Stop Enbridge's Pipe Dreams

The wild coast of British Columbia (BC) is home to thousands of species of animals and irreplaceable ecosystems that local communities depend on for survival. Enbridge – a Canadian-based energy corporation – is proposing a pipeline project that would put the pristine coast of Northern British Columbia at risk of a catastrophic oil spill and create a permanent gateway for Tar Sands to global markets – the dirtiest oil on earth.

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Enbridge’s Northern Gateway project would:

• Jeopardize BC’s salmon watersheds by stretching twin 1,170 kilometre pipelines between Canada’s Tar Sands in Northern Alberta, and Kitimat, on BC’s North coast;
• Introduce over 200 oil supertankers each year through BC’s diverse, rich coast and along the Great Bear Rainforest;
• Increase Tar Sands expansion by 30% and worsen the already massive environmental footprint of the Tar Sands. This means more toxic tailing ponds where chemicals from extraction are dumped into lakes visible from outer space. These dangerous toxins have been known to leak into the water supply of downstream communities.
• Lock Canada into the fossil fuel economy and undermine strategies to combat climate change and transition to a green energy economy.

Growing Opposition

The Northern Gateway pipeline faces strong opposition in British Columbia:

• Coastal First Nations (CFN) of BC along the proposed tanker route have pledged to do whatever it takes to stop the project, along with 150 First Nations groups, businesses, organizations and prominent Canadians (including Margaret Atwood, Bruce Cockburn, Neve Campbell) who signed on to a declaration of opposition on March 23rd, 2010.
• To date, no First Nation has publicly endorsed the project while many are vocally opposed.
• 80% of British Columbians support a permanent ban on oil tanker traffic for the north coast. Federal and provincial politicians and numerous municipal councilors along the pipeline and tanker routes have publicly opposed the project.
  

Despite clear opposition from BC, Enbridge filed for regulatory approval in May, kicking off a review process led by a Joint Review Panel (JRP) composed of National Energy Board (NEB) and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) appointees. Unfortunately, the JRP review is not expected to address the fundamental question of whether the project should go forward at all. The NEB approves 99% of all projects, and focuses on minimizing and mitigating negative impacts rather than assessing the project as a whole.

The Gulf spill and Enbridge’s recent spill into the Kalamazoo River are reminders that it’s not a question of if there will be a spill, but when, where and how much. One spill would destroy the coast for generations. A growing number of people and communities oppose the Northern Gateway project. Let's stand with them.

Protect BC's North Coast from Oil Spills >>