We clearly support this proposed amendment. There are very strong objections stated by the Government of British Columbia that this provision potentially would allow for the use of dispersants that they're deeply concerned about and that could be illegal under the federal Fisheries Act. They simply don't support the way the bill is drafted. They would support this amendment, I understand.
It seems reasonable to us as well. Since the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico, there are increasingly deep concerns about the effect of these dispersants. Having personally witnessed the disastrous response by the Alberta and federal governments to the bunker C spill in Alberta, I can attest to the fact that when you use the wrong substance, you end up with a disaster. In that case, they used sawdust, and the bunker C sank to the bottom of the lake, which causes greater damage.
The concern with a lot of these dispersants is that they in fact do cause the sinking and more biological damage. I've taken a close look at this amendment and it seems to be a very sensible one.