Tanker Moratorium goes to the House

Bill C-48, the long-awaited tanker ban, goes to second reading and debate in the House of Commons Monday, October 2. The bill proposes to restrict oil transport for listed types of oil, in volumes greater than 12,500 metric tonnes. It would prevent tankers from stopping, or unloading “crude oil or persistent oil”, at ports or marine installations located along British Columbia’s north coast from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to the Alaska border.

Living Oceans has been advocating for such a formalized moratorium for more than a decade.  On two prior occasions, private members’ bills were introduced but failed to result in legislation.  In 2010, the House of Commons supported a ban in a vote on a motion put forward by Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen, whose riding includes the Great Bear Rainforest and thousands of coastal jobs that depend on a healthy marine environment.

The current Bill was a prominent part of the federal Liberal election platform and featured in the mandate letter of Transportation Minister Marc Garneau. Push-back from the shipping industry has been as relentless as it was predictable.  We look forward to the debate!