Report finds Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to increase tar sands traffic in US

A new report released by Friends of the Earth in the US has found that the proposed $6.8bn expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline will result in seven times as much traffic formed by tar sands tankers.

Titled ‘Tar Sands / Dilbit Crude Oil Movements Within the Salish Sea’, the report found that the Trans Mountain Pipeline moves about 300,000 barrels of tar sands oil per day from fields in Alberta to British Columbia for export.

The pipeline expansion is expected to increase the number of tankers exporting oil through a critical habitat for endangered killer whales.

Friends of the Earth northwest consultant Fred Felleman said: "Trans Mountain is the one of the biggest threats to US waters that few people have ever heard of.

"The expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline poses the greatest risk of a catastrophic oil spill in the Salish Sea as compared with the numerous other marine terminal proposals in the region."

The report primarily focuses on the barge movements of tar sands crude oil between Burnaby, British Columbia, and Tacoma, Washington, within the Salish Sea.

Friends of the Earth oceans and vessels programme director Marcie Keever said: "Many people may think that the battle over tar sands exports ended with the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline by the Obama administration.

"However, this report details that tar sands oil is currently moving over the waters of the Salish Sea, being refined at Washington refineries, and will increase sevenfold if the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion is approved."

The expansion is expected to increase the pipeline’s capacity to 890,000 barrels per day.

The number of tankers exporting crude oil through the Salish Sea will also increase from one per week to one per day.