As a resident/citizen of BC and Canada, I have an interest in the
expropriation of Nanoose Bay. I object to the federal government's
expropriation of Nanoose Bay for a variety of reasons.
1/ Political Manoevering
Nanoose Bay is BC territory, and it is being expropriated for punitive
purposes. This is an obvious case of the federal Liberal government
punishing
BC's provincial NDP government for purposes related to the Pacific
Salmon Treaty negotiations. Expropriation of this variety is unprecedented
and inappropriate!
2/ Weapons testing
Allowing American vessels into our waters for weapons testing
exposes our residents, citizens, and marine wildlife to very serious
potential dangers. The whole point of *testing* weapons is that their
proper use and/or their effects are unknown. I do not want our territory
used for determining these unknowns. Given the risks, it is no surprise
to me that the Americans are not conducting these tests in their own
waters.
3/ American Vessels & Nuclear Weapons
Allowing American vessels that may be carrying *nuclear* weapons exposes
our residents, citizens, and wildlife to even more serious potential
dangers. Accidents happen, and the harmful effects of nuclear accidents
linger for a very long time! BC has been declared a nuclear-weapons-free
zone. BC's nuclear-weapons-free statement carries weight and
meaning;
it is not a statement to be ignored by our federal government.
There is *no basis* for permitting into BC territory American vessels
that may be carrying nuclear weapons.
4/ Wildlife
The potential *environmental* impact of this expropriation is huge,
a
point that has received little attention. BC waters contain unique
marine wildlife; the aquatic ecosystems are fragile. Marine areas in
BC
are already subjected to over-use and abuse (from factors including
recreation, commercial fishing, chemical polution, noise pollution,
and
many others) without adding the additional threat posed by these weapons
tests. Allowing American military vessels to conduct these weapons
tests
in our waters adds to the already increasing level of underwater noise
that is known to disrupt sonic communications among whale populations.
Allowing weapons tests also creates the potential for harm to fragile
ecosystems and even poses the considerable risk of physical harm to
marine wildife, including whales, seals, fish, and other species, not
to mention the delicate sea vegetation. The risks to the environment
and
the wildlife that would be associated with a nuclear accident are even
more worrisome. As someone who lives in BC, I realize that I am
a custodian of the wilderness, along with the provincial government
and the federal government. We all have an obligation to protect our
natural
environment. The wildlife and the fragile terrain deserve protection,
and the federal government's expropriation violates this duty.
Thank you for this opportunity to articulate my objections.
L. Kramer