— from Bellingham Herald —

Two Northwest Indian tribes are suing the U.S. Coast Guard, saying the agency has failed to protect endangered orcas from the risk of oil spills associated with tanker traffic in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Tuesday, the Tulalip and Suquamish tribes argue that the Coast Guard, which regulates vessels in the region, has failed to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service over the impact the tanker traffic would have on the southern resident killer whale population.

The risk has increased significantly since the Canadian government approved the expansion of the TransMountain pipeline in British Columbia last November, the tribes allege.

The project will nearly triple capacity along an existing pipeline from Edmonton, Alberta, to Burnaby, B.C., about 30 miles north of Blaine, where it will be loaded onto tankers. Currently, the terminal gets five tankers per month; once the expansion is in place, the company plans to get about 34 tankers per month.

The tankers will pass by the San Juan Islands on their way to and from the terminal.

 

Read more here: www.bellinghamherald.com/news

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