Americas News
Canada Wants Unlimited Liability for Oil Spills
A Canadian government panel has called for tanker operators to face unlimited liability for possible fuel spills, the Canadian Press reports.
Current law caps liability at $161 million for a spill.
The three-member panel's report says that two pipeline proposals, by Enbridge and Kinder Morgan, could add 600 tankers to British Columbia's waters and might add new dangers because they will involve liquefied natural gas (LNG) and bitumen.
"Canadian taxpayers should not bear any liability for spills in Canadian waters," the report says.
In addition, it recommends annual spill training exercises, assessments of risk based on local geography, and better planning for cleanup and the protection of wildlife in the event of a spill.
The report, the first of two commissioned from the panel, will now be reviewed and discussed by Canadian leaders.
A second study will focus on spill hazards in the Arctic and an examination of the effects of potential spills of products including bitumen and LNG.
Several LNG export projects are planned for Canada's West Coast, with the potential to begin operations as soon as 2018.
