I am writing in response to the editorial "Iggy as Opportunist" that was published on June 25 in The Prince George Citizen.
Unlike the author of the editorial, I strongly support Michael Ignatieff's proposal to ban all new tanker traffic in Dixon Entrance, Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound.
This ban would extinguish Enbridge's plan to transport nearly 200 million barrels of oil in the interior coastal waters of northern B.C. every year. The effect of oil spills on the marine ecosystem and coastal communities is being highlighted in the Gulf of Mexico where a new estimate suggests that 100,000 barrels of oil have been released every day into the ocean (that is almost 16 million litres) since April 20.
I don't think that I am a "silver-spooned environmentalist" because I want to protect our coast from oil spills. How many jobs and how much money would make this risk worthwhile? Could we consider Enbridge and some of their supporters as being "silver-spooned," given that Enbridge is backed by $100 million in anonymous funds and they are willing to share this wealth with those who will speak out in support of their project (such as our former mayor, Colin Kinsley)?
I would like to clarify that the Sea to Sands Conservation Alliance consists of Prince George citizens who are concerned about the risks that Enbridge's proposed pipeline and tanker project poses to northern B.C. As citizens of Prince George, we recognize this project would bring some economic benefits to our community, but we feel the environmental and social risks of this project greatly outweigh the short-term economic benefits of this project.
I am proud to be a founding member of the Sea to Sands Conservation Alliance. We are residents of Prince George and the surrounding area, and we have been working tirelessly over the past year to provide Prince George residents with a voice of opposition to the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline and Tanker Project. If you would like to learn more about our group or to become a member, please email [email protected].
Sonja Ostertag
Prince George
