FortisBC's Toxic Tunnel

What is happening?

FortisBC is tunneling through 5.2 km of granite bedrock for its gas pipeline to Woodfibre LNG, and has encountered potentially acid generating rock. The tunnel has created a pollution machine, with excessive water flows loaded with heavy metals like what happened at Britannia Beach with acid rock drainage.

Two years ago we warned regulators that FortisBC's water treatment system was inadequate, and that it would fail to meet requirements. They did not listen.

Now we've learned that FortisBC has been discharging DOUBLE its permitted wastewater into Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound and exceeding water quality guidelines for over a year—with zero consequences from the BC Energy Regulator.

Instead of fixing the problem, FortisBC is asking for permission to pollute even more.

FortisBC has applied to amend its permit to:

• Increase discharge by over four times (from 1,500 m³/day to 6,815 m³/day);
• Discharge copper and aluminum at levels exceeding BC Water Quality Guidelines;
• Replace enforceable guideline protections with weaker site-specific limits that won’t address impacts on marine life.

This is unacceptable.

Public comment period open until March 7, 2026

Tell Ministers and regulators to reject FortisBC's permit amendment and hold them accountable for this toxic water pollution.

FortisBC needs to stop work on the tunnel until they upgrade the water treatment system to meet water quality guidelines.

Personalized letters are much more impactful.

Use the template letter above, or submit a comment on your own to Waste.Management@bc-er.ca and egp@fortisbc.com by March 7, 2026.

• FortisBC's application to amend the permit (and past permit applications) can be accessed here.
• FortisBC's weekly water quality testing results can be found here.
• Woodfibre LNG's weekly water quality testing results can be found here.

Example speaking points

• Call on the Ministers and Regulators to reject FortisBC's permit amendment application.
• Demand that FortisBC stop work on the tunnel until they upgrade the water treatment system to meet water quality guidelines.
• Let them know how YOU will be adversely affected by the proposed water discharge.
• I do not support FortisBC's proposal to discharge thousands of cubic meters of construction effluent into the Squamish River and Howe Sound every day.
• The impacts of FortisBC's effluent permit must be considered cumulatively with those of Woodfibre LNG's effluent permit, as the discharges will be occurring concurrently into the same bodies of water.
• There is a risk of chronic / long-term human exposure to heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants through recreational use and/or ingestion of fish and shellfish.
• I am an avid kayaker/paddleboarder/kitesurfer/swimmer in and around the project area and am concerned about the potential health impacts I may suffer from exposure to contaminated water if these permits are approved.
• I harvest fish and/or shellfish near the project area and am concerned about potential health impacts (neurological, respiratory, urinary, and cardiovascular disorders) due to the cumulative impacts of these effluent releases.
• I own a business in the area that will be negatively impacted by these proposed effluent releases.
• The FortisBC tunnel project is located in the Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region, which is recognized internationally as "a cultural and ecological treasure."
• FortisBC must be held to the highest standards, and must employ the precautionary principle to minimize impacts to wildlife and ecosystems.
• No fossil fuel company should be given a free pass to harm critical marine ecosystems.

Remember Britannia Mine?

For much of the 20th century, acid rock drainage from the Britannia Mine poured massive amounts of toxic, metal-laden water into Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound. The pollution created a "dead zone" in nearby ecosystems, devastating marine life for decades.

After the mine closed in 1974, it took decades of advocacy, regulatory reform, remediation, and sustained stewardship by First Nations, scientists, volunteers, and local government to clean up the mess at public expense. Our ecosystems slowly recovered, and the herring, salmon, and whales returned. This recovery is precious, and it is fragile.

Now FortisBC is putting Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound’s ecosystems and biodiversity at risk again.

BC Energy Regulator is a captured regulator

An investigation by the Narwhal has revealed that the BC Energy Regulator is failing to hold big oil and gas projects accountable for infractions that are directly impacting sensitive ecosystems.

The BC Energy Regulator (formerly known as the BC Oil and Gas Commission) has been described as a captured regulator, where "industry demands trump public interest."

With a revolving door between its staff and the oil and gas industry, the regulator has a history of failing to hold fracking companies accountable for building illegal dams; withholding information and suppressing reports; and undermining effforts to save caribou threatened by fracking infrastructure in northeast B.C.

This track record is extremely concerning as the BC Energy Regulator is responsible for oversight of many of the permits required by Woodfibre LNG and FortisBC. It has resulted in a loss of public trust in the public notification process, which is exacerbated by the failure of the BCER to meaningfull engage the public or to incorporate public feedback into policy decisions and permit approvals.

Chip in to stop FortisBC's toxic tunnel

Sunshine Coast Conservation Association and My Sea to Sky have launched several legal actions to stop FortisBC from polluting Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound and to hold the BC Energy Regulator to account.

Can you chip in to help pay for legal fees, expert peer review, access to information, and dedicated staff time to support our legal actions?

We need to raise $25,000 to stop FortisBC from polluting Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound.