Let’s face it. There are many hundreds of oil tankers transiting the Juan de Fuca Strait every year. The vast majority of them are American.
There will probably be an oil spill some day. The odds are it will be an American vessel. Do we believe that the Americans will put the same effort into saving Canadian beaches as they will to saving their own?
If we allow the pipeline to proceed, we have been promised a huge increase in Canadian spill-response capability with a relatively small increase in tanker traffic. Isn’t that better than the status quo?
Right now, better safety procedures and spill readiness are urgently needed. We have been complacent. At least the pipeline debate has highlighted the problem.
There is no guarantee that without the pipeline expansion, one of the tankers currently allowed will not run aground. Wouldn’t it be better that the profits from the new pipeline pay for “state of the art” spill response, no matter from where it comes?
Don Boult
Saanich
