Dear Editor:
It really comes as no surprise that the provincial government has rubber- stamped the environmental assessment for Woodfibre LNG. This is one of their pet projects, and the B.C. Liberals’ election promise was to develop an LNG industry for B.C., whatever the cost. They have continued to push this pipe dream, despite plummeting gas prices and increasing pressure from LNG companies to slash taxes and weaken regulations in an attempt to make the industry viable.
This approval simply highlights a conflict of interest: how can the public have faith in the integrity of the BC Environmental Assessment process when the ministers approving these projects (one of which is Rich Coleman, the Minister of Natural Gas Development) also have a mandate to develop LNG export facilities? Quite simply, we don’t.
An article published in BC Business earlier this year notes that “our environmental assessment process is, according to critics, the weakest and most confusing it has been in decades — thanks to abrupt changes in our environmental laws and deep budget cuts to government regulatory agencies.”
This has not been an open and transparent process, and meaningful community engagement has been limited by short windows for public input, incomplete studies provided by the proponents, and poor advertising of open house events.
Thanks to My Sea to Sky’s efforts to get people involved, the public comment period for Woodfibre LNG in March generated a record number of public comments. Has this overwhelming community opposition been adequately scrutinized by the ministers granting this EA approval, or are the B.C. Liberals ignoring public input, as well as deleting emails?
The good news is that while Woodfibre LNG has their rubber-stamped approval from the province, they still need approval from the federal government.Prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau has acknowledged that “even though (it is) governments that grant permits, ultimately it’s only communities that grant permission.”
So far, community opposition has been loud and clear, with Powell River, Lions Bay, Gibsons, West Vancouver, Bowen Island and Squamish all signalling strong opposition to Woodfibre LNG through resolutions. My Sea to Sky has partnered with 20 other organizations that oppose this project, and volunteers have gathered 4,400 signatures (and counting) to the Howe Sound Declaration, stating opposition to the project. There is no social licence for this project in Howe Sound. A rubber stamp isn’t going to change that.
Tracey Saxby
Co-founder, My Sea to Sky
What are your thoughts? Send us a letter via email by clicking here or post a comment below.
