This month we’re celebrating two major wins for the environment and the right to speak out! Last week, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act was passed in the House of Commons. And this Tuesday, the BC government tabled long-awaited legislation to protect British Columbians from strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP) – stay tuned for our analysis of the bill.
Read on below for West Coast’s take on possible Kinder Morgan court outcomes, BC environmental assessments, new provincial climate targets and more. |
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Last week, West Coast was thrilled to see that Bill C-48, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, was passed in the House of Commons.
After advocating for this law for over 40 years, we are celebrating the tireless efforts of Indigenous nations, northern communities and other allies who have fought so hard for a legislated oil tanker ban on the north Pacific coast. We hope the bill passes swiftly through its final stage in the Senate! |
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This month, we joined 23 environmental organizations, legal experts, social justice and community groups to release our shared vision for the future of environmental assessment in BC.
Together, we’ve proposed some bold reforms that will prioritize scientific and Indigenous knowledge, rebuild credibility and help achieve sustainability. For more details, you can also check out this Blueprint for Revitalizing EA in BC, co-authored by West Coast, Ecojustice, the UVic Environmental Law Centre and Pacific Centre for Environmental Law & Litigation. |
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Everyone is eagerly awaiting a decision from the courts on Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline, and what happens next will shape BC’s future. Ongoing court challenges present serious legal risks for the project – risks that were ignored yesterday when the federal government announced its plans to bail out the company.
Staff Lawyer Eugene Kung walks us through the possible outcomes of the federal court cases, complete with hockey metaphors and recent updates from on the ground. |
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The provincial government's new Bill 34 claims to give BC a newClimate Change Accountability Act. But while it sets new greenhouse gas reduction targets, it misses the “accountability” part.
Staff Lawyer Andrew Gage sifts through what’s new and what hasn’t changed, and offers best practices for a robust climate accountability law. |
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Bill C-68 is entering the final stages in the House of Commons, ushering in important amendments that will restore lost protections under the federal Fisheries Act. These new amendments will have lasting implications for fish and their habitat – and we owe it to them to get it right.
After testifying before the Parliamentary committee reviewing the bill, Staff Lawyer Linda Nowlan explains what could be doneto make Canada’s modernized Fisheries Act even stronger. |
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It’s the summertime and time to welcome our new law students and new staff!
- We’ve got six excellent law students: Aakash Taneja, Christie McLeod, Christina Clemente, Dan Cheater, David Schecter and Jennifer Wong.
- Rumnique Nannar is our new Communications & Engagement Specialist.
Check out their bios on our staff page. |
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phone: 604.684.7378
fax: 604.684.1312
toll-free in BC: 1.800.330.WCEL
admin@wcel.org
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Canada’s
pipeline
hysteria is
reaching a fever
pitch, with the
federal
government now
proposing to use
taxpayer funds
to bail out
Kinder Morgan’s
Trans Mountain
project. This
Earth Day
weekend, check
out our latest
update on the
legal risks and
uncertainties
surrounding
Trans Mountain,
then find three
ways you can
take action to
protect the
coast and
waterways from
oil spills:
Also this week,
West Coast's
Anna Johnston
appeared before
the
Parliamentary
committee
reviewing
proposed federal
environmental
law reforms
under Bill C-69.
See our
submissions on
strengthening
the new Impact
Assessment Act and
restoring lost
protections
under the Canadian
Navigable Waters
Act. |
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Kinder Morgan has set a May 31 deadline to get political certainty for building its Trans Mountain pipeline and tanker project. What can the federal government do to achieve this? And will it alleviate the host of legal, financial, reputational and practical risks facing the project?
Read Staff Lawyer Eugene Kung's analysis, and support our work by donating today. |
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Right now, British Columbians have an opportunity to make sure that lands, waters and the coast are protected from oil spills – not just from Kinder Morgan’s pipeline and tankers, but from other sources as well – through the modernization of our oil spill response regulations.
Read about the key elements needed to make sure these regulations do their job, then submit your comments to the BC government. Take action by April 30th to make your voice heard! |
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Has the north coast oil tanker ban stalled in Parliament? Some recent signs point to yes, so West Coast is supporting a Parliamentary petition initiated by Marilyn Slett, president of the Coastal First Nations and elected Chief of the Heiltsuk Nation, urging the federal government to finally keep its promise and enact the oil tanker ban.
Learn more from Staff Lawyer Gavin Smith, and add your nameto the petition. |
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The movement to demand climate accountability is quickly gaining momentum. Last weekend the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) – representing 53 local governments and over 850,000 British Columbians – voted to send Chevron and other fossil fuel companies a letter demanding that they pay a fair share of local climate costs.
The AVICC joins Sooke, Slocan, Castlegar, and Powell River who voted to send climate accountability letters during the past month. |
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| Meanwhile, a new climate liability bill introduced in Ontario is making waves, asserting that fossil fuel producers shall be made "strictly liable for climate-related harms that occur in Ontario." Staff Lawyer Andrew Gage explains. |
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Despite the rise in flooding, wildfires and other climate impacts, the governments of BC and Canada aren't making climate adaptation a priority.
Staff Lawyer Deborah Carlson explains how better climate adaptation planning and changes in provincial laws could help protect coastal ecosystems, make communities more resilient, and improve our chances in the "Game of Floods". |
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Rising temperatures, heatwaves, droughts and other climate impacts can have serious effects on public health.
Staff Lawyer Andrew Gage takes a look at what's needed to prepare our healthcare systems for a changing climate – and who should pay for the costs. |
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phone: 604.684.7378
fax: 604.684.1312
toll-free in BC: 1.800.330.WCEL
admin@wcel.org
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In gratitude,
