Ottawa, Ontario – June 25, 2013 – The public should reject TransCanada Corp’s proposal to build a massive $5 billion pipeline through the City of Ottawa.
TransCanada Corp plans to retrofit a natural gas pipeline into a pipeline that will carry 850,000 barrels of oil from Alberta’s tar sands to the East Coast of Canada through the south end of Ottawa and across the Rideau River.
“Tar sands oil is far more dangerous to ship in pipelines than natural gas,” says Graham Saul, Director of Ecology Ottawa. “This proposed pipeline will create huge new risks while providing no new benefits for the City of Ottawa.”
Raw tar sands oil is too thick to flow through a pipeline, so it must be diluted with toxic chemicals. When spilled, these chemicals evaporate and release a gas cloud hazardous to all living things. The remaining oil is heavier than water, so it sinks and coats the bottom of rivers and lakes, making cleanup practically impossible.
Tar sands oil spills in Michigan and Arkansas have caused large evacuations, serious health problems for nearby residents, and permanent damage to the environment. The cost of the 2010 Kalamazoo River spill cleanup has already reached $1 billion and remains unfinished.
Ecology Ottawa is urging the public to sign the following petition to send a clear signal to elected officials that this dangerous proposal must be rejected.
“We, the undersigned, demand that our elected officials prevent dangerous tar sands oil from being shipped through our city. A tar sands pipeline would create huge new risks and provide no new benefit for the City of Ottawa.”
The petition can be found here: HTTP://ECOLOGYOTTAWA.NATIONBUILDER.COM/TAR_SANDS_OIL
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