The Oil Industry and Governments tell the public that oil pipelines and tankers are safe…

Scientists study impact of diluted bitumen

spilled into ocean

The dilutant — light oil used to make it fluid — evaporates leaving behind tar balls that sink.

“When it begins to sink it becomes more troublesome. We have to figure out ways to track, monitor and remediate sinking oil,” says Thomas King of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.  CBC report May 21, 2015

 The Oil Industry and Governments tell the public that oil pipelines and tankers are safe…

Santa Barbara, California USA – May 19, 2015

What was originally thought to be 21,000 barrels is over 105,000 barrels of oil spilled on to the pristine beaches of Santa Barbara County where an underground pipeline ruptured and released tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean. According to Rick McMichael, director of pipeline operations for Plains All American Pipeline; “The spill happened after a series of mechanical problems caused the line to be shut down.The problems began about 10:45 a.m. Tuesday at two pump stations that move oil through the 11-mile pipeline along the Gaviota Coast.”

ENGLISH BAY SPILL – A DROP IN THE BUCKET

Vancouver, BC Canada - April 9, 2015

The Canadian Coast Guard estimates that 3,100 liters of oil spilled in English Bay at the heart of City of Vancouver on April 9, 2015 but they are unable to determine which ship is responsible. As a comparison the Abqaiq Supertanker, a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) carries 2.16 million barrels equal to 344, 449, 634 liters of crude oil. This is 111,112 times the amount of oil spilled in Vancouver. Kinder Morgan and Northern Gateway Pipelines are proposing to bring hundreds of supertankers to be loaded along BC’s coast.

May 23, 2015 Rachel Notley was sworn in as Alberta’s Premier

Alberta’s new NDP government opposes Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipeline while supporting the Kinder-Morgan Pipeline to BC’s west coast. The Enbridge Corporation reacted by launching another Nation wide advertising campaign highlighting a baby, dog, and families! Enbridge is not giving up, spending millions on this new PR, people need to see that the threat remains!

Federal Environmental Laws changed by the Harper Conservative government in 2012 passing with “Omnibus Budget” Bills C-38 and C-45 are discussed by Anna Johnston, Staff Council at West Coast Environmental Law.

June 17, 2014  Stephen Harper’s Conservative Government approved the Enbridge Corporation’s Northern Gateway Pipeline despite the fact that 80% of BC residents and the majority of Canadians are opposed to this project to pipe Alberta Tarsands Bitumen through British Columbia to load onto Supertankers that must navigate the coastal waters of Western Canada.

BC Premier Cristy Clark and Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Final approval for the Enbridge Corporation’s Northern Gateway Pipeline remains in the hands of voters. Both British Columbia’s Premier Cristy Clark and Prime Minister Stephen Harper are under extreme coroporate pressure but they must also listen to voters if they want to be re-elected.

December 19, 2013 The National Energy Board’s Joint Review Panel approved the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline Projec

In its summary the panel admitted; “environmental burdens may not be fully mitigated” and reported; “that opening Pacific Basin markets is important to the Canadian economy”

During community hearings held in 16 locations around BC the 3 person panel heard presentations from 1,161 people. Of those: 1,159 people spoke against the Enbridge Pipeline proposal and only 2 people spoke in favour. 

The Panel made 209 recommendations, which Harper’s Conservatives have up to 6 months to adjust before the Federal Government makes final approval of the pipeline and supertankers. These recommendations are superficial, since the panel makes it clear that economics completely over-ride First Nations, environmental, and wildlife concerns while admitting that human error and equipment failures are certain.

The ENBRIDGE Corporation is spending $350 million on public relations campaigns to convince the public that the Northern Gateway Pipeline will be safe and benefit Canadians.

Bottom Line: OIL AND WATER DON’T MIX

Dispite the fact that 50% of Canadians oppose the Enbridge Corporation’s Northern Gateway Pipeline Project the Federal Government of Canada spent $1 million on a single TV ad promoting Alberta’s Tarsands and pipelines to BC’s coast. Millions of taxpayer dollars are being spent towards a Federal advertising campaign convincing Canadians about the need for pipelines to export oil to the Pacific Rim, particularly China. The Chinese government, through national corporations, is investing heavily in the Northern Gateway Pipeline and owns large portions of production in Alberta, pipeline, supertankers, and refineries in China.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) during an APAC Bilateral Meeting at the Great Hall of the People on November 9, 2014 in Beijing, China.

Alberta Premier Alison Redford and BC Premier Christy Clark

On November 5, 2013 British Columbia Premier Christy Clark and Alberta Premier Alison Redford agreed to support oil pipelines through British Columbia. 80% of British Columbia residents are opposed to the Enbridge Corporation’s Northern Gateway Pipeline and the Supertankers they will bring to the west coast of Canada. Although the Alberta Premier stepped down, the Alberta Government is 110% behind the Enbridge plans for the Northern Gateway Pipeline.

There is a lot of information not being revealed about this ‘Tarsands Pipeline’ and a lot of deception about the impact on communities and the environment from Enbridge Corporation’s proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline. ‘Coastal Tarsands’ is a media project aiming to expose the reality facing the west coast of Canada so that the public has an opportunity to understand the truth and make informed decisions.

BOTTOM LINE: OIL & WATER DON’T MIX

Oil spill caused by one of Enbridge's 804 'pipeline failures'

Enbridge’s Oil Spill Record

FACT:

Enbridge is responsible for

804 pipeline spills between 1999 and 2010

pouring approximately 161,475 barrels

(6.78 million US gallons or 25.67 million liters)

of crude oil into the natural environment

and causing the death of 9 people

due to Enbridge pipeline explosions.

reported by the Polaris Institute, Ottawa

Canada Geese at Enbridge Oil Spill in Michigan

Mainstream Media Reports May 5, 2013

Enbridge, the biggest oil and gas pipeline company in Canada, is breaking National Energy Board safety rules at 117 of its 125 pump stations across the country. That means 94% of Enbridge’s pump stations do not have the required shut-off value systems to stop the flow of oil in the event of a pipeline rupture. Federal regulations, introduced 15 years ago, require these emergency shut-off value systems. However government officials have not reported these violations by Enbridge.  CBC NEWS LINK

Common Questions

Re: Supertanker Plans for BC Coast

How big is a Supertanker? 

Abqaiq-1 carries 2 million barrels of oil and is 334m long 59m wide with a draught of 22m

This Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) carries 302,986 tons equal to 2,166,350 barrels

equal to 344, 449, 634 liters of crude oil 

This tanker holds the equivalent to

138 Olympic size swimming pools

Abqaiq-1 is named after the city in Saudi Arabia

Flag: Bahamas Built: 2002 DWT: 302,986 tons

Builder: Samsung Shipbuilding – Geoje, South Korea

Owner: Nscsa – Riyadh (National Shipping Co. of Saudi Arabia)

How much oil does a Supertanker hold?

DWT = Deadweight Tonnage

(carrying capacity of a ship)

FACT:

An average VLCC is able to carry 2 million barrels of oil

A single barrel of oil is equal to 159 liters or 42 US Gallons

7.15 barrels of oil equals 1 metric ton

How Big is Big?

100 meters long field in BC Place. Host to 2010 Olympic Ceremonies

 A Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) is 330 meters long

More than 3 times the length of BC Place’s field

A single VLCC would stretch from Georgia Street to Smithe Street in downtown Vancouver, BC. The Oil Tanker is more than double the 150 m length of BC Place Stadium's exterior walls.

How many tankers will Enbridge bring to the BC Coast?

According to mariner plans included in the Enbridge proposal for the Northern Gateway Pipeline Project, a variety of foreign Oil Super Tankers, owned  by single entity multi-international corporations, operated by foreign crews, will export 500,000 barrels a day of Tar Sands Dilluted Bitumen Oil (DilBit) from Alberta to the world market, in particular China.  Enbridge plans to  navigate 225 supertankers through British Columbia’s central coast from a port they plan to build near Kitimat.

Oil Tanker sizes & quantities proposed for loading at Kitimat

(Numbers according to Enbridge)

Aframax (120,000 dwt) – 50 per year

Suez-max (up to 200,000 dwt) – 120 per year

Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC)

(330,000 dwt) – 50 per year

FACT:

Supertankers around the world sink and spill vast quantities oil into the marine environment every year.

 FACT:

Revealing Truth Behind Enbridge Plans

Tanker Traffic numbers jump

from 225 to more than 450

docking at Kitimat annually!

Enbridge has left out a few key facts in their presentations to the public. Significant points, which will greatly effect the coast and are not subject to the numbers game that industry and government keep publishing to dispute claims about the chances of an oil spill.

• Condensate Natural Gas Tankers 

  Approximatley 225 additional supertankers a year will also be making the journey from China to Kitimat. These will not be crude oil tankers, instead they will be ships designed to carry compressed natural gas. The Northern Gateway Project calls for natural gas condensate to be imported from Asia at the rate of 193,000 barrels a day because Bitumen, extracted from the Alberta Tarsands in a near solid state, is the heaviest and thickest form of petroleum on earth. Bitumen does not flow freely and must be dilluted with natural gas condensate to allow it to flow down the pipeline as a produduct known as Dilluted Bitumen or DilBit. Therefore Enbridge is building a twin pipeline from Northern Alberta to the coast of BC. One pipeline to carry Dilbit from the Alberta Tarsands to the coast at Kitimat and another pipeline to carry natural gas condensate shipped from China to northern Alberta’s Tarsands. Double the pipeline means double the tankers! Therefore the actual number of tankers navigating the inside passage of British Columbia will be 450. This is double the amount reported to the public by the Enbridge Corporation.
  
  

  Carriers to Import Liquified Condensate Gas from China to Kitimat
   225 pressurized tanker carriers will arrive annually
  loaded with liquefied Condensate Natural Gas from China.
  These tankers are completely different from Tarsands DilBit Tankers
  

  Aframax class Tankers are the smallest destined for Kitimat at 245 meters long with a capacity of 120,000 dwt or 858,000 Barrels of Tarsands DilBit
  225 Supertanker will be loaded with DilBit at Kitimat annually
  Tankers designed to carry Tarsands DilBit come in a range of sizes.

  

  Liquified Natural Gas Carriers will be exporting 25 million tons of LNG from Fracking operations in the Interior of British Columbia to Asia

   250 pressurized LNG carriers will arrive at Kitimat to load 25 million tons of Liquefied Natural Gas every year.
  This is based on a promise made by BC Premier Christie Clark, to export Natural Gas produced by fracking in BC’s interior.  This plan involves building pipelines to Kitimat where massive plants will be constructed to pressurize and refrigerate the gas to temperatures below -150 Celsius, so that it can be loaded onboard LNG carriers bound for Asia. Consdensate Gas and LNG are similar products and they will be passing each other on tankers arriving from China and bound for the Asia.

  How does an oil spill get cleaned-up?

  

  Kalamazoo River Enbridge spill

  Scraping oil off rocks and sand has proven not to be effective at spills around the world. Floats in the water do not contain oil if there are any waves, winds, or currents. Cleaning the beaches in the Gulf of Mexico proved to be impossible even after spending billions of dollars. 25 years after the oil spill from the Exxon Valdez in Alaska people are still finding vast quantities of undesturbed oil on the beaches, under rocks, and below the surface of tidal sand. The verdict is still out weather Dilluted Bitumen (Dilbut) floats or sinks in ocean water. The Federal Government of Canada has gone to great efforts to insure that nobody completes research to find out if Dilbut will sink and cover the entire floor of the inlets along the Central Coast of British Columbia  or simply float on the surface to be carried great distances as was the case with the Exxon Valdez. Either way a spill will be catastophic to the complex marine ecosystem.

  

  How Many SuperTankers will be Navigating The Central Coast of British Columbia?

  FACT:

  225 SuperTankers with Alberta Tarsands DilBit by Enbridge

  225 Pressurized Carriers with Condensate from China

  250 LNG Carriers ‘Fracking’ Gas promised by BC Premier

  Total: 700 SuperTankers 

  per year making return trips to/from Kitimat
• 4 tanker trips per day through the narrow corridors crossing The Inside Passage