Rampant pollution in an abandoned B.C. town undermines confidence in the government's ability to steward oil and gas in the area. For the last 10,000 years Namu, B.C. has been home to human habitation. The 80-acre plant that once employed about 400 people was at the core of this community. Now, the once a vibrant fish processing town lies abandoned as it leaches hazardous substances (oil, diesel, turpentine, creosote and asbestos) into the Pacific ocean. A ship called the Chilcotin Princess is at risk of sinking.
The situation in Namu begs an even bigger question about the safety of the proposed oil and gas projects on the west coast. The Northern Gateway Pipeline alone would ferry 525,000 barrels of tar sands bitumen each day from Alberta to the west coast.. If neither the federal nor the provincial governments are acting to address the numerous public safety and environmental concerns in Namu how can they be trusted to manage the far larger threats posed by oil tankers and LNG facilities?
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