Letter to BC Environmental Assessment Office re: Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Reconsideration

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Preserving and protecting over 450 islands and surrounding waters in the Salish Sea 
Bowen  Denman  Hornby  Gabriola  Galiano Gambier  Lasqueti  Mayne  North Pender  Salt Spring  Saturna  South Pender  Thetis 
 
 
 
200-1627 Fort Street, Victoria BC  V8R 1H8 
Telephone  (250) 405-5151    Fax  (250) 405-5155 
Toll Free via Enquiry BC in Vancouver 604.660.2421.  Elsewhere in BC 
1.800.663.7867 
Email  information@islandstrust.bc.ca 
Web  www.islandstrust.bc.ca 
 
 
March 1, 2021         File No.: 5020-30 
 
Via online portal: 
https://projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/p/5885121eaaecd9001b82b274/cp/6000c03a654536002065c1bd/det
ails;currentPage=1;pageSize=10;sortBy=-datePosted;ms=1614617623692 
 
Dear BC Environmental Assessment Office:   
 
Re:  Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Reconsideration 
 
On behalf of Islands Trust Council, I would like to encourage bold action and regulation with regard to 
potential conditions on the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project.  
 
I feel it is important to state, as a priority message, that the Islands Trust Council opposes the Trans 
Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project. Our rationale for opposition to the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion 
Project is clearly laid out in our 2015 letter of comment to the National Energy Board and 2018 letter to the 
Prime Minister signed by most Islands Trust trustees and San Juan County councillors expressing  
disappointment at the news of the Government of Canada’s decision to purchase the Trans Mountain Pipeline. 
 
We believe the plan to transform the waters of the Salish Sea into an export corridor for nearly a million 
barrels of toxic bitumen per day for the next 50 or more years exposes us to unacceptable levels of risk.  
 
We understand that the Province of BC is proposing an amendment to Environment Assessment (EA) 
Condition 35 (Fate and Behaviour of Bitumen Research) to include ‘potentially affected coastal local 
governments’ in the list of groups that must be consulted or otherwise involved in the development and 
reporting out of the research regarding Diluted Bitumen.  
 
REQUEST: We request that Islands Trust also be added to the list of groups to be consulted or 
otherwise involved in the development and reporting out of the research regarding Diluted Bitumen.  
While we do not have emergency management responsibilities, we would like the opportunity to be 
consulted or otherwise involved. 
We also understand that the Province of BC is proposing a new condition (Human Health Risk Report), which 
would require Trans Mountain to retain a Qualified Professional to prepare a report describing the 
ship-source marine spill human health risks, response and monitoring, in accordance with a number of 
requirements and in consultation with various parties. 
 

BC Environmental Assessment Office 
March 1, 2021 
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Preserving and protecting over 450 islands and surrounding waters in the Salish Sea 
Bowen  Denman  Hornby  Gabriola  Galiano Gambier  Lasq

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