TransCanada, an oil corporation with a
bad attitude, has encountered multiple challenges against its $11bn Energy East plan to build a tar sands pipeline to Canada's east coast. Besides First Nations opposition, an endangered species the beautiful white beluga whale stands in its way. The Canadian Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife found the population of beluga whales
(Delphinapterus leucas) inhabiting the St. Lawrence River endangered. That decision prompted TransCanada to halt planning work for a key export terminal on the river's eastern shore. The 900 individual whales of the St. Lawrence group, the southern most in the world, are already struggling to survive against industrial pollution causing diseases such as hepatitis, pneumonia, septicemia and cancer. Their numbers are down from an estimated 5,000 in 1900. Beluga hunting was not banned until 1979.
The Committee concludes that without protection of its critical habitat, the population is expected to shrink even more. A company spokesperson said further work is suspended until it can assess impacts of the proposed project on belugas. It is unlikely a heavy oil terminal at Cacouna, Quebec that would service 175 super tankers annually could be compatible in any way with the protection of the remaining belugas. Energy East pipeline would be North America's largest pipeline carrying as much as 1.1 million barrels of dilbit from Alberta to New Brunswick Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said it would be "difficult to continue to plan for an oil terminal with that kind of news. Now it is up to the promoter to decide to go to other sites". In October
thousands marched in Cacouna to oppose the pipeline project.
