Woodfibre LNG fall update 2021
December 8, 2021
Eoin Finn
It's a façade of slow progress...
It took nearly a year for Woodfibre LNG to announce a new president, Christine Kennedy, previously the Deputy Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness; and before that the Associate Deputy Minister in BC's Office of the Premier. What a way to continue the revolving door between government and fossil fuel companies.
Woodfibre LNG has also announced McDermott International as their Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractor.
McDermott filed for bankruptcy in 2020 after facing enormous cost overruns at construction projects for two LNG plants, and is being sued by the Nova Scotia Health Employees’ Pension Plan. Seems like a risky choice.
Woodfibre LNG still hasn't made a Final Investment Decision (FID), but claim that construction will start in September 2023. We've heard that for seven years now.
Thanks to public pressure from you, FortisBC now has an option to move the compressor station away from Mt Mulligan to the Woodfibre site, and to power it with electricity instead of fracked gas that will pollute Howe Sound's airshed. We need to keep the pressure up.
All the other permits and management plans that Woodfibre LNG needs appear to be stalled, along with the Floatel amendment that it needs to house its construction workers.
No updates yet about Woodfibre LNG's application for a Crown Water Lease (read our submission), and the only other visible progress is an application to the Federal Minister of Transport to upgrade and repair the access dock.
LNG has gone from boom to bust
A recent IEEFA report shows that LNG Canada is not economically viable without massive public handouts. The report states that it's unlikely that LNG Canada will ever make a profit, which means that projects like Woodfibre LNG will not happen.
Woodfibre LNG has been actively lobbying the BC government for more tax breaks and subsidies. We need to make sure they don't get them!
TAKE ACTION!
Help us stop taxpayer subsidies for fracking!
You heard that right! Your taxpayer dollars are paying fracking companies to pollute!
We have a critical opportunity to end one of BC's biggest fossil fuel subsidies—Deep Well Royalty Credits.
A recent UBC study shows that BC is funding the extinction of caribou through these fossil fuel subsidies.
The owner of Woodfibre LNG, Sukanto Tanoto, recently bought a fracking company—Pacific Canbriam Energy—which has applied for NEW fracking permits right next to critical caribou habitat.
Send a letter to the Premier and tell him to stop funding fracking. It takes a minute to add your name.
DEADLINE: 10th December
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Event: #Candles4Climate
Candlelit vigils are being organized at MLA offices across BC to commemorate those who have died in the heat dome, wildfires, floods, landslides, and other climate-related disasters this year.
People are calling on all levels of government to work together and commit to urgent climate action to help prevent future deaths.
WHEN: Various times, Monday, 13th December 2021
WHERE: Find an event near you (Website or Facebook)
Or use this toolkit and sign up to host your own event.
WHAT TO BRING: Weather-appropriate clothing, and a candle or led-light (e.g., a flashlight, headlamp, or bike light).
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Support our critical work in December
Help us #StopWoodfibreLNG
Thanks to our generous donors in 2020, we've been working with a team of legal advisors to identify strategies to stop Woodfibre LNG for good. A generous local donor will match your donations up to $10,000.
Kickstart the #ZeroCarbonChallenge
Help us to catalyze climate action in Howe Sound communities. A wonderful local family has offered to double your monthly donation for an entire year!
$25 per month will become $50 per month!
Ten monthly donors have signed up so far and we're at $227.17 towards our $1,500 goal.
DONATE TO KICKSTART THE #ZEROCARBONCHALLENGE
Love where you live. Defend what you love.
Eoin Finn
Chair, My Sea to Sky
My Sea to Sky is incredibly proud and grateful to say that we rely on the My Sea to Sky community for small donations that provide the majority of our funding. Since our launch in 2014, we have been funded through personal savings, family and friends; and powered by the passion of our volunteers. Your generous contribution will help us to run our critical campaigns to defend, protect, and restore Howe Sound. Donate now to double your monthly donation for an entire year!