Two environmental groups are asking British Columbians to help them track where and how oil would spill in the waters around Vancouver in the event of a tanker leak.
Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the Georgia Strait Alliance trolled the waters of Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River today dropping hundreds of small plywood cards into the water. The City of Vancouver is partnering on the project.
They hope to use the cards, which are all marked with a unique serial number, to gather data about how a potential future oil spill would affect the region. But they need the public’s help to put together a complete picture of how oil would spread.
“Citizens who spot the cards as they wash-up on shore are asked to report where they were found,” Raincoast said in a press release.
“Tracking the card recovery locations will help develop an understanding of the potential spread of spilled oil and provide important information for spill response planning and assessing ecological impacts.”
Kinder Morgan has applied to twin its existing pipeline, which runs from Alberta across British Columbia and terminates in Burnaby. The National Energy Board is currently reviewing the project and will release its decision by January 25, 2016.
The mayors of Burnaby and Vancouver have both been vocal opponents of the proposal. Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson has said he fears risks of an oil spill would be heightened by an increased number of tankers in Burrard Inlet. The City of Burnaby has challenged the company’s right to conduct even preliminary surveys within the municipality.
Raincoast, the Georgia Strait Alliance and the City of Vancouver say they have asked for detailed oil spill simulation data from the National Energy Board, but the information has not been released. Kinder Morgan has released the results of simulations it has done, but the three groups say those simulations have been too limited.
An economic impact study commissioned by the Vancouver Economic Commission, the City of Vancouver’s economic development wing, considered the effects a spill could have on tourism, fisheries, retail and real estate values.
Cleanup costs could be as high as $60,000 a tonne, according to the report, and the majority of the businesses affected by a spill would not be eligible for compensation.
The report also notes that “globally, the risks of a major tanker spill have been decreasing” due to advances in ship design, and that Port Metro Vancouver’s strictly regulates tanker traffic, resulting in “a history of tanker safety in Burrard Inlet.”
The plywood card test is a continuation of a similar exercise conducted in October 2013. Cards from that simulation ended up as far away as Haida Gwaii and the west coast of Vancouver Island. Residents who find the cards can call 1-877-655-1229, extension 227 or visit www.SalishSeaSpillMap.org.
@jenstden
