A proposed Canadian oil export terminal just across Boundary Bay from Point Roberts is drawing increasing scrutiny in Washington, D.C., as U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen is urging the Coast Guard to prepare now for the possibility of significantly increased oil tanker traffic through the Salish Sea.
The terminal, proposed for Roberts Bank, British Columbia, would sit only a few miles north of Point Roberts. If paired with a new Alberta pipeline capable of carrying 1 million barrels of oil per day, the project would send additional crude oil tankers through waters bordering Point Roberts, Blaine and the San Juan Islands before reaching the Pacific Ocean as soon as 2032.
“People I represent need answers on how the new Alberta to B.C. pipeline at Roberts Bank is going to impact the Salish Sea and local marine habitats,” Larsen said in a statement on July 21.
His comments came after a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee roundtable with Coast Guard officials, where Larsen questioned whether the agency is preparing for the possibility of increased oil tanker traffic through Haro Strait and Boundary Bay.
“The Coast Guard must immediately begin prevention planning through the Canada-United States Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan,” Larsen said.
Goal: to expand Canadian oil in Asian energy markets
Alberta’s plans call for a 260-hectare marine terminal, 15 oil storage tanks capable of holding 6.5 million barrels of crude and two berths designed to load very large crude carriers carrying up to 2.2 million barrels of oil each. The project is estimated to cost between $35.2 billion and $43.7 billion, with construction targeted to begin as early as 2027 and operations beginning between 2032 and 2034, if approved.
Announced July 2 by the Government of Alberta, the project envisions construction of a new pipeline capable of transporting at least 1 million barrels of Alberta bitumen per day to tidewater. Oil would be exported from the proposed new deep-water terminal at Roberts Bank. Alberta officials say the project would diversify Canadian exports by expanding access to Asian markets.
The project is part of a broader agreement between the Canadian and Alberta governments to make Canada a “global energy superpower” while streamlining approvals for major energy projects.
A memorandum of understanding between Canada and Alberta signed in November 2025 sets a goal of reducing permitting timelines to two years and identifies the Roberts Bank pipeline as a national priority. It also ties the project to Indigenous ownership opportunities and a massive carbon capture initiative intended to reduce emissions from Alberta oil production.
Tsawwassen First Nation responds
The proposed marine terminal would be located within Tsawwassen First Nation Treaty lands, and the Nation issued a recent statement saying it has not yet been consulted.
“Tsawwassen First Nation is a modern Treaty Nation, and our Treaty rights are constitutionally protected,” Executive Councilor Valerie Cross said in a July 3 statement. “We have not been consulted on this proposal. If this project proceeds, we expect to be meaningfully involved from the earliest stages of planning and decision-making.”
Tsawwassen First Nation has not taken a position on the project, saying any decision will come only after technical review and community engagement.
“Our Members will be at the center of any future decisions,” Cross said. “We will take the time needed to understand the proposal, assess its potential impacts, and hear directly from our community before determining a position.”
The Nation said its review will examine potential impacts on Treaty rights, lands, waters, the Fraser River estuary, Roberts Bank, fisheries, marine ecosystems, community well-being and future generations.
Read The Narwhal's coverage on this issue: ‘Industrial sacrifice zone’: the plan to bring oil supertankers to the mouth of the Fraser River
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here