Tell Canada: Do Not Fast Track a New Oil Pipeline and Tanker Traffic in the Salish Sea

The oil tanker MV Sirius Star.
Image: U.S. Navy/William S. Stevens, public domain.

Overview

Canada is considering designating the proposed West Coast Oil Pipeline as a “project of national interest.” This designation allows accelerated federal approvals without a thorough evaluation of the project’s environmental and safety risks and impacts. Please join us in submitting comments by September 18, 2026, to help protect the Salish Sea for future generations.


What’s at Stake?

The West Coast Oil Pipeline proposal is a one-million-barrel-per-day pipeline and a massive crude-oil storage and marine terminal near the U.S.-Canada border. The proposal will also bring some of the world’s largest oil tankers into the Salish Sea. These tankers would increase the risk of accidents and oil spills, vessel strikes, underwater noise, and disturbance in Southern Resident killer whale critical habitats. They will also threaten Sovereign Nation and Treaty-protected resources, maritime safety, and economies and coastal communities on both sides of the border. The proposed marine terminal would be located in an area with very high earthquake-related hazards.  

Washington State and U.S. Laws have prohibited Very Large Crude Carriers in the Salish Sea for decades due to the risks they pose. These longstanding restrictions reflect concerns about navigational, accident, and oil spill risks associated with exceptionally large oil tankers operating in the Salish Sea’s geographically constrained waterways that have strong currents, sharp turns, and environmentally sensitive habitats.


The Opportunity

Friends of the San Juans is urging Canada to not designate the proposed West Coast Oil Pipeline as a “project of national interest” and require comprehensive, independent, peer-reviewed, cumulative, and transboundary environmental and safety assessments and meaningful consultation with all potentially affected state, provincial, and local governments, as well as Sovereign Nations including U.S. Tribes, and other communities.

Please join us in our advocacy:

  • Canada should not use the Canadian side of a shared waterway to introduce Very Large Crude Carrier risks and impacts to the shared waters of the Salish Sea.
  • Canada should not fast-track a project with unresolved risks and impacts that extend across the Canada-U.S. border.
  • A project with risks and impacts of this scale requires a rigorous, transparent environmental review process.

Tell the Government of Canada not to designate the West Coast Oil Pipeline as a project of national interest.


Learn More

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Friends of the San Juans has been advocating for stronger safeguards for the Salish Sea for more than 40 years. Learn more about the full breadth of our work at sanjuans.org. And, be sure you’re signed up for Action Alerts so you’ll be the first to know when new opportunities open for public comment with Friends of the San Juans!


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