Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, released the following statement: 

“People I represent need answers on how the new Alberta to B.C. pipeline at Roberts Bank is going to impact the Salish Sea and local marine habitats. 

“Due to Canada’s plans to ship more oil in the Salish Sea, the Coast Guard’s oil spill prevention and response mission in the Pacific Northwest is even more critical. The Coast Guard must immediately begin prevention planning through the Canada-United States Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan. 

"I will do everything I can to protect the Salish Sea and prevent oil spills that would harm sensitive marine habitats in Northwest Washington. I will keep pressing for answers from the Coast Guard and communicating to my Canadian counterparts why people I represent oppose this pipeline.” 

Today, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a roundtable with officials from the Coast Guard on maritime safety. A video clip of Rep. Larsen asking Coast Guard officials about their awareness of the new Canadian pipeline and how it would implicate existing oil spill prevention plans can be found here, and the recording of the entire roundtable can be found here. 

On July 2, the Government of Alberta announced a proposed new oil pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific Ocean that would transport 1 million barrels per day to an export terminal at Roberts Banks in British Columbia. The new pipeline will increase tanker traffic in Haro Strait and Boundary Bay in the Salish Sea, and with it the risks for catastrophic oil spills impacting sensitive marine environments. 

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