Tanker Exclusion Zone Clarification

INTRODUCTION

The Chamber of Shipping seeks to clarify misunderstanding related to the Tanker Exclusion Zone off Canada's West Coast, its history and its rationale for development.  This exclusion zone is often mistaken as a Moratorium on Tankers.

Following discussions in 1988 which involved U.S. Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard and representatives from the U.S. Tanker industry user group, it was agreed this Tanker Exclusion Zone would be voluntarily adopted.

This procedure presents the optimum compromise for marine safety, user economics, and environmental considerations of all the agencies involved.

BACKGROUND

In the 1970's the Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) was completed. The line runs from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, Alaska. Since that time, tankers varying in size from 50,000 to 250,000 DWT have been transporting crude oil from Valdez to U.S. west coast ports. On average there is one loaded tanker entering the Juan de Fuca Strait every day and conversely, a tanker, in ballast, exits the straits for Alaska. Environmental concerns resulted in the establishment of a routing system for the TAPS tankers in 1977. These routes were designed to keep tankers in excess of 100 miles west of the Queen Charlotte Islands. The southern portion of the routes was approximately 85 miles from Cape Scott, 35 miles from Estevan Point and 25 miles from Amphitrite Point, Vancouver Island.

In March, 1982, the U.S. Coast Guard cancelled the TAPS routes. They were unpopular with the Tanker Industry and there was concern by the U.S. Government that the northern portion of the routes was not surveyed.

On June 15th 1985, revised TAPS routes similar to the 1977 routes were established; but again not favoured by the industry. The cost of conforming to the new routes was objected to by the American Institute of Merchant Shipping (AIMS), now the Chamber of Shipping of America. They felt the routes were too confining and added considerably to the operating expenses of the tankers. Additionally, AIMS felt tankers should be able to plan their trips with consideration given to weather and other environmental factors.

During December 1985 members of the Canadian and U.S. Coast Guard met with members of AIMS in Seattle to discuss tanker routing, It was agreed that a temporary Tanker Exclusion Zone be established off the Canadian West Coast as an interim measure. This zone has since held tankers 77 miles to the west of Cape St. James, 60 miles from Triangle Island, 40 miles from Estevan Point. In the meantime, the Canadian Coast Guard conducted a Tanker Drift Study. The results were published in January, 1988.

On January 26th, 1988, members of the Canadian Coast Guard and U.S. Coast Guard met with representatives of the American Institute of Merchant Shipping in Seattle to discuss the Tanker Drift Study and the recommended Tanker Exclusion Zone. All three parties accepted the results of the Study. The Tanker Exclusion Zone defines an area off Canada's West Coast where a disabled tanker would likely drift ashore prior to the arrival of salvage tugs in unfavourable weather conditions.

In recent years, a number of environmental non-governmental organizations have publicly opposed Kitimat development projects, citing the existence of a moratorium on tanker traffic along the B.C. coast as prohibiting any tankers from entering B.C. ports.