Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Northern Gateway Pipeline News

12 May 2017

Canada to Ban Tankers off North British Columbia

© Max Lindenthaler / Adobe Stock

Canada's Liberal government has introduced legislation for a moratorium on oil tanker traffic along the northern coast of the British Columbia province, the country's transport department said on Friday, delivering on an election promise. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordered the ban soon after the election in 2015, in which he took power on a pledge to balance resource development with protecting the environment. Friday's bill will likely pass because Trudeau's Liberals hold a majority in Parliament.

07 Nov 2016

Canada Oil Spill Program Hit by Cheap Crude

The two-year oil price crash has hurt a Canadian government program that funds research on oil spill cleanups, resulting in fewer applicants than expected, a senior federal official said. As a result, the government will expand the scope of its Oil Spill Response Science Program and open a second call for applications this month, Marc Wickham, Natural Resources Canada's director of energy science and technology programs, said in an interview late last week. The program funds research that improves cleanup methods for marine oil spills. Those eligible include production, pipeline and shipping companies in the energy sector. Wickham spoke with Reuters after it obtained details of the program's amendment through an access-to-information request.

13 Nov 2015

Canada to Ban Oil Tankers on Northern BC Coast

Photo: Transport Canada

Canada will push ahead with a moratorium on oil tanker traffic along the northern coast of British Columbia, effectively slamming the door on a controversial pipeline project that was already facing massive development hurdles. In a letter released on Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed Transport Minister Marc Garneau to work with numerous other ministries to "formalize" the ban on oil tanker traffic, a Liberal campaign promise ahead of the federal elections last month.

18 Jun 2014

BC Shippers Welcomes Northern Gateway Approval

The Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia today welcomed the federal government's decision to approve the Northern Gateway Pipeline. Chamber President Captain Stephen Brown said the decision confirms the conclusion of the work undertaken by the Joint Review Panel that Northern Gateway is in the country's national interest and can be operated safely on land and on water. "The technology enhancements driving today's marine industry including mandatory double-hulled tanker construction provide an unprecedented level of protection for B.C.'s coast," said Brown. "It should also be appreciated that the marine industry is governed by strict international and Canadian regulations detailing every aspect of operational safety and preparedness.

18 Jun 2014

Northern Gateway Pipeline Approved by Canada

The Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia says it welcomes the federal government's decision to approve the Northern Gateway Pipeline. The 1,177-km (731 miles) pipeline project, is expected to transport 525,000 barrels of Alberta oil a day to Asia-bound tankers. Chamber President Captain Stephen Brown said the decision confirms the conclusion of the work undertaken by the Joint Review Panel that Northern Gateway is in the country's national interest and can be operated safely on land and on water. "The technology enhancements driving today's marine industry including mandatory double-hulled tanker construction provide an unprecedented level of protection for B.C.'s coast," said Brown.

14 May 2014

Canada Revamps Pipeline Safety Rules Ahead Of New Projects

Canada unveiled new rules on Wednesday to enhance pipeline safety and spill response, ahead of the development of new projects proposed to carry crude from Alberta's oil sands to coastal ports for export. The new legislation will give Canada's energy regulator, the National Energy Board (NEB), more power to enforce compliance on safety and the authority to step in to lead spill response if a company is unwilling or unable to do so. Companies will also now be held liable, up to C$1 billion ($917 million), for all spills or incidents on their lines, whether or not they are at-fault or negligent, putting the onus on owners to ensure safe operations.

13 May 2014

Canada Seeks Tightened Marine Oil Spill Plan

Canada moved on Tuesday to strengthen its response plan for oil spills at sea ahead of the development of new pipelines that would sharply increase tanker traffic in Canadian waters if they are built. Among the new measures, the federal government said it would remove a per-incident liability cap on a domestic clean-up fund, which means that all the money in the fund could be made available to clean up a single spill. It also pledged to cover spill costs if clean-up funds were exhausted. It also said it will lift its ban on the use of dispersants in cases when using them offers a net environmental benefit. Dispersants are chemicals that break down oil slicks but can also harm marine life.

14 Apr 2014

Emboldened Canada Pipeline Opponents Push For Referendum

Opponents of Canada's Northern Gateway pipeline, bolstered by a coastal town's vote against the project, said on Monday they will now push harder for a provincial referendum they hope would kill Enbridge Inc's plan to move oil sands crude to Asian markets. Residents of Kitimat, located in British Columbia's remote northwest, voted against the proposed project on Saturday, with 58.4 percent of residents opposed in the non-binding poll. The small town is where the terminal facilities for the C$7.9 billion ($7.21 billion) pipeline would be built. The victory has fueled calls for a vote to determine if there is public support in the rest of the West Coast province of British Columbia, which would host more than half of the pipeline and all the marine transport facilities.

23 Aug 2009

Slow Down, Whales and People X-ing

Two recent shipping incidents in BC Canada waters have heightened the fears of the Gitga’at First Nation facing the prospect of the world’s largest oil-tankers passing right past their village of Hartley Bay. Enbridge has teamed up with other multinational oil giants to build the Northern Gateway Pipeline to carry oil from Alberta’s tar sands to a port in Kitimat where it would be loaded onto tankers roughly double the size of the infamous Exxon Valdez. The shipping lanes proposed by Enbridge plunge straight through the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest and prime whale habitat. In the first incident, a cruise ship docked in Vancouver with a dead Fin whale impaled on its bow. This second largest animal on Earth, is especially vulnerable to being struck by ships.