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Cowichan Valley chapter to hold public forum on the proposed Malahat LNG terminal

Conceptual image of the Malahat LNG terminal.

The Council of Canadians Cowichan Valley chapter will hold a public forum on the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry on April 26.


The promotion for the event says, “The evening will feature Ben Parfitt, a researcher for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and Dr. Eoin Finn, who will speak about the proposed local Bamberton LNG facility.”


The Vancouver-based company Steelhead LNG Corp. is proposing two LNG export terminals on Vancouver Island.


The Malahat LNG Project would be located on Malahat Nation-owned Bamberton Industrial Lands. The floating liquefaction production facilities would be moored to jetties along the Saanich Inlet shoreline. It would receive gas via a 128-kilometre pipeline – starting with a 53-kilometre segment in Washington State and then 75 kilometres underwater across the Georgia Strait south of Salt Spring Island to Saanich Inlet. There would be one LNG carrier loading at the facility every 3-5 days. The company also wants to develop an LNG terminal at Sarita Bay on the Huu-ay-aht Nation’s traditional territory.

Steelhead LNG Corp. expects to file an application in 2018 for regulatory approval from the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office then make a final investment decision by early 2020.


The Pembina Institute says, “Together, the two plants [Malahat and Sarita Bay] and their associated upstream operations could result in the drilling of 384 extra gas wells, the emission of 16.9 million tonnes of carbon pollution, and the usage of 7.9 million cubic metres of freshwater per year.”


In terms of provincial party positions on the LNG industry:

NDP

Their platform says:

To ensure BC benefits, we will require LNG projects meet four conditions:

– Projects must offer jobs and training for British Columbians, especially jobs for local people.

– The people of BC must get a fair return for our resources.

– Projects must secure full partnerships with local First Nations.

– Projects must complete a made-in-BC environmental assessment, and achieve the highest environmental standards while respecting our commitments to combating climate change.

Liberals

Their platform says:

Driving forward, Today’s BC Liberals will:

– Work with project proponents and upstream gas producers to ensure that additional LNG developments are globally competitive for the next wave of LNG investment.

– Work towards getting three LNG facilities moving to construction by 2020.

Greens

Global News reports, “The Greens are adamantly opposed to an LNG industry, which is strongly supported by the B.C. Liberals and conditionally supported by the NDP.” And The Globe and Mail has noted, “The B.C. Green Party criticized the concept of piping natural gas to Saanich Inlet, saying the proposed site is ill-suited for LNG exports.”


The April 26 public forum is being co-sponsored by the Duncan United Church Social Justice Committee.


Voting day in the provincial election is May 9.


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