In January 2016, West Coast Environmental Law Association released Keeping Our Coast Clean: Frequently Asked Questions About an Oil Tanker Ban on BC’s Pacific North Coast, in response to the Prime Minister’s direction to formalize an oil tanker ban on the north coast of British Columbia. Since that time, West Coast lawyers have participated in Transport Canada roundtables, made written and oral submissions, and met with Ministers and federal officials to advocate for strong oil tanker ban legislation, in collaboration with allies from First Nations, labour organizations, northern community groups and environmental organizations.
On November 29, 2016, the federal government announced that it will introduce legislation in spring 2017 to entrench an oil tanker ban on the north coast of British Columbia, and it provided preliminary details on the content of the legislation. In Will the Pacific North Coast Oil Tanker Ban Hold Water? A Review of Canada’s Proposed New Legislation, West Coast evaluates the available details on the federal government’s proposal for oil tanker ban legislation.