John Cummins, M.P. Delta-South Richmond

News Release

December 9, 2002

Agreement on Vessel Traffic System Suspended
Tanker Traffic on Its Own

OTTAWA- "The prospect of the pristine beaches of the Gulf Islands being covered in thick black oily goo pouring from the hull of a damaged supertanker is more likely today than only a few months ago," said John Cummins, M.P. (Delta-south Richmond).

The Canadian Coast Guard has been forced to withdraw from a co-operative arrangement with the United States Coast Guard's vessel traffic control in the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound areas because they lack the training and equipment to fulfill their responsibility under the agreement.

The notice of cancellation of the agreement, which was signed off by both the United States and Canadian Coast Guard officials on August 15, 2002
stated:

"... it has been agreed that until specific training, manpower, and equipment discrepancies can be addressed for specific Co-operative Vessel Traffic Services areas, [the Seattle, Victoria and Tofino Vessel Traffic Centres] will no longer follow the current CVTS Centre Failure Matrix procedures. In lieu of this decision when a centre failure occurs the adjacent traffic centres will instead issue a Notice to Shipping informing mariners of the affected centre's service interruption."

That is to say, in the event of a system failure in the United States, only a general Notice to Shipping will be issued by the Canadian Coast Guard to advise vessels travelling in American waters that they are on their own.

On February 28, 2002 an earthquake shut down the American vessel traffic control in Seattle. The Canadian Coast Guard took over and averted disaster, clearing a passage for a fully loaded 188,000 ton oil tanker through Rosario Strait, a narrow one-way shipping lane. In the event of another shutdown, a similar assist will not happen.

"The Canada-United States agreement to backstop one another's traffic control has been cancelled because Canada can no longer do the job. Supertankers are now on their own."

"How can the federal government contemplate a fully loaded supertanker operating on Victoria's door step without any traffic control?" Cummins asked today in the Commons. "Why has the government decided to risk supertanker collision and oils spills on the West Coast? Why has the government allowed the system to deteriorate to the point where supertankers could be playing bumper car in the Strait of Georgia?"

Contact: John Cummins, M.P.
(613) 992-2957 or cell (604) 970-0937