Several months after the election B.C. Premier Christie Clark indicates an agreement with Alberta Premier Alison Redford to endanger the Central and Northern Coast of B. C. for money.
At present there is no way to stem the tremendous environmental damage when one or more of the proposed super tankers (the size of the Eiffel Tower) attempt an almost impossible task and run into the unforgiving shoreline. Somehow in the hurricane strength winds of winter their captains are supposed to navigate down a channel from Kitimat that narrows into a maze of islands with extremely small navigational channels to reach the ocean.
There seems to be a total lack of common sense here and a complete disregard for the myriads of life forms that will be devastated by a Dilbit spill. In the heavy winter winds skimming or burning or even using dispersants will be completely impossible. The sunken Dilbit will not be recoverable and migrational birds, fish, whales and the existing wildlife will be forever affected. Not to mention the way of life of First Nation's people attempting to live a sustainable life through shell-fish harvesting and fisheries as they have done for centuries without harm to the environment. There is no suggestion of using smaller tankers as maximum profit is sought.
Once again we witness an undeserving faith in modern technology and an adhering to a policy of profit over preservation of what is left of the planet's environment and wellbeing. There was only one reef the Exxon Valdez could hit on it's way down Price William Sound and human error allowed a collision. What will happen when serious navigational hazards cause the inevitable crash. One can only hope that the safeguards that are now in place to guide the Valdez traffic will be applied if the tankers are allowed to navigate from Kitimat. But that would likely be too expensive and ruin profits.
One can only hope that complacent people in B.C. that actually value our Northern and Central Coasts and the wildlife they contain will take an interest in what will likely happen if super-max tankers are allowed to run rampant in B.C.
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