The proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines pose serious risks to salmon, according to a new report commissioned by the Pembina Institute. The pipelines would carry oil from the oilsands to the British Columbia coast and condensate (a petroleum product) from the British Columbia coast to the oilsands. In total, the pipelines would transport more than 700,000 barrels of petroleum products each day and cross over 1,000 rivers and streams in British Columbia.
The report, Pipelines and Salmon in Northern British Columbia: Potential Impacts, examines how pipeline construction and operations could affect salmon and salmon habitat. The pipelines would cross and in some places run parallel to major salmon rivers in the Skeena, Kitimat and Upper Fraser watersheds, which contain some of the highest quality habitat for wild salmon and steelhead trout in Canada.
"These pipelines are a clear threat to salmon in Northwest British Columbia," said Karen Campbell, Staff Counsel with the Pembina Institute. "Oil from a pipeline spill could enter salmon-bearing waters, where it would linger in riverbeds, logjams and shorelines, releasing toxins for years."
"Experience suggests it is not a question of whether a pipeline failure will happen," adds Campbell. "It is a question of when and where - and how badly it will impact the environment."
According to a National Energy Board report, there is an average of one rupture every 16 years for every 1,000 kilometres of pipeline in Canada. The Enbridge oilsands pipelines would operate in areas where avalanches and landslides are regular occurrences, increasing the risk of a failure.
"In a region with steep mountains and fast-moving rivers, there is a real risk of serious environmental damage from a pipeline failure," said Greg Brown, Policy Analyst with the Pembina Institute. "Even the best construction and operating practices can't eliminate these risks."
"Salmon are an essential part of the northern British Columbia culture and economy," said Brown. "Communities, especially those along the pipeline route, need to know that when a pipeline failure occurs, the impacts could be catastrophic to salmon and the environment."
The Pembina Institute has called for a public inquiry to fully examine the potential impacts of the proposed Enbridge oilsands pipelines.
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The report, Pipelines and Salmon in Northern British Columbia: Potential Impacts, was commissioned by the Pembina Institute and prepared by David Levy. The full report and a summary fact sheet outlining key conclusions can be downloaded from www.pembina.org/pub/1894.
For more information contact:
Karen Campbell, Staff Counsel
The Pembina Institute
Cell: (604) 928-2258
Tel: (604) 874-8558 ext. 225
karenc@pembina.org