While British Columbians are watching for the liquefied natural gas projects promised by the sa国际传媒 Liberals, one LNG proposal is quietly moving ahead.
And the provincial government just got approval to take control of that project鈥檚 environmental-assessment process from the federal government.
Woodfibre Natural Gas Limited wants to build a $1.6-billion LNG plant about seven kilometres south of Squamish to produce 1.5 million to 2.1 million tonnes of LNG a year for 25 years. The Woodfibre project would mean 40 LNG tankers every year heading through Howe Sound and Juan de Fuca Strait.
The sa国际传媒 government wanted to take over the environmental assessment of the project. Before it could get the federal government to hand over authority, the people of sa国际传媒 were allowed to make comments on whether it鈥檚 a good idea.
However, most of the people of sa国际传媒 were too busy celebrating Christmas and New Year鈥檚 to notice when the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency announcement went out on Dec. 17.
The agency decides whether an environmental review is needed, and federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq decides wether to let sa国际传媒 take over that environmental review.
The deadline for public input was Monday, Jan. 6. That left 11 working days, assuming any interested parties got cracking right away on Dec. 17.
Those with a suspicious turn of mind suggest the timing was deliberate, to minimize the number of people who would be able to object, and make it easier for sa国际传媒 to take control.
The sa国际传媒 Liberals had made a mistake by waiving the province鈥檚 right to its own environmental review of the Enbridge Northern Gateway bitumen pipeline. It left the province at the mercy of the federal process on a project that has become politically volatile.
With Clark and her government so committed to LNG, it鈥檚 no surprise they want to avoid repeating that mistake. They want to control as much of the process as possible.
The 52-kilometre pipeline that will feed the Woodfibre plant is already getting an environmental review from the province.
Even if there are no sinister motives in the timing of the assessment agency鈥檚 announcement, someone in authority should have realized the unfairness of providing such a short window during a period with three statutory holidays. Nearby residents called for an extension of the deadline to give them time to respond to both the issues, but last week, the federal minister approved sa国际传媒鈥檚 application to take over the review.
Aglukkaq slapped a list of conditions on the province, including that the public have a chance to take part in the assessment process.
The sa国际传媒 Liberals have staked their future 鈥� and the future of the province 鈥� on LNG. It makes sense that the environmental process is done in sa国际传媒, but the government clearly has a vested interest in making sure the projects go ahead.
There is pressure to move quickly, as a Japanese government investment adviser said last week sa国际传媒 could lose out on his country鈥檚 contracts if it doesn鈥檛 act fast. The government said this week it will limit the amount of tax municipalities can charge LNG plants, which makes the province more attractive for companies but could paint local governments into an uncomfortable corner.
The government鈥檚 hunger for LNG must not be allowed to skew the outcome of the assessment.
If the government wants to earn the trust and support of British Columbians, it must ensure the approval process is seen to be fair and open.
