Plans by the Trudeau government to create a crude oil tanker ban off British Columbia face a number of obstacles.
Transport minister Marc Garneau acknowledged as such in an interview with local media yesterday. A ban could interfere with the international right of innocent passage that allows vessels from other countries to pass through Canada’s territorial waters.
“We’ll make sure we’re respecting the different laws,” Garneau admitted, while saying he was determimed to push on with the creation of the new law.
Other issues that could make its creation difficult include irritating neighbouring America’s transits to and from Alaska; risking suing from a new massive pipeline project to Kitimat for a large new LNG project; provincial goverments, led by Alberta, could oppose the ban too.
