In a victory for the B.C. government, Ottawa has given Woodfibre LNG the final green light to proceed.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna announced approval of the project on Friday, saying it “is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental impacts.”
Federal environmental approval was the last major hurdle for the controversial project after the B.C. government and Squamish First Nation approved it last year, subject to a host of conditions.
In her released statement, McKenna said the environmental assessment conducted by the province in consultation with federal departments was “thorough, science-based” and “considered public and Indigenous input and views.”
The assessment process “benefited from scientific and technical expertise, Indigenous traditional knowledge and constructive feedback that helped to inform my decision,” McKenna said.
In a “project update” released about an hour after the federal announcement, the company hailed the decision.
“Receiving federal environmental approval marks the conclusion of more than two and a half years of intensive work by the Woodfibre LNG team and engineering, environmental and shipping consultants – something every member of the Woodfibre LNG team can be proud of,” said Byng Giraud, country manager and vice president, corporate affairs for Woodfibre LNG Ltd.
Giraud said he was equally proud of “how our conversations in the community to better understand local priorities and our work with First Nations have informed the project so we can build a better project, for Squamish and B.C.”
The company now has to obtain permits and regulatory authorizations from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada, and will have to meet legally binding conditions, including mitigation measures and follow-up requirements, throughout the life of the project.
“In truth,” Giraud said, “the real work is just beginning for our project team. We now have to take all the conditions from the three environmental reviews and ensure they are incorporated in the detailed design work and planning for construction and operation of the Woodfibre LNG project.”
Woodfibre LNG is described as a “modestly-sized” liquefied natural gas facility and is proposed for the former Woodfibre pulp mill site, located about seven kilometres southwest of Squamish.
