Wednesday, May 21, 2014

An LNG Pushback?

Notice was delivered last week outlining that the comment period for the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission project was now open, an opportunity for interested observers to provide feedback and express concerns over the proposed route of the pipeline to bring natural gas from Northeast BC gas fields to a terminal point at Lelu Island.

Open Houses are planned for communities across Northern British Columbia from June 16 - 25, where residents can learn more about the proposed pipeline development.

You can review their summary of their application for an Environmental Assessment certificate here.

And while the BC Environmental Assessment Office compiles that information, a much larger conversation is taking place in communities across the Northern region.

With the many proposed routes and growing scale of development in their regions, making for much in the way of discussion. Particularly among those with concerns over the entire subject of LNG and the impact that development may have on their communities.

The topic is of key interest among those opposed to the extraction of natural gas by way of fracking, or those with concerns over the proposed pipeline routes.

As both groups begin to mount pressure to slow down the frantic pace of proposed developments in their areas.

Both the Vancouver Observer news site and to a lesser degree the Tyee website, have been highlighting much of that push back in recent weeks.

As article after article provides background to some of the opposition to the plans and what it all may mean for the plethora of proposed terminal projects for the Northwest.

One article in particular, provided for what may turn into a fairly controversial aspect of LNG pipeline development.

As some members of the Gitxsan First Nation are suggesting that they're names have been used without their permission, offering up their endorsement of development when none was provided.

That concern began to gain some traction earlier this month, as the Vancouver Observer provided some background on the issue and the prospect of concerns, when it comes to past endorsements from other First Nation Communities in Northern British Columbia.

Beyond that controversial aspect of moving the pipelines forward, environmentalists and other citizens across Northern BC have also started to create awareness of their concerns and look to send their message to the provincial government that the path to LNG riches may not go quite according to schedule.

Some of those items of interest can be found below:

Without license: Many B. C. First Nations still oppose LNG
"Over my dead body": northern BC residents overwhelmed by massive LNG push
Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition unites loggers, farmers, miners against rampant LNG development
Local company harassed for LNG work
Pipeline exploration work goes unattended on Northern BC rivers
Pipelines Risk "Social Peace": UN Envoy
Dear John Horgan: Oppose the Libs' Jobs Myth
Agricultural Land Reserve Changes Make Way for Pipelines: Conservationist
BC LNG Doesn't Have to Be a Massive Polluter
Defiant Northern Chief galvanizes BC First Nations against Premier's LNG plans
LNG coming to BC, big and fast. Are you ready?
Has LNG Become Political LSD in BC?

The issue of LNG development has been prominent at the Legislature in recent weeks with both North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice and Skeena MLA Robin Austin, outlining some of their thoughts on the theme and suggesting the time has come for more conversation on development issues.

A short review of some of our past items from the Legislature can be found below:

Land, LNG issues up for discussion for MLA in Legislature
Northwest MLA's look for more conversation on LNG in region
Skeena MLA raises concerns over LNG Development planning
Skeena MLA Austin seeks more info on LNG preparation in Northwest
Rice to Liberals: Risky to put all our eggs in LNG basket

The race against the clock to get even a few of the proposed terminals for the Northwest up and running is based on the ever changing and competitive nature of the LNG industry, which finds projects around the world proposed regularly.

Some of which eventually come on line, with others left on the drawing board with any number of factors to be reviewed, as to why they never quite made it to the completion phase.

How the discussions currently taking place across Northern British Columbia may impact on the proposed developments of the Northwest remains to be seen.

With jobs and economic development of the region the key aspect of the BC Liberals agenda for LNG in the North, the growing push back from some of the key areas of that development may find that the timetable that the province was working with may need to be adjusted.

On our archive pages, we have a full review of items when it comes to natural gas and the proposed LNG Terminal development in the region.

For items of a general nature on LNG see our  LNG overview page, for items related to a particular Terminal proposal see our Archive page on LNG here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.

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