Today, Greenpeace USA responded to Washington governor Jay Inslee’s recent executive order meant to protect the Southern Resident Orca Whale whose numbers in the region, 76, have reached a 30-year low. Greenpeace Field Organizing Manager Ben Smith said:
“The Southern Resident Killer Whale is vital to the history and culture of the Pacific Northwest and an important part of what makes the state of Washington special. Greenpeace knows that Governor Inslee is serious about protecting orcas and applauds this effort. However, in order to achieve our shared goal, Governor Inslee needs to use the full force of his influence and do everything in his power to ensure Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion is never built. This oil pipeline would increase, by 700 percent, the number of tar sands tanker ships that travel off the Pacific Coast. This would significantly increase the likelihood of an oil spill in the orca’s natural habitat, jeopardizing their lives and the lives of local fish populations, including salmon, the orca’s primary food source. Not only would this threaten the existence of the Southern Resident Killer Whale, but it would also threaten our tourism and fishing industries and the jobs and economic dollars they support.”
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Press Contact:
Yianni Varonis
Senior Communications Specialist
