VANCOUVER – Dyna Tuytel, Ecojustice lawyer, made the following statement in response to the federal government’s announcement that it will not be appealing a Federal Court of Appeal ruling that struck down Cabinet’s approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline project:
“News that the federal government will not appeal the ruling that struck down approval of the Trans Mountain project confirms a major victory for communities that stand to be affected by this risky pipeline project, for the climate, and for coastal ecosystems, including the endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
“While we celebrate the government accepting the court’s decision, we remain in the dark as to how the National Energy Board’s assessment of the project’s marine shipping impacts and the new Indigenous consultation processes will unfold. It is also unclear how the NEB plans to meet its legal responsibilities to assess and mitigate threats to the Southern Residents within a 155-day timeline.
“The fact remains that we continue to have significant concerns about how vessel traffic from this project would impact Southern Resident killer whales. With only 74 Southern Residents left, we will continue to push the government to use the tools it has at hand to protect this endangered species from current and future threats.”