The Financial Post reports in its Tuesday, Aug. 12, edition that in 2017, the Trudeau government introduced Bill C-48, establishing an oil tanker moratorium on British Columbia's north coast, replacing the previous voluntary "tanker exclusion zone" from 1985. The Post's guest columnist Robert Lyman writes that this decision was influenced by public concerns about potential oil spills, reminiscent of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, which released 37,000 tonnes of oil due to a single-hulled tanker and substantial operational failures. Moratorium supporters argue little has changed since then, but significant advancements in shipping regulations have occurred. Following the spill, international rules were strengthened, leading to the complete phase-out of single-hull tankers and mandates for double-hulled designs for new vessels. Consequently, global oil spills have declined from an average of 2,340 barrels per day in the 1980s to about 100 barrels per day since 2010, despite a doubling of tanker shipments. Additionally, the number of spills exceeding seven tonnes has dropped by 90 per cent since the 1970s. Not only are spills much less common but Canada's ability to respond quickly and clean them up is much improved.