Community Committee Woodfibre Liquefied Natural Gas (WLNG) Project Update February 25, 2015
WLNG Committee Process Overview • June 7 Fortis Tour Tilbury LNG storage facility & Eagle Mountain Compressor Station • June 26 Committee Meeting Process Charter Development • July 3 Committee Meeting Defining Interest Based Objectives – What matters to community • July 17 Technical Presentation Clean Energy Canada & WLNG • Aug 6 Technical Presentation Howard Candelet, Marine Safety Consultant & WLNG Aug 21 Technical Presentation Transport Canada, Pacific Pilotage Authority, Canadian • Coast Guard, BC Environmental Assessment & WLNG • Aug 28 Technical Presentation BC Oil & Gas Commission & WLNG • Sept 2 Committee Meeting Interim report development for DOS Council
WLNG Committee Process Overview • Sept 16 Presentation Interim report presentation to DOS Council • Sept 18 Technical Presentation BC Safety Authority & Fortis BC • Sept 24 Committee Meeting Debrief on technical presentations • Nov 27 Technical Presentation Vancouver Aquarium Team • Dec 18 Technical Presentations (1) Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of proposed WLNG project. (2) Adapting to Sea Level Change • Jan 14 Committee Meeting Wendy Randall, DOS Consultant, Analysis • Jan 29 Committee Meeting DOS Council Presentation Development • Feb 10 Committee Meeting BCEAO meeting to review issues • Feb 25 Presentation Today
Project Layout
• Decision making tool • Required by law The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 BC Environmental Assessment Act • Aims to identify & evaluate the potential impacts of a project looking at 5 different categories of values
Minister(s) may Environmental Assessment consider any other matters that they consider relevant to the public interest in Project Process making their decision Description Determination Certificate that Project is Issued with set Monitoring, Reviewable conditions-- compliance, (Section 10 Project and Order) Authorized to enforcement Develop Requirements Proceed to Permitting Compliance Management begins here Scope and Approved Process for Application Application Project Application Review Prepared Evaluated Application Assessment ED Referral Information Decision by Determined and for Review Report To Ministers Requirements (Section 11 Ministers Submitted Completeness Order) Not Approved Public Public Certificate Comment Comment Further Refused – Period Period Assessment Project Cannot Required Proceed Decision Application Review Stage Pre-Application Stage (30 days) (45 days) (180 days) (no timeline) Working Group Review 9 FIRST NATION CONSULTATION
EAO Woodfibre Fortis Section 10 order November, 2013 August, 2013 Public Comment on Valued June 12, extended to July 27, 2014 November/December 2013 Components EAO Open House June 18, 2014 November 16, 2013 Application submission Fall 2014 Fall 2014 Application evaluation Fall 2014 Fall 2014 Application review (180 days) Fall/Winter 2014/15 Fall/Winter 2014/15 Public comment Within the 180 days (45-60 days), Within the 180 days (45-60 days) ends March 9, 2015 ends March 12, 2015 Council comment Either during the public comment Either during the public comment period, or prior to the draft EA period, or prior to the draft EA report to the Minister, or both report to the Minister, or both EAO Open House During the public comment period During the public comment period EA refers to Ministers July 13, 2015 July 13, 2015 Ministers decision document Within 45 days Within 45 days
Woodfibre LNG Approval Process District of Squamish Permits Squamish River Industrial Park Industrial Way Compressor Woodfibre Trenchless Pipeline Pipeline Extension Permit Hydro Upgrade Station LNG Facility Invest. Build Invest. Build DP1 Required Required DP6 Required Required DP11 Required Required Report Maybe Report Report Report SAP Required Required Maybe Required Required Required WP Required Maybe Required Required Required Required BP Required Required
DOS WLNG Committee Process Overview • BC EAO five pillars: Economic, Social, Environment, Health, Heritage • WLNG Committee’s five fundamental objectives and related sub-objectives that matter to the community • Minimize Environmental Impacts – ie: noise, GHGs, air, visual, light, health, wildlife/marine life impacts… • Consider Full Life Cycle Safety – ie: siting, accidents & malfunctions, LNG carrier safety
DOS WLNG Committee Process Overview • WLNG Committee’s five fundamental objectives and related sub-objectives that matter to the community • Maximize Community Benefits, Opportunity and Character – ie: exceed requirements, enhance Squamish brand, positive legacy… • Maximize Economic Benefit – ie: jobs, taxes, revenue, economic development… • Demonstrate Corporate Citizenship – ie: engage community, increase transparency, enhance reputation…
Scope of Committee • Terms of Reference vs Flexibility • Discussed issues outside of scope (fracking, branding) but limited by willingness of objective non/political experts and gov’t agencies to present • Limited by lack of information – ie: taxes • Volunteers completed a lot of unpaid work • Reviewed evidence presented on complex Issues • Working group experts are looking at application line by line • Diverse committee = diverse values & perspectives
Committee’s General Agreements Based on Legitimate Expert Presentations Committee was satisfied with: • Electric Drive advantage – air quality, noise reductions, GHG emissions in Squamish • Land based plant – reduced marine noise, increase in local jobs (construction) • Shipping safety – Pacific Pilotage expertise, no incidents since 1959 • Plant safety – BC Safety Authority capacity to monitor construction and operations
Committee’s General Agreements Subject to plan approval and implementation, committee was satisfied • Pipeline cannot be re-purposed for oil • WLNG is responsible for all emergency services on site (ie: fire response) • WLNG provides infrastructure services such as sewer, water, and power
Rating Scale Red: Significant concern due to uncertainty Orange: Moderate concern Yellow: Low level of concern for Committee members due to technical information received. May still present significant concerns for some community members.
Outstanding Concerns Flaring • Proponent states flaring will be “minimal” but committee is still concerned about visual impacts BC EAO Five Pillars: Health, Environment
Outstanding Concerns Light Pollution • Not clear as to whether mitigations are within acceptable International Dark-Sky Association Guidelines • Language in application is vague. For example “impact will be negligible” but in comparison to what other existing sites • What is baseline? BC EAO Five Pillars: Health, Environment, Social
Outstanding Concerns Air Quality Monitoring • The need for a current air quality baseline and consistent monitoring of air quality to understand changes even incrementally in the future. BC EAO Five Pillars: Health, Environment
Outstanding Concerns Marine Sediment Pollution • Not clear if a sediment baseline of existing conditions is being conducted • Historic pollution in marine sediment is an issue at the site • Not clear whether mitigations detailed in application to avoid sediment agitation are best practice or designed to only meet basic regulations BC EAO Five Pillars: Health, Environment
Outstanding Concerns Foreshore Marine Environment • Reclamation, new construction, removal of existing pilings and docks • What baseline research and ongoing monitoring for priority pollutants is being conducted in sediments and invertebrates? BC EAO Five Pillars: Health, Environment
Outstanding Concerns Foreshore Marine Environment • How will they identify new pollutants, track pollution trends over time? • How are they evaluating the biological effects of contaminants of concern on indicator organisms? • What about underwater noise, how it will monitored and mitigated? BC EAO Five Pillars: Health, Environment
Outstanding Concerns Seawater Cooling • Is this best practice globally? • What other options for innovative alternatives to “once through cooling”? • If “once through cooling” is best option, what mitigation can reduce impacts? • What alternatives to capture/re-use waste heat rather than dispersing in Howe Sound exists? BC EAO Five Pillars: Health, Environment
Outstanding Concerns Economic Development • Influx of construction workers may impact availability of hotel rooms for tourists • Uncertainty related to fit with Squamish’s new brand, tourism, and potential economic impacts BC EAO Five Pillars: Economic, Social, Health, Environment,
Outstanding Concerns Economic Development: Jobs • Uncertain amount of Squamish jobs from construction and for long term • Loss of potential economic benefit if workers don’t live in community • Impacts of bussing workers from Lower Mainland BC EAO Five Pillars: Economic, Social, Health, Environment,
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