The Council of Canadians Terrace chapter.
The Council of Canadians Terrace chapter opposes Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) developments in northern British Columbia.
In a letter to the editor published in the Terrace Standard, the chapter lists numerous reasons for this including:
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Northern BC is currently the subject of 14 LNG terminal proposals. -
The primary source of natural gas (largely composed of methane) for these proposals is from Northeastern BC using horizontal hydraulic fracturing (aka ‘fracking’) causing earthquakes, loss of surface water, degradation of groundwater and destruction of boreal forest habitat for wildlife. Open chemical ponds become available water sources for wildlife, causing cancerous growths, painful death and inedible food for First Nations which rely on this dietary source. -
There are serious and significant environmental concerns with LNG export from methane leakage at the well head through pipeline transmission to compression and shipping from coastal sites. -
Multiple proposed pipeline routes rather than a single planned corridor pose risks to watercourses. Right of ways and access roads for these multiple corridors would facilitate wolf predation on ungulates. -
Canada has agreed to meet GHG reduction targets proposed at the recent Paris Conference.
Their letter then notes, “For the above reasons, the Terrace Branch of the Council of Canadians is calling for a moratorium on all LNG development on the BC coast until the deficiencies in the process of vetting them have been remedied, and until alternative sources of energy production and economic development have been adequately evaluated for comparison. We also urge that LNG proposals be subject to a ‘climate test’ in which the magnitude of GHG emissions from the project in relation to provincial GHG reduction plans provides a ‘trigger’ for an environmental assessment process. This would connect climate change as a primary consideration in vetting these proposals.”
And they conclude, “The Terrace branch of the Council of Canadians insists that the vetting processes must include adequate local input up to and including the need for approval by a majority of the Canadian citizens in any locale where major energy production proposals will directly affect the quality of their lives.”
For more on the Council of Canadians campaign against LNG pipelines and export terminals, please click here.
