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5 Outrageous Claims About the Northern Gateway Pipeline

  • March 15, 2012
  • By Cody Battershill

5 More Outrageous Claims about Northern Gateway Pipeline

 

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Sometimes it almost seems like opponents of Canada's energy industry literally make up stuff out of thin air, well further to part 1: 5 Shocking Myths about Northern Gateway, here is part 2 with 5 more outrageous claims about the Northern Gateway Pipeline.

Myth #1

There is a 40-year-old tanker moratorium on Canada’s west coast.

 

Reality – There is no tanker moratorium, there never has been, despite what the environmental lobby groups will tell you. The only moratorium that exists on the west coast is a moratorium on oil and gas exploration activities (off-shore drilling), not shipping.

There is a pipeline into Burnaby, B.C. that has operated for 60 years that fills nearly 75 tankers each year. Tankers have been coming in and out of BC waters safely for over 60 years. There has never been a serious oil tanker spill in BC waters. Since the 1970s more than 1500 tankers have safely delivered fuel oil, methanol and condensate to the Port of Kitimat on BC’s north central coast.

It’s true that oil tankers traveling between Alaska and other US states stay offshore of Haida Gwaii rather than sail between the Queen Charlottes and the mainland. It’s equally true this is a voluntary act on the part of these shippers and not because of some legislated “moratorium.”

If there’s already a moratorium on tanker traffic in BC, why is there a private member’s bill proposed by an opposition MP calling for a legislated moratorium?

Myth #2

The waters off BC’s north coast are some of the most dangerous in the world.

 

Reality – Massive cruise ships, coastal BC Ferries, tugs and diesel barges, and international cargo vessels, including oil tankers, numbering in the 10's of thousands, have safely travelled these waters for decades. Advancements in marine safety are making these areas more safe not less safe for vessels of all sizes.

Transport Canada released a report recently about Northern Gateway’s marine operations plans. Transport Canada, along with Environment Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Canadian Coast Guard and the BC Pilots Association, concluded Northern Gateway’s plans are safe, and in fact exceed existing safety standards. They also concluded that Gateway’s proposed enhancements will lead to safer marine travel for all who use those waterways.

Opponents of Gateway will tell you that rogue waves and hurricane force winds are common in the area. Do you think the passengers of 500+ cruise ships that travel in the area every year would simply see hurricane force winds and rouge waves as a minor inconvenience in an otherwise enjoyable holiday?

Yes, there’s some adverse weather. But mariners have proven themselves very good at forecasting and avoiding weather.

Myth #3

A marine spill is a mathematical certainty.

 

Reality – So is winning the lottery. But we all know you have more of a chance of being struck by lightning than winning the lottery. The next time you hear someone say “it’s not if, it’s when a tanker sinks and spills its cargo” ask them when “when” will be? A leading internationally recognized marine safety organization calculated the odds of a major Northern Gateway oil tanker spill as 1 in 15,000 years. The math looks pretty good when you actually look at doesn’t it?

Remember, oil tankers traveling in and out of Vancouver haven’t had a spill in over 60 years. Oil tankers visit the east coast of Canada in the 10's of thousands each year. There hasn’t been an oil spill since 1995 (see page 25) from an oil tanker in eastern Canada. That’s a remarkable safety record that’s envied around the world.

Myth #4

British Columbians are opposed to tankers.

 

Reality – One could say it seems almost like there’s a double standard that exists on this issue. Some may say they’re opposed to the Northern Gateway Pipeline but at the same time they’re in favour of the tankers carrying condensate and expanded tanker traffic carrying liquefied natural gas.

They say they don’t want to see oil spilled on the coast, and fair enough, none of us do, but don’t they realize that all ships traveling in and out of Kitimat and Prince Rupert carry 10's of thousands of gallons of bunker fuel oils?

Of course they understand this fact. But it’s likely you didn’t before you read it here. Those in opposition to the Northern Gateway Pipeline but in favour of LNG are just playing with the public’s lack of knowledge on this issue. They’re comfortable with the tanker traffic because they understand the associated risks are very low, their opposition is to the oil sands.

Myth #5

If the Queen of the North can’t safely navigate the Douglas Channel, there’s no way a supertanker can.

 

Reality – The Queen of the North was a tragic accident, but it was completely avoidable. Reports on the sinking concluded that routine safety and navigation procedures were ignored by the two crew members who were on the bridge at the time. Weather did not cause the incident. It was pure human error.

The site of the ferry sinking, near Gil Island, is many kilometers from where BC Coast Pilots will have begun providing on-board, expert, local-knowledge, navigation consulting for oil tankers. It’s also many kilometers away from where tug boat escorts and tethered towing will have started. Tug escorts and BC pilots will begin once tankers reach BC’s near-coast waters.

In order for an oil tanker filled by the Northern Gateway Pipeline to run aground in the Douglas Channel at Gil Island, the pilot, the captain, the navigator, two tug captains and two tug navigators and all the other professional mariners employed on the decks and bridges of these vessels would have to “human error” all together or have all of their engines fail at the same time while in high winds or currents. Think that’s likely?

That’s exactly what environmental lobby groups say will happen—and remember it’s not if, it’s when! And yes, that last line was definitely sarcastic.

You can see clearly these 5 claims against the Northern Gateway Pipeline are outrageous, now that you know the truth who are you going to tell?

Category: Blog, Oil and Gas