If the Northern Gateway oil sands pipeline and the Trans Mountain expansion get approved it would mean West Coast tanker traffic could double.
The new study by IHS CERA, a leading advisor for international energy companies, found that in a year, the East sees about 3,500 tankers and the West only 500.
If the projects get approved an extra 1.3-million barrels per day could be shipped through the West, which could add 750 more tanker visits.
It says in the last 10 years world-wide tanker traffic has almost doubled, but the amount of oil spills have dropped.
It says over that time frame, the average volume of a spill fell 75%.
It says Canada provides more money for compensation when there’s a spill than all other countries do.
July 4th, 2013
