The federal government has announced new regulations related to oil-carrying tanker ships.
Under the new rules, the amount of liability for a single oil spill incident will be increased to up to $400 million, up from the $161 million currently available for each spill.
Compensation would also be provided to eligible claimants, including those who had lost earnings due to the spill, and would not be limited to just compensating those whose property had been damaged.
If cleanup and compensation efforts had already used up all available funds available through existing pollution funds, government would have the power to recover those costs from industry through a levy.
Government also said it would improve maritime navigation will be improved using modern technology; strengthen emergency response planning in areas that could be impacted by an oil spill; and amend legislation to allow for the use of chemical dispersants and burning spilled oil “when there is likely to be a net environmental benefit.”
The British Columbia government has said it will not support Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline, which would carry bitumen from Alberta to Kitimat, until five conditions are met, including developing a “world class” marine and land oil spill response.
In addition to Enbridge’s proposal, Kinder Morgan is proposing to twin its existing Trans Mountain pipeline, which terminates in Burnaby. Opponents of that project fear it could lead to a sharp increase in tanker traffic in southern B.C. waters.
More to come…
