Pacific Northwest LNG is dead! But what about Woodfibre LNG?
July 26, 2017
Tracey Saxby
Pacific Northwest LNG has announced that it is cancelling its project on Lelu Island, "due to changes in market conditions." The BC Liberals are already blaming the BC NDP, but the reality is that prices for LNG have plummeted more than 70% in the last few years, making it uneconomic to proceed without massive subsidies from BC taxpayers.
This is amazing news, and a huge sigh of relief for all our partner organizations, the Lelu defenders and First Nations that have been working tirelessly to stop the Pacific Northwest LNG project to save Lelu Island, protect Flora Banks and the Skeena salmon, and prevent 9 million tonnes of annual GHG emissions from this one plant. Our hats are off to them all.
What does this mean for Woodfibre LNG?
Unfortunately this means we must work even harder to stop Woodfibre LNG. The pressure is on for the BC NDP to get at least one LNG export project up and running, and as one of the smaller exporters, Woodfibre LNG is currently the only project that is still moving forward.
One of the final acts of the outgoing BC Liberal government was to grant Woodfibre LNG approval to switch from seawater cooling to air cooling. Earlier, in June, the National Energy Board granted Woodfibre LNG a 40-year export license, which means this project could hang over our heads, and all of Howe Sound, for decades.
Last month Woodfibre LNG also sneakily applied for a temporary work camp at Britannia Beach through the Squamish Lillooet Regional District (SLRD), using the Taicheng Development Corporation as a front. Thankfully, the application was denied, for now.
We need your support
For the last three years, My Sea to Sky volunteers have been here, carefully watching each move by Woodfibre LNG, and mobilizing our community to take action at critical moments. We need to take it to the next level so we can effectively lobby our new provincial government, and influence policy and regulations to stop Woodfibre LNG in its tracks. We're looking at possible legal avenues that we can pursue, and we will continue to raise awareness and keep you informed each step of the way.
Can you make a monthly contribution to support our work and help stop Woodfibre LNG?
Every dollar helps.
