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Too much at risk for B.C.

Dear Editor,
11476953_web1_180412-HSL-M-KinderMorganpipeline

Dear Editor,

Oil spill risks are real and the B.C. government is right that better science is needed.

Kinder Morgan would increase tanker traffic nearly 700 per cent. Spills are inevitable. Cleanup is impossible. Risks to whales: A tanker spill will very likely cause B.C.’s southern resident orcas to go extinct as tanker traffic noise has been proven to interfere with their hunting. Remember the Exxon Valdez: 27 years after this tanker spill, oil still persists and contaminates the shorelines. Long-term exposure to crude oil may mean that some species never fully recover.

Kinder Morgan would put our health and safety at risk:

A diluted bitumen spill would result in mass public exposure to dangerous levels of benzene gas and other toxins. The project puts at risk salmon rivers, wildlife, beaches, Indigenous food harvesting sites and cherished places valued by British Columbians, Canadians and international visitors.

Prime Minister Trudeau is putting B.C.’s economy at risk:

A spill would devastate our coastal economy. More than 320,000 jobs in the Lower Mainland rely on the natural environment. More than 60,000 jobs on Vancouver Island rely on tourism. In comparison, Kinder Morgan would create only 50 permanent jobs and could be a “disaster for jobs in B.C.”. Taxpayers would be on the hook for cleanup as Kinder Morgan’s insurance is capped at $1.3 billion for a spill at sea but the cleanup costs for a major spill could reach $9.4 billion. Redirecting fossil fuel subsidies to clean, renewable energy would create 6-8 times more jobs.

Kathleen Davies

Terrace, B.C.