Proposed tar sands infrastructure projects are being pushed forward in BC, despite the fact that many affected Indigenous Nations have refused consent under their own laws, and in the face of widespread community opposition.

West Coast Environmental Law is working to prevent the expansion of the tar sands by opposing pipelines and tanker projects in BC in order to protect our watersheds, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, our climate, and the human communities that rely on them. We do this by providing legal and strategic advice to First Nation clients, and by offering legal information and tools to the public.

After more than a decade of work, West Coast and our allies celebrated the defeat of the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipelines and tankers project in 2016. In 2019, we celebrated the passing of the federal Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, after decades of work to permanently protect BC’s north coast from oil tankers through legislation.

We draw inspiration and lessons from the victory against Enbridge for the ongoing fight against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which would see a sevenfold increase in tar sands tanker traffic in Burrard Inlet and the Salish Sea.

We support our First Nation clients in numerous strategic areas – including litigation, law reform, community engagement and the application and enforcement of Indigenous law.