Hi! My name is Dr. Gerald Graham, and I’m an On Scene Commander
for marine oil spill response. Regarding your news report this morning
about the federal government’s proposal to recover oil from the
Zalinksi wreck in Grenville Channel, I'd love to see Harper's
environmental risk assessment for this operation, which is slated to
begin September 16 and last up to 90 days. Specifically, I’d like to see
an assessment of the risks of waiting until next summer as compared to
the risks of proceeding this fall and winter, when the weather
deteriorates and the days are shorter. I suspect Harper’s prime
consideration was the political gains to be had from proceeding now, as
opposed to the political risks of waiting another year. He obviously
wants to be able to tout this as evidence of "world class oil spill
response", one of Christy Clark's five conditions for Northern Gateway
approval, before the Northern Gateway panel submits its report by the
end of 2013. Tellingly, a background document released as part of the
press package for the request for proposals mentions “World class tanker
safety system”, as if somehow this operation had anything to do with
tanker safety. Only in Harper’s mind does it!
Once again, then, Harper is playing politics with the environment, in a
most cynical way.