Dear Editor:
The (Sunday, May 17) article on what could happen in the event of a major oil spill in Burrard Inlet is the height of fear mongering. The reality is there is and would be a robust cleanup system in place, so why release this study to the public before the spill response is taken into account? This is totally irresponsible and misleading to the public.
When the Exxon Valdes split open 26 years ago it was at full speed, under the direction of the second mate only, with no escort or shore based surveillance. Our ships in B.C. will be at harbour speeds, under the direction of two B.C. pilots, the officer on watch, lookouts and the captain.
There will be a minimum of two special purpose escort tugs tethered to the ship, capable of steering and stopping the ship in the event of mechanical failure. All this under the radar watch surveillance of the Canadian Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Services, who will implement a clear channel procedure so the ship will not encounter other traffic in the narrows.
Any mishap that may occur will be minor, similar to a fender bender in a parking lot. This kind of accident will not penetrate the outer hull of the ship, never mind the inner double hull.
With all the layers of safety in place even the fender bender is extremely unlikely.
Another thing that drives me nuts is why every time there is a minor marine incident — and that’s the only ones we have — there all calls to ban tankers and even ban shipping?
At least a few times every year there are jumbo jets that regrettably fall from the sky killing hundreds of people, dumping thousands of litres of jet fuel into the environment and not one word of shutting down jet planes. Our priorities are corrupt, it would seem.
The fact is that ships are the most environmentally friendly means of transportation in the world. The safety record is excellent and the pollutants per ton of cargo are far less than any other means of transportation. Another fact is that without ships we’d all have to reduce our standard of living to that of the Third World, we are and always have been an exporting/trading nation.
Let’s please ditch the rhetoric and stick to facts and reality.
Jikky Middleton
North Vancouver
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