Environment Minister Mary Polak and Natural Gas Development Minister Rich Coleman have issued an environmental assessment certificate to Woodfibre LNG Ltd. for the Woodfibre LNG project, which is located in the District of Squamish. 

The decision was made after considering a review led by British Columbia’s Environmental Assessment Office. The ministers have issued the certificate with legally enforceable conditions that have given them the confidence to conclude that the project will be constructed, operated and decommissioned in a way that ensures that no significant adverse effects are likely to occur. A record of the factors that the ministers considered in making their decision can be found in the Reasons for Ministers’ Decision at: http://tinyurl.com/peufjw2

Woodfibre LNG is the second project to be granted a certificate following a substituted environmental assessment. Substitution means that the Environmental Assessment Office conducts a single process that meets all federal and provincial requirements. The federal minister and provincial ministers make separate decisions on whether to approve the project based on the environmental assessment report prepared by the Environmental Assessment Office. A federal environmental assessment decision has not yet been announced.

A substituted environmental assessment reduces duplication and increases efficiencies for everyone involved – the province’s businesses, communities, First Nations and governments alike – while maintaining a rigorous and thorough review. Successive governments in British Columbia have actively pursued a “one project, one assessment” approach to environmental assessments in the province. To date, British Columbia is the only jurisdiction to receive substitution.

There are 25 conditions that are part of the environmental assessment certificate. Design requirements are specified in the Certified Project Description. Each of the conditions and the Certified Project Description are legally-binding requirements that Woodfibre LNG must meet to be in compliance with the certificate.

The certificate conditions were developed following consultation and input from Aboriginal groups, government agencies, communities and the public. Key conditions for the project require Woodfibre LNG to:

• Mitigate and monitor impacts to marine mammals during construction;
• Manage and monitor marine water quality to protect marine life and human health;
• Manage and monitor marine fish and fish habitat during construction and operations;
• Develop a traffic management plan to minimize disruptions during construction;
• Develop a marine transport management and monitoring plan to monitor and minimize impacts to marine users;
• Monitor to verify the assessment of the wake effects from LNG carriers; and
• Continue consulting with the public and Aboriginal groups throughout all phases of the project.

In addition, Woodfibre LNG proposed a number of significant design changes prior to and during the environmental assessment, based on feedback received from Aboriginal groups, local governments and the public:

• Reducing the construction area and land disturbance by using an existing industrial site;
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air emissions by using power from BC Hydro instead of natural gas;
• Reducing underwater noise and vibration by shifting to a land-based facility; and
• Limiting LNG carrier speeds to reduce the effects from vessel wake and the risks to marine mammals.

The Environmental Assessment Office consulted with Aboriginal groups during the environmental assessment. Many of the legally binding conditions were informed by consultation with, and consideration of comments from, Aboriginal groups. In addition, several conditions include aspects that are specific to Aboriginal groups, including:

• Continued engagement with Aboriginal groups in the development and implementation of management and monitoring plans;
• Designing and delivering programs to support Aboriginal employment and contracting opportunities, skills training and education; and
• Opportunities for members of Aboriginal groups to participate in monitoring activities.

As a result of a separate process, Squamish Nation identified a number of environmental issues of concern that may potentially affect their Aboriginal Interests. The Environmental Assessment Office carefully considered Squamish Nation’s conditions during the environmental assessment and in the development of certificate conditions. In consideration of the mitigations and conditions proposed by the Environmental Assessment Office, as well as Woodfibre LNG’s demonstration of consultation with Squamish Nation and the company’s commitment to ongoing engagement with the First Nation to formalize their obligations to satisfy Squamish Nation’s conditions, the ministers were satisfied that Squamish Nation has been meaningfully consulted and accommodated on the potential effects of the project.

In addition to federal environmental assessment approval, Woodfibre LNG will require federal, provincial and local government permits to proceed. The Environmental Assessment Office will co-ordinate compliance management efforts with other government agencies to ensure that the office is satisfied that certificate conditions are met.

The $1.4-billion-to-$1.8-billion Woodfibre LNG project includes a facility with liquefied natural gas storage, a marine terminal and LNG shipping by carriers. The project would produce 2.415 million tonnes of LNG per year. The company estimates that the project will support up to 1,975 person years of employment during construction and approximately 100 full-time equivalent positions during operations.

British Columbia’s environmental assessment process offers significant opportunities for Aboriginal groups, government agencies and the public to influence the outcome of environmental assessments by providing input on the potential for environmental, economic, social, heritage and health effects from a proposed project.