News Release

VANCOUVER – In an unexpected move the BC government announced this morning they are formally opposing the Kinder Morgan pipeline because the company has not developed an adequate plan to address oil spills.

“This is a welcome move that recognizes overwhelming community opposition,” said climate campaigner Peter McCartney. “Everyone is aware of the risk of a catastrophic spill if more tankers are added to the BC coast. In a worst-case spill scenario even under favourable conditions, we could only hope to recover 10 to 20 per cent of the oil.”

Kinder Morgan`s proposed pipeline would carry 890,000 barrels of oil per day, bringing the number of giant tar sands tankers in the Burrard Inlet up to 400 per year. All the risk from this pipeline is carried by the public, especially Indigenous peoples.

In the event of a spill it is taxpayers who would be responsible for the vast majority of cleanup costs and communities who would suffer from poisoned ecosystems – closed beaches, toxic fish and risks to public.

Even if there were some way to prevent an oil spill – and there isn’t – the impact on our atmosphere remains unacceptable. Regardless of the Province’s five conditions, the oil coming through the pipeline would release 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide when burnt every year.

“British Columbians are already feeling the impacts of climate change. It wasn’t long ago we were dealing with an exceptional drought and an intense forest fire season,” said McCartney. “Enabling the continued expansion of the tar sands fuels climate change and puts our communities and our ecosystems further at risk.”

“BC has said the risk is too great. Now it’s left to the National Energy Board and the federal government to follow suit and reject the project outright,” said McCartney. “This pipeline puts our climate and our coast in peril and that’s why it is an unacceptable risk to British Columbians.”

– 30 –

For more information, please contact:

Peter McCartney | Climate Campaigner, Wilderness Committee
778-239-1935, peter@wildernesscommittee.org

Photo: Protesting Kinder Morgan in Vancouver (Michael Wheatley)