SAINT JOHN, N.B. – The federal government says it is aiming to make polluters pay as it makes changes to legislation and regulations on oil tanker safety.
But under proposed changes announced today by Transport Minister Lisa Raitt in Saint John, N.B., Ottawa stops short of following a recommendation from an expert panel to remove the current $161-million liability limit for a spill in favour of unlimited liability for polluters.
The report on tanker safety done last year by a three-member panel of experts made 45 recommendations for improving Canada’s preparedness for oil spills from tankers and barges.
Raitt says the government is removing the existing liability limit of $161 million under Ship-Source Oil Pollution Fund.
Instead, the full amount for a single accident will be made available from the fund, which the government says currently stands at about $400 million.
Raitt says if all domestic and international pollution funds are exhausted, the government will ensure compensation is provided and recover those costs from the industry through a levy.
She says with ship owners’ insurance, and international and domestic pollution funds, about $1.6 billion will be available to cover damages from oil spills.
READ: Oil transport engineers say Enbridge tanker plan unsafe
harper and all oil companies are weak in their greed. they have already projected their profits for the next 30 years. a spill wont be cleaned up, I have faith in the industry and our gov to wholeheartedly believe they will get away with murder to spill one drop of oil off clean land that remains unspoiled by oil and gas greed. there is no need to have this product anywhere near to the coastline of British ColumbiaPERIOD
All these years later the Exon-Valdez continues to negatively affect the coast, the sea, and all marine life… remove the cap, make the industry pay, pay, pay, and let’s get some of those CEO-types out there with buckets, mops, and rakes, cleaning up the mess. Some fool gave corporations the same rights as persons… well, let’s give them the same responsibilities, too!
Gee, that 1.6 billion will go a long way. The Valdez spill stands at close to 10 billion and they aren’t done yet. Do you realize how much 10B is? That is 10,000 millions.
Right, and the amount available for a single incident is just $400 million! Here’s an estimate pegging the economic cost (again, not ecological, which is incalculable) of an oil spill in Vancouver at $40 BILLION:
https://commonsensecanadian.ca/cost-of-oil-spill-burrard-inlet-40-billion-kinder-morgan-rex-weyler/