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Pipelines carrying crude oil to ports in British Columbia may spell bad news for salmon, according to a new University of Guelph-led study.
Exposure to an oil sands product – diluted bitumen – impairs the swimming ability and changes the heart structures of young salmon.
The research will be published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and is available online now.
It’s a timely finding, says U of G post-doctoral researcher and lead author Sarah Alderman.
The National Energy Board (NEB) recently approved the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project; the federal government is expected to make a final decision by December.
The pipeline stretches from Edmonton to Burnaby B.C. The expansion would double the volume of oil sands products reaching the Pacific coast. It’s just one of several trans-Canada pipelines on the NEB’s review list.
Continue reading at EurekAlert!
Salmon Image: Hans-Petter Fjeld via NOAA
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