Northwest environmental groups hail Prince Rupert Council's support for oil tanker ban

NW environmental groups saluted
some of Prince Rupert's council
members for their recent resolution
supporting an oil  tanker moratorium

The recent decision by Prince Rupert Council to weigh in on the topic of an oil tanker ban on the North Coast has found a few groups offering their congratulations, with a pair of Northwest environmental groups posting their thanks by way of their Facebook pages this week.

An entry has been provided to the online portals for both  the Prince Rupert Environmental Society and T Buck Suzuki Environmental Society, providing the full text of the resolution, as well as taking time to thank each of those councillors that voted in favour of sending two letters on environmental concerns.

As we noted last week Council has approved the writing of two  letters to express the city's position against an extension for the Enbridge Northern Gateway extension, as well as to reaffirm Council's support for an oil tanker ban on the North Coast.

Singled out for thanks by the two groups were Mayor Lee Brain and Councillors Joy Thorkelson, Barry Cunningham, Nelson Kinney and Gurvinder Randhawa.

While also in attendance at the meeting that approved the letter, Councillors Niesh and Mirau did not vote in favour of the resolution to write the letters to the federal officials. That decision by the remaining two councillors received no mention by the environmental groups in their online notes.

You can review the two postings from each page below:

Prince Rupert Environmental Society
T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Society

As the city's correspondence arrives in Ottawa, it will most likely be added to the ever growing list of letters and commentaries pro and con on the theme of the oil tanker moratorium and other environmental issues that the Federal Government is considering.

When it comes to the issues related to the topic of an oil tanker ban, the Prime Minister recently observed that he won't be rushed on any decision on the timing related to the proposed moratorium

Justin Trudeau won't be pinned down on BC oil tanker ban timing

The discussion suggesting progress for an oil tanker moratorium made for a key element of the federal election campaign last November and the proposal was featured prominently in the mandate letters delivered to a number of Federal Cabinet Ministers last fall.

For more items related to the Northern Gateway proposal and other oil terminal concepts for the North Coast see our archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review