Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Today, the Canadian Federal Court of Appeal ruled in favor of First Nations in their challenge to the government’s approval of the necessary permits for the Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline. The controversial pipeline has faced widespread public opposition across Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
If built, the project would nearly triple the amount of tar sands flowing to the Pacific coast and increase tanker traffic through the Salish Sea by 700 percent.
Today’s ruling nullified the permits for construction and operation of the pipeline, halting construction on the project indefinitely.
Communities across British Columbia and Washington State worked tirelessly over the last year on the Pull Together effort to support First Nations’ legal cases, raising over $650K in support of these legal victories.
In response, Sierra Club Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign Director Kelly Martin released the following statement:
“Today’s decision is a major victory for First Nations and communities on both sides of the border that would be threatened by this tar sands pipeline, the increased tanker traffic it would bring to the Pacific coast, and the climate impact of burning more dirty tar sands. It’s also a testament to the growing power of the movement to fight back against dirty, dangerous tar sands pipelines. Communities across North America will not back down until Trans Mountain -- as well as Keystone XL and Enbridge’s Line 3 -- are canceled once and for all. We’ll continue to stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities to ensure that this pipeline is never built.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.