Living Oceans welcomed the release today of the Ministerial Panel's report on the Trans Mountain Pipeline, observing that the panel posed penetrating questions that the government will be expected to answer in rendering its decision on the controversial pipeline and tanker project.

"While we still feel that the assessment of this pipeline was deeply flawed, overlooking many of the most basic aspects of professional human health risk and environmental assessment, we welcome the thoughtful manner in which the Ministerial Panel framed its questions for policy-makers," said Karen Wristen, Executive Director of Living Oceans Society. "The challenge for government now is to ensure that those questions are answered in a meaningful manner before new long-term infrastructure like this is approved."

The panel noted that the issues raised by the Trans Mountain project are among the most important and controversial issues in the world today. "In light of that recognition, we believe it would be folly on the government's part to suggest that it can approve the project before producing answers to the questions," said Wristen. "Some of the government's own advisors agreed with our expert evidence, that these pipeline projects aren't even required by the industry for years yet. There is time to figure out how a national energy strategy is going to honour our Paris commitments and provide a secure energy future for Canada."