As public funding and environmental hazards increases, the future of TMX looks grim.
This seesaw is created by George Rammel, implicating Canada's turmoil with environmental promises | taken by: Justin Juwan Yu
December 28, 2022 | Author: Ruonan Zhao Photographer: Justin Juwan Yu
The expansion of the pipelines is aimed to support the increase of oil production in the tar sands of Alberta and transporting masses of oil domestically to the U.S. Upon completion of the expansion, “the TMX pipeline will carry 890 barrels per day of highly toxic, flammable diluted bitumen from the Alberta tar sands to Burnaby BC” (stoptmx.ca). Massive protests against this project have risen from environmental activists and especially Indigenous groups who would be deeply affected.
The current state of the pipelines:
In 2018, the government purchased the Tran Mountain pipelines and the expansion project for $4.4 billion from an oil giant company in Texas. The current pipelines are adequate enough to fulfill domestic consumption as well as exportation to the U.S. As we move towards viable environmentally-friendly alternatives, many argue that expansion of the current oil pipelines is unnecessary and harmful for further development away from fossil fuels. The TMX project will ensure increased production of fossil fuels in Alberta and contribute to additional environmental destruction.
Oil infrastructure under construction next to Burnaby Mountain | taken by: Justin Juwan Yu
The risks of spills:
There have been independent assessments conducted by Indigenous groups on the possibility of spills. If the expansion proposal is constructed, “over the next 50 years there is a 79-87% likelihood of a spill in the Burrard Inlet and a 29% chance of a worst-case spill” (wecprotects.org). The expansion crosses more than 1300 streams and rivers, any spills will impact surrounding communities at a very high magnitude. It would strip Indigenous communities of clean water for drinking and daily uses, which has already been a crucial problem. Furthermore, for communities living by rivers and streams, fishing is often a principal food source. Spills would cause the death of vast organisms in the water, and make them extremely unsafe for consumption. Wildlife habitats would be destroyed by construction, which would impact Indigenous hunting.
Concerns over the marine shipping impacts is also extremely controversial
Research shows that there would be significant adverse effects on Southern Resident Killer Whales, which is an endangered species on the brink of extinction that lives along the coast of B.C.
Indigenous groups argue that the marine impacts would be permanent, not temporary as claimed
“The Tsleil-Waututh Nation asserts that the increased shipping would generate acoustic disturbance, impair views, disturb the quiet, create on-water hazards and physical obstruction, engender the perception of pollution, obstruct, and lead to shoreline erosion” (ubc.com).
Protestors gather at Burnaby Mountain, to protest against the TMX pipeline | taken by: Justin Juwan Yu
Overall, the impacts of the TMX project are very negative for the environment, which is the main reason for the strong opposition against it. In the short term, it will be a major disruption to the surrounding environment and likely to cause the death and extinction of wildlife. In the long term, it is extremely harmful to climate change, as it would be deterring the move towards sustainable energy. The environmental damage of this project is severe and must be brought to the attention of a wider audience other than sole environmentalists and Indigenous groups.