The Canadian Press has reported that First Nations in British Columbia...

The Canadian Press has reported that First Nations in British Columbia are having a hard time fathoming the decision by Transport Canada to approve the use of oil supertankers along BC coastal waters, ignoring safety issues including poor weather, human error, and narrow, unforgiving waterways. Transport Canada recently filed its report to the regulatory panel considering Enbridge Inc.’s $5.5-billion Northern Gateway proposal to ship crude from Alberta to the West Coast by pipeline and export the oil to Asian markets in supertankers loaded in Kitimat. Coastal First Nations executive director Art Sterritt said Transport Canada is minimizing the risk. “It is nonsensical to say there will always be residual risk in any project. This shocking decision means a disproportionate share of risk clearly falls on the people who live within the Great Bear Rainforest.” Sterritt said Transport Canada’s decision is shocking because a recent study done by his group suggests a tanker spill could cost $23 billion in economic, environmental and cultural damage. Enbridge insists the pipeline will bring jobs and economic development to northern B.C., but opponents say the risks are too high. Sterritt believes the Transport Canada decision is also another way in which the federal government is unduly influencing what has been described as a flawed Joint Review Process on the Enbridge Project. “It’s abundantly clear the government isn’t interested in what the public hearing process determines,” Sterritt said. “Oil tankers in the Great Bear Sea are a threat to our culture and a steadily improving coastal economy. The Coastal First Nations, along with our allies, will continue to take any actions that are necessary to stop oil tankers from traversing the Great Bear Sea.”