Man’s greatest threat lies in govern- ment and industry indifference to the systematic pollution of our air, land and water. So frightful is the danger that scientists predict unless immediate - action is taken, life as we know it will cease to exist within the next 40 years. Some scientists believe it’s even now too late to curb the spread of pol- lution. Others fear industry’s domina- tion over all levels of government, makes the task impossible. There is, however, an ever-growing group of people in British Columbia who believe the fight is not impossible. These are the members of the Society for Pollution and Environmental Control (SPEC) whose avowed purpose in life is to fight pollution wherever it occurs. Formed a little over a year ago, SPEC now has over four thousand members in thirty clubs throughout the province. Membership is open to anybody. The society is completely non-partisan and has no affiliation with political, trade union, church or ethnic organizations. In its short existence SPEC has done a remarkable job in pointing up the dis- astrous consequences that could occur to the ecology of the province if the gov- ernment fails to regulate the actions of industry. One of its most notable submissions was made to the Coasting Trade Inquiry and dealt with the marine transportation of oil. The Lumber Worker, with the permisison of SPEC, is. publishing the brief in full. Future issues of the Lumber Worker will carry more articles dealing with the pollution problem. eee i We _ CANADIAN COASTLINES ee Recs a <9 i The movement of tankers along Ca- nadian coastlines is presently polluting our ports and waterways and presents the potential for catastrophic damage to _- our coastal environment. The Society for Pollution and Environmental Control urges the commission to give priority * consideration to means whereby present OLLUTIO pollution can be reduced or eliminated and the potential for further damage can be lessened. The foremost example of pollution from oil spillage from a tanker is the Torrey Canyon, which ran aground on the southwest coast of England in 1967, and released 118,000 tons of oil into the English Channel. Unfortunately, the Torrey Canyon was unique only in the size of the spil- lage — tanker mishaps are not at all uncommon. With increased tanker movement along our Arctic and British Columbia coasts which will result from recent oil discoveries in Alaska, we can expect such mishaps as almost a cer- tainty in our i REE , In the three years preceeding the wreck of the Torrey Canyon 91 tankers were stranded in various parts of the world and 238 were involved in colli- sions. Thus, over the world at large, tankers were involved in potentially seri- ous accidents on the average of twice a week. During the past ten years there have been 488 tankers of 30,000 tons dead- weight or more registered with the Am- erican Bureau of Shipping. These 488 American tankers were involved in 573 collisions, an average of one per week. In 43 of the accidents (8%) oil pollution was a possibility. The largest number of accidents in which the American tankers were in- volved (83% of them) occurred close to shore or in ports—areas of greatest eco- nomic, aesthetic and nutritional import- ance to mankind. The size of tankers now being used to transport oil increases the damage potential of an accident. The Torrey Canyon carried 118,000 tons of crude oil, and at the time of its grounding in 1967 was considered one of the ten largest tankers in the world. It is now run-of-the- mill, compared to the new supertankers in use and under construction. Nearly MAN'S GREATEST_THREA; 200 tankers of 200 thousand tons dead : weight have been ordered, several 300-7 000 ton tankers are in service (such as)” the Universe Ireland) and ships of 500-9) e § ny 4) r i ig rey Canyon grounding it is not difficult, 7 to realize that an accident involving one ~~ of these giants would be a major ca- tastrophe to our coasts. In addition to oil spills resulting fro collisions, there is a large and continu if ing pollution problem resulting from ~ ‘normal’ operations of tankers. Large” amounts of oil are left in the wakes oT tankers that discharge oily ballast and, ~ tank residues — estimated at 500 thou> © sand tons annually. Milford Haven is the ~ largest-oil port in the United Kingdom ~ and has the reputation of one of te cleanest ports in the world, but despite © their stringent regulations they have» many minor spillage incidents each year — and have had three major pollution eplr | sodes since 1960. 4 LITTLE PUBLICIZED Most of the oil spillage accidents are | little publicized, but some of the i dents since 1967 are: 4 4a e 1967 — tanker Desert Chief spilled up to 1200 bbls: of crude oil when un- loading in the York River, Virginia. Té miles of river and several recreations, beaches were fouled. af © 1967 — several large oil slicks co - taminated about 30 miles of coastline along Cape Cod National Seashore. e 1966-67 — about 75 incidents of oil pollution were reported by federal am state agencies in Cook Inlet, Alaské @ 1968 — tanker Ocean Eagle spit in two in heavy seas at the entrance &