Trudeau vows to build pipeline,, greens sue to protect Orcas

Oil tankers and orcas are at the center of major controversy in Canada, which is spilling over into waters of the Salish Sea shared and beloved by residents of both the United States and the "Great White North."

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged "shovels in the ground" on Wednesday. He vowed to overcome a federal court ruling that has stopped a massive oil pipeline that would send 34 laden tankers a month through sensitive marine waters shared by the U.S. and Canada.

"We're looking at various options, including legislation, including appeals and we're looking at what we need to satisfy the court," Trudeau said in Edmonton.

The expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline would carry up to 895,000 barrels of bitumen crude each day from Alberta to a port at Burnaby, just east of Vancouver. The oil would be exported by tanker out through Burrard Inlet, the San Juan and Gulf Islands, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The prime minister spoke as six Canadian conservation groups sued his government, demanding that it issue an "Emergency Order" laying down protection for the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population.

"Emergency orders are specifically designed for circumstances like this, when you have a species that needs more than delayed plans and half measures to survive and recover," said Christianne Williamson of Save Georgia Strait.

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