Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. adds conditions for Trans Mountain expansion

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Mar, 2022 01:02 PM
  • B.C. adds conditions for Trans Mountain expansion

VANCOUVER - British Columbia has amended the conditions of its environmental assessment certificate for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansionand told the federal government it still has concerns about its response to potential marine oil spills.

The changes announced in late February focus on the impacts of marine shipping and potential oil spills from ships related to the pipeline project.

The expansion is set to nearly triple the capacity of the existing 1,150-kilometre pipeline that carries 300,000 barrels per day of petroleum products from Alberta to B.C., which will significantly increase the number of tankers carrying oil for export.

In a letter relaying B.C.'s updated conditions, Environment Minister George Heyman and Energy Minister Bruce Ralston urged federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson to adopt a series of recommendations that would address the province's concernsafter it consulted with Indigenous nations, municipalities, government agencies and the public.

Those concerns would be most effectively addressed by Ottawa as part of the regulations and measures that fall under federal jurisdiction, Heyman and Ralston wrote in the letter, dated Feb. 24.

B.C. has made changes that are under its jurisdiction and sought to avoid duplicating existing federal regulations, the province said in a news release.

One of B.C.'s recommendations encourages Transport Canada to "expand the scope of its oversight" to include work done by the Western Canada Marine Response Corp., which responds to spills. In particular, it says Transport Canada's oversight should include shoreline cleanup, planning for sunken and submerged oil, co-ordinating volunteers, and managing wildlife and waste in the event of a spill.

"We strongly urge you to carefully consider these important recommendations, and to take action on them ... as soon as possible, so that the (Trans Mountain expansion) is operated in as safe a manner as possible," the ministers wrote.

Among B.C.'s new conditions is a requirement that Trans Mountain, a federal Crown corporation, provide a report on health risks in the event of a marine oil spill. It must identify measures to reduce human exposure and negative health effects and outline which authorities would be responsible.

Another condition requires Trans Mountain to provide a report with baseline data on B.C.'s shoreline in areas that could be affected by an oil spill, including Vancouver's English Bay and the Strait of Georgia. The report should include information on land use, infrastructure, flora and fauna, the order says.

The province has also amended a condition to require updates every five years on research Trans Mountain is involved with related to diluted bitumen and how the heavier, unrefined oil product could be cleaned up if spilled in water.

A Trans Mountain spokesperson said it is reviewing the changes to determine next steps.

Neither Wilkinson nor anyone from his Department of Natural Resources was available to comment on the provincial government's request.

Andrew Radzik, an energy campaigner with the Georgia Strait Alliance, said the province's changes are welcome, but gaps remain.

"If a spill happens, we've got better baseline data. So that's great, that's important. That's information that will inform spill response plans," he said in an interview.

"But they're not requiring shoreline spill response plans of a particular standard."

Instead, the province is relying on federal regulations on marine shipping and spill response that it has criticized for being too vague, Radzik said.

Transport Canada requires certified marine response organizations to treat 500 metres of shoreline per day and the Western Canada Marine Response Corp. has indicated it's working to increase its capacity to 3,000 metres.

But the existing regulations and emergency plans for the pipeline expansion lack some key detail, Radzik said, like what exactly it means to fully "treat" a shoreline.

The province shares jurisdiction along its shoreline and it could have amended the project's certificate to require more specific information or standards, he said.

On human health risks, Radzik said it's a step forwardfor B.C. to require an outline of the roles and responsibilities of different levels of government and the pipeline operator in reducing exposure after a potential spill.

However, it's not clear who would foot the bill for those health measures and what portion the province would have to pay, he said.

Asked why B.C.'s new conditions didn't include more specific requirements for marine spill preparedness and response, the Environment Ministry said the changes reflect certain criteria it had to follow in its review.

The opportunity for B.C. to change its environmental assessment certificate stemmed from a 2018 decision by the Federal Court of Appeal.It found the National Energy Board, since renamed the Canada Energy Regulator, had incorrectly excluded marine shipping from its assessment.

The regulator reconsidered the potential impacts, and the federal government used the subsequent report in 2019 to approve the pipeline expansion for a second time.

The B.C. Court of Appeal later decided that because the provincial ministers who issued the environmental assessment certificate had relied on the regulator's original assessment, they should have the opportunity to consider the later report and make changes, provided the issues related to differences between the two reports and fell under provincial jurisdiction.

MORE National ARTICLES

Premier Horgan not concerned that BC will face major costs with Canada's sanctions against Russia

Premier Horgan not concerned that BC will face major costs with Canada's sanctions against Russia
Horgan says he supports the federal government's decision to impose a 35 per cent tariff on Russian and Belarus exports to Canada. The move has potential economic consequences for B-C sectors that rely on Russian products, including major construction projects that use Russian steel.

Premier Horgan not concerned that BC will face major costs with Canada's sanctions against Russia

391 COVID19 cases for Thursday

391 COVID19 cases for Thursday
There are 511 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 79 are in intensive care. In the past 24 hours, 13 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,896.

391 COVID19 cases for Thursday

Businesses to charge a minimum fee on single-use cups: City of Vancouver

Businesses to charge a minimum fee on single-use cups: City of Vancouver
The charge was imposed January 1st — in part to reduce some of the estimated 80-million coffee and beverage cups thrown away in Vancouver every year — but unintentionally added costs to meal voucher recipients or those using gift cards or reward programs.

Businesses to charge a minimum fee on single-use cups: City of Vancouver

Investigation continues into house explosion

Investigation continues into house explosion
Constable Gary O'Brien says police will be checking to see if foul play was involved. He says crews have managed to remove debris from the site of the flattened home and check the basement and other areas.    

Investigation continues into house explosion

Illegal drug dispensary operates as a tattoo studio shut down after allegedly selling to youth

Illegal drug dispensary operates as a tattoo studio shut down after allegedly selling to youth
Officers seized cannabis products, magic mushrooms (psilocybin), and suspected MDMA. The dispensary has now been shut down. While cannabis is legal to purchase and consume in Canada, there are strict regulations in place, including where products can be purchased. 

Illegal drug dispensary operates as a tattoo studio shut down after allegedly selling to youth

Serious Collision in South Surrey leads to road closures

Serious Collision in South Surrey leads to road closures
Due to the serious nature of the collision 184 Street is closed in both directions between 40 Avenue and 32 Avenue while police investigate the cause of the collision. The investigation is in the early stages and it is unknown how long road closures will remain in effect.

Serious Collision in South Surrey leads to road closures