Oil Tanker Traffic
Currently, no crude oil tankers ply Canada’s North Pacific waters, but new proposals for development threaten to change this. The proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines Project would see two pipelines running between Alberta’s tar sands and a marine terminal in Kitimat, B.C. From the terminal, 220 massive supertankers would transport oil to Asia and the southern U.S. each year.
History has shown that oil spills come with oil tankers. It is not a question of if a spill will happen, but when. The waters of Canada's North Pacific Coast are known for severe storms and navigational challenges. When the inevitable major oil spill occurs, it will devastate the creatures, cultures and communities of our coast for generations. A recent report Pipeline and Tanker Trouble by the Living Oceans Society, National Resource Defense Council and Pembina Institute outlines the considerable risk to local communities, salmon-bearing rivers and coastal ecosystems associated with transporting bitumen along the Northern Gateway Pipeline and connecting tanker route.
To see what is at risk visit Oil and Water - Navigate the Facts - an interactive map that highlights the natural riches and human uses of the area and illustrates damage that will occur.
