Take Action (Test)

Dear Minister:

As Attorney General, you are in a unique position to prevent an environmental disaster from causing irreparable harm to the Southern Gulf Islands waters that the New York Times recently included in its list of the top 50 places in the world to visit.

I ask you to exercise your parens patriae jurisdiction to initiate an action in the BC Supreme Court for an order that freighter-anchoring in these waters constitutes a public nuisance, for many reasons including the following:

• CO₂ emissions - last year, at least 476 bulk cargo freighters anchored at the 33 anchorages in Southern Gulf Islands waters for weeks to months, for a total of 5,900 anchorage days. Their diesel-powered generators, that provide power for the ships’ lights, operating systems and equipment, result in the burning of 47,000 tonnes of diesel fuel annually,generating about 140,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
• Destroying seabed - anchor chains scour the seabed destroying critical habitat and foundation species that threaten the survival of chinook salmon and southern resident killer whales.
• Oil spills - freighters risk breaking free of their moorings in a storm, running aground, breaching their fuel tanks and spilling fuel, causing catastrophic damage to the coastline and fragile seabeds.

These harms go far beyond any private nuisance that would give an individual a cause of action.  They cause widespread damage impacting the population at large.  Only you can bring a public nuisance action on behalf of all British Columbians.

The Province has exclusive jurisdiction to manage its public lands which include the submerged lands under Georgia Strait (which freighters rely on to anchor), and has an impressive record of measures to protect the environment.  Only the Province has the leverage to force Transport Canada and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to implement realistic reforms to port infrastructure, supply chains and operations that could eliminate the need for anchorages outside port waters.

I urge you, and your colleague Minister Cullen through his development of a Coastal Marine Strategy, together to exercise Provincial powers to eliminate freighter-anchoring outside Port waters.

Dear Minister:

I applaud your leadership, in partnership with First Nations, in developing a comprehensive Coastal Marine Strategy that will protect BC’s waters for generations to come.

However, there is an environmental disaster looming that could undermine all your good efforts, unless you and your colleague Minister Sharma intervene.

Last year, at least 476 bulk cargo freighters anchored at the 33 anchorages in Southern Gulf Islands waters for weeks to months, for a total of 5,900 anchorage days.  Their diesel-powered generators, that provide power for the ships’ lights, operating systems and equipment, result in the burning of 47,000 tonnes of diesel fuel annually, generating about 140,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

Also, anchor chains scour the seabed destroying critical habitat and foundation species that threaten the survival of chinook salmon and southern resident killer whales.  Freighters risk breaking free of their moorings in a storm, running aground, breaching their fuel tanks and spilling fuel, causing catastrophic damage to the coastline and fragile seabeds.

These freighters arrive whenever they want, stay for as long as they want, and pay nothing for the privilege of anchoring in these iconic waters that the New York Times recently included in its list of the top 50 places in the world to visit.

The Province has exclusive jurisdiction to manage its public lands which include the submerged lands under Georgia Strait (which freighters rely on to anchor), and has an impressive record of measures to protect the environment.  Only the Province has the leverage to force Transport Canada and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to implement realistic reforms to port infrastructure, supply chains and operations that could eliminate the need for anchorages outside port waters.

I do not understand how a Province with such an ambitious commitment to protect our waters allows such an unmitigated environmental disaster to exist.  I urge you, and your colleague Minister Sharma, to exercise Provincial powers to eliminate freighter-anchoring outside Port waters.