“The City of Vancouver is clearly using every tool available to them to stop this dangerous project from going forward,” said Ben West, Campaigner for the Wilderness Committee. “The ball is now in Kinder Morgan’s court, and this resolution from Vancouver has forced them to show their cards.”

“It would be unprecedented for a major oil company to actually cover the full costs of dealing with an oil spill,” said West. “What we see more often is legal battles that last for decades, like what is still on going with the Exxon Valdez spill.”

The Vancouver resolution also calls for Mayor Gregor Robertson to “write to Prime Minister Harper expressing the City of Vancouver's strenuous opposition to any increase in oil tanker traffic, or measures that lead to increased oil tanker traffic, as it poses an unacceptable and unmitigated risk to Vancouver's economy and environment.” The motion passed with only a single Non-Partisan Association councillor voting against.

“We are pleased that our local government is reflecting the public’s concerns and taking a leadership role on this vital issue for Vancouver,” said West.

Today’s Vancouver City Council resolution comes on top of a similar vote passed at the Vancouver Parks Board Monday. The Mayor of Burnaby, where the pipeline terminal and export facility are located, has also strongly expressed his opposition to Kinder Morgan’s plans.

“Kinder Morgan’s expansion plans would see up to 360 oil tankers a year passing through the narrow waters of Vancouver’s harbour carrying three times as much as was spilled by the Exxon Valdez, and this is fundamentally unacceptable to the people in this city,” said West. “This is just the beginning of a major social movement to oppose this tar sands export pipeline. The stakes are high here, and given Vancouver’s history and the public opinion strongly in favour of environmental protection and action on climate change, the opposition to Kinder Morgan’s reckless plans is only going to get bigger and louder.”
 

Contact:
Ben West, Wilderness Committee, Healthy Communities Campaigner: 604-710-5340