Letter to Editor | Stop the madness, break the logjam

Some years ago, the Friends of the San Juans worked to discourage the volume of coal-laden ships along the U.S.-Canadian border on their way to foreign ports.  Each transiting vessel carried the risk of damage to the fragile ecology of our Islands.  That risk may soon be be greatly amplified.

The energy and economic tussle between Canada and the U.S. has led Canada to seek Asian customers for its oil and gas products. Accordingly, the province of Alberta, rich in oil & gas resources, is lobbying Ottawa to approve a new oil pipeline.  A much talked-about possible route would pass through the Fraser River Valley to a port near Vancouver, for shipments to customers in Asia.  Carney’s schedule aims to have a decision worked out in a few months.  Meanwhile, China has reportedly already offered a long-term bid for the new pipeline’s output.

Yet, within recent years, massive flooding has occurred in the Fraser River Valley.  Below is drone video footage of the widespread flooding in that area.  If a new oil pipeline were to pass through that area, repeat flooding could put such a new oil pipeline located there in jeopardy.   Affected rivers include the Nooksack River, which flows south near Ferndale and Bellingham.

Ironically, The chokepoint in the Strait of Hormuz has, at least temporarily, reduced world dependence on oil.  Still, getting off of oil will be a long, slow process for us all.  Until then, the easiest-to-reach sources for our regional refineries are well-established and largely from the north (Canada and Alaska). 

It seems we in SJC are about to become entangled in a fight between multiple parties on both sides of the boarder. The prospect for us seems all risk and no gain.

We’ve also got a pending deal on a modernized U.S./Canada Columbia River treaty, years in the making, waiting in the wings.   We need all the hydro we can get with our warming climate and reduced snowpack.

It’s time to stop the madness and break the logjam.