Canada's Oil Tanker Moratorium Act Receives Royal Assent

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

Once again, Canada shoots itself in the foot regarding its oil & gas natural resources.

Canada's federal elections later this year may change things a bit, depending on voter sentiment.

Canada's Oil Tanker Moratorium Act Receives Royal Assent

Canada's Minister of transport, Marc Garneau, has announced that the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act (Bill C-48) has received Royal Assent. The Act prohibits oil tankers carrying crude and persistent oils as cargo from stopping, loading or unloading at ports or marine installations in northern British Columbia. 

The legislation complements the existing voluntary Tanker Exclusion Zone, which has been in place since 1985. The Act includes penalties that match the scale of a violation and could reach up to $5 million.

The Act aims to provide a high level of protection for the coastline around Dixon Entrance, Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. The moratorium area extends from the Canada/U.S. border in the north, down to the point on British Columbia’s mainland adjacent to the northern tip of Vancouver Island, and also includes Haida Gwaii. 

To ensure northern communities can receive critical shipments of heating oils and other products, vessels carrying less than 12,500 metric tonnes of crude or persistent oil as cargo will continue to be permitted to stop, load and unload in the moratorium area.

Related oil products the moratorium applies to include:

• partially upgraded bitumen
• synthetic crude oil
• petroleum pitch
• slack wax
• Bunker C fuel oil

Related oil products the moratorium does not apply to include:

• LNG
• gasoline
• naphtha
• jet fuel
• propane

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