The price of gas will not go down in Prince Rupert or Masset, and the oil will be hauled away, by tanker, to provide jobs at refineries a long way from Port Clements. Topping off the benefits, an offshore oil patch actually stands to damage the local tourist industry. It's clearcuts onshore, and oil rigs offshore. An unforgettable wilderness experience they'll be sure to share with their friends. Next there are the arguments.
Oil spills are common.
Globally, and only counting tankers, there is on average a spill of more than 20,000 barrels every month, and every year a spill the size of the Exxon Valdez. Technological improvements have reduced the risk of blowouts on offshore rigs, but they continue to happen. To date, Belsey says the Task Force has failed to find one major oil company interested in drilling the Hecate Basin or Queen Charlotte Sound. Only minor companies have indicated interest and unfortunately the occurrence of blowouts tends to increase dramatically among smaller operators who cut corners and can't afford new technologies. The largest recorded oil spill in history was a blowout from a rig off the coast of Mexico in the late seventies.