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Could BC be the world's next oil spill disaster site?

Canadian Living
Culture & Entertainment

Could BC be the world's next oil spill disaster site?

Oil pipelines may be heading to the West Coast Last week, I blogged about the Canadian public's diminishing faith in our country's ability to curb climate change. This week, environmental concerns are still at the forefront of my mind. While readers can stay tuned for my commentary on recent eco-documentaries that have been making headlines in recent weeks, for now I'd like to call attention to a troubling development affecting our friends on the West Coast. Energy delivery company Enbridge has proposed to build a Northern Gateway pipeline in British Columbia's Great Bear region. The $6.5-billion project would link Alberta's oilsands to the BC coastline in an agreement between BC Premier Christy Clark and Alberta Premier Alison Redford. The pipelines would transport 525,000 barrels of diluted bitumen through one of the world's last large temperate rainforests daily. Environment Canada ranks the Great Bear waters as some of the most treacherous in the world, meaning this proposal puts wild salmon and humpback whale populations at risk. Although Enbridge maintains it will be a leader in environmental standards, naysayers aren't convinced. In a campaign email sent to its subscribers, WWF points out the potential risk of a major spill and the damage it would pose to British Columbia's ecosystem: "A spill would destroy the long-term sustainable jobs of the people who live in this region. And it would devastate wildlife from grizzlies, to coastal wolves, to the rare spirit bear." Interested in taking action? Visit askacanadian.ca to sign a petition organized by WWF and Coastal First Nations, and join the conversation on Twitter using hashtags #askacanadian and #GreatBear. (Photo: MorgueFile.com)

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Could BC be the world's next oil spill disaster site?

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