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June 3, 2013

British Columbia Rejects Endbridge Tar Sands Oil Pipeline 
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The Canadian province of British Columbia has dealt a major blow to the
extraction of carbon-intensive crude oil from Alberta's Tar Sands. In a
victory for environmental and indigenous activists, the B.C. government
formally rejected the Enbridge corporation’s Northern Gateway pipeline
project, which would have carried tar sands oil to Canada's West Coast.
The proposal had sparked protests for standing to cut through sensitive
environmental areas and indigenous land. Announcing its rejection, B.C.
officials cited a lack of evidence Enbridge could adequately respond to
oil spills along the pipeline's route. Canada's federal government could
still override B.C.'s decision but that prospect appears unlikely given
local opposition and the chance of a protracted legal dispute. The
Northern Gateway has been seen as the main back-up option should
President Obama reject another tar sands pipeline, the Keystone XL. In a
statement, 350.org founder Bill Mc Kibben called on the White House to
follow B.C.'s lead, saying: "If [Obama] rejects the pipeline, then an
awful lot of crude is going to stay in the ground where it belongs."

 

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