WHEREAS the result of the District of Sooke assent voting opportunity community opinion on November 15, 2014 was in the affirmative that the District of Sooke should join other municipalities in renewing and restating its opposition to the expansion of oil tanker traffic through British Columbias coastal waters: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities continue to petition the provincial and federal governments to stop the expansion of oil tanker traffic through British Columbias coastal waters.
Ministry of Environment Please note that marine shipping and navigation falls under the Canada Shipping Act. However government is committed to protecting B.C.s coast from marine spills and, while this is primarily federal jurisdiction, we must ensure provincial interests are protected. In July 2012, our government released a heavy oil policy paper outlining five requirements that must be met for B.C. to consider any heavy oil pipelines. Our five requirements provide certainty, predictability and transparency about our governments position on any heavy oil pipeline project proposal. We have taken a fair and reasonable approach which reflects and defends the interests of British Columbians and our environment. In the event of a spill, the ministrys highly trained response professionals would immediately begin implementing the provinces spill response plan and protocols. The ministry response would be integrated with the Responsible Party and participating federal agencies, local governments, First Nations and other stakeholders. The Canadian Coast Guard is the lead federal agency for ship source oil spills in marine waters. If an oil spill occurs, its important to know that in all cases, the spiller is responsible for clean-up and monitoring. The role of provincial and federal agencies is to oversee the response. The Province is encouraged by measures the federal government has taken towards a world class tanker safety system, which act on the recommendations of the tanker safety expert panel and include input from provincial governments, First Nations and other key stakeholders. In June 2015, B.C. announced new requirements for world-leading land-based spills; however, many of the proposed requirements would apply equally to spills into or affecting the marine environment. Examples include spill reporting, restoration, notification, and geographic response plans. We envision setting standards in both the land and marine settings which will help close the gaps with respect to spill response in the marine environment. We still have work to do and will continue working with Transport Canada to ensure B.C. interests are met on the marine safety front and that public safety and protection of the environment remain paramount.
Minister of Transport As you may be aware, as part of the mandate letter that was provided to me by the Prime Minister on my appointment as Minister of Transport, I have been asked to formalize a moratorium on crude oil tanker traffic on British Columbias North Coast in collaboration with the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. While no moratorium has yet been implemented, work on an approach is underway at this time. As a first step, on January 13 and 14, 2016, I met with stakeholders and First Nations groups in British Columbia to seek their views on marine environmental protection. I will continue to work with departmental officials and all stakeholders as we formalize the moratorium. In addition, I was asked by the Prime Minister to improve marine safety measures. Work on this matter is also underway.