Dear Editor,
Sixty years ago it made sense to pipe crude oil to supply nearby oil refineries.
Washington State has produced a comprehensive independent risk analysis about potential shipping incidents in our shared, getting-busier Salish Sea waters.
Our B.C. government has shied away from carrying out a similar independent risk analysis for B.C. waters. Why?
It seems that the B.C. government doesn’t want to know, thereby, in essence, giving Kinder Morgan “their” tacit OK for this publicly, much-feared potential bitumen spill in our backyard or on our beaches.
Politicians continue to dither about B.C.’s pipelines. Someone, please, figure it out. Build one, jointly-operated pipeline system from Alberta, to a more remote shipping terminal location that offers open ocean access, to the world market. Without threatening the busy, environmentally sensitive waters of Douglas Channel, Burrard Inlet and the Salish Sea and still earn these vital export revenues for all Canadians.
B.C. handles a significant portion of Canada’s resource exports, but B.C. also must look after one of its primary industries, including those related to our environment and associated multibillion dollar tourist businesses. B.C. must carefully manage how, who and where anyone gets access to our land and waters, for all Canadians and our visitors.
Carl Shalansky, Burnaby
