Trans Mountain Expansion | Raincoast Conservation Foundation

Interview: Why our latest court challenge to the re-approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline is critical for the Salish Sea

Published on 2019 07 22 | by Raincoast | in Interviews

The Southern Resident killer whales are a small declining population. The increase in tanker traffic associated with the Trans Mountain expansion will have a significant adverse effect on these killer whales in the Salish Sea…

Approval of Trans Mountain expansion puts Fraser River salmon and Salish Sea estuaries at risk

Published on 2019 07 09 | by Misty MacDuffee, Dave Scott, & Chris Genovali | in For the coast

Salmon circle on the rocky bottom of the Fraser River.

The Fraser River in British Columbia remains one of the world’s most productive salmon rivers. Equally significant is the Fraser River’s estuary, which serves as vital habitat for fish, bird, and mammal species that are linked across thousands of kilometers of the Northeast Pacific Ocean. All Fraser River populations of salmon…

We’re headed back to court for killer whales

Published on 2019 07 08 | by Misty MacDuffee, Wild Salmon Program Director & Paul Paquet, Senior Scientist | in Conservation update

A killer whale in the foreground, with a container ship behind it in the mouth of the Fraser River.

Today we are returning to court with partners Ecojustice and Living Oceans Society to challenge the federal government’s re-approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Our lawyers at Ecojustice submitted a motion to the Federal Court of Appeal this morning, asking for leave to launch a judicial review of Cabinet’s decision. We contend that Cabinet […]

Backgrounder: Trans Mountain approval wrong choice for endangered killer whales and climate

Published on 2019 06 18 | by Raincoast | in Backgrounders

Southern Resident killer whales surface in a group in the Salish Sea.

Timeline and quick facts by Ecojustice, Living Oceans Society and Raincoast Conservation Foundation. If built, the Trans Mountain pipeline project would lead to a sevenfold increase in tanker traffic — for a total of 408 trips per year — through critical Southern Resident habitat…

NEB recommends Trans Mountain proceed despite “significant adverse effects” to Southern Residents

Published on 2019 03 20 | by Chris Genovali, Misty MacDuffee & Paul Paquet | in For the coast

The National Energy Board (NEB) has recommended that the Trans Mountain expansion project should proceed despite the “significant adverse effects” of oil tankers on the critically endangered population of Southern Resident killer whales. Although we disagree with the NEB’s conclusion, their review of the project effects on killer whales is forthright and portrays the severity of the current situation…

The National Energy Board and killer whales, on As It Happens

Published on 2019 03 11 | by Raincoast | in Interviews

Killer whales spyhop with a tanker in the background and population viability maps in the foreground.

In this interview, Misty outlines that while oil spills remain a clear risk, the effects of increased vessel traffic, i.e. noise and disturbance, are a certainty.

No mitigation measures can protect Southern Resident killer whales from the noise of Trans Mountain’s tanker traffic

Published on 2019 02 22 | by Misty MacDuffee, Wild Salmon Program Director | in Conservation update

J16 spy hops: Southern Resident killer whale.

While we disagree with the NEB’s conclusion, we acknowledge that their review of the effects on killer whales accurately portrays the complexity and severity of the situation.

Raincoast’s new evidence on Southern Resident killer whales for the National Energy Board’s reconsideration of the Trans Mountain Expansion

Published on 2019 02 20 | by Raincoast | in Backgrounders

Beam Reach Haro Strait Salish Sea, with a map of the Southern Resident killer whale critical habitat and the tanker route tot he Trans Mountain Expansion Burnaby terminal.

The National Energy Board is now preparing its recommendations to cabinet on the Trans Mountain Expansion. When we won our legal case in the federal court of appeal in August 2018, the courts quashed the Trans Mountain permits and required the National Energy Board to reconsider their recommendations…

Still no adequate threat reduction measures for endangered killer whales

Published on 2018 09 22 | by Misty MacDuffee, Wild Salmon Program Director & Paul Paquet, Senior Scientist | in Conservation update

Southern Resident killer whales spy hop with oil tankers in the background.

The federal government is instructing the National Energy Board to conduct a review of marine shipping associated with the proposed sevenfold increase in tanker traffic from the Trans Mountain expansion…