Squamish council received project updates for the Woodfibre LNG and FortisBC projects and discussed details on what public engagement may look like, although no 2024 meeting date was set.
On Dec. 19 at a regular business meeting, District of Squamish council members unanimously voted to receive the last 2023 quarterly update for the WLNG natural gas liquefaction facility and the FortisBC Eagle Mountain-Woodfibre Gas Pipeline.
Additionally, there was a short discussion about what the public engagement may look like for these projects, as both still have temporary use permit applications currently being assessed by the District’s staff for the associated WLNG floatel and FortisBC’s work camp and laydown yard.
Mayor Armand Hurford said that after staff indicate the application is ready for discussion, there will be public engagement “very akin” to a public hearing.
“A vote would happen shortly thereafter, like the following week or perhaps two weeks,” Hurford said of council’s steps after the event.
Hurford said there would be lots of advanced promotion before the event and staff are anticipating they will need to use a larger facility than council chambers to hold the event.
When asked, municipal planner Vrish Prahalad said they were still unsure about the exact date for the engagement “due to staff capacity and reviewing the reports to get them to an adequate level to come forward to council with a recommendation.”
Council was also informed that staff were planning to ask the BC Energy Regulator (BCER) for an extension on the 30-day public comment period for the effluent discharge permit application from FortisBC for the pipeline. This was, in part, due to the 30 days commencing on Nov. 30, when some staff will be taking a break from work.
If that extension is granted, council unanimously voted to review the staff’s feedback for endorsement before submission.
“The timing of these opportunities to provide feedback is incredibly challenging. And even though this process has had an extension, it wasn't a very useful one,” said Hurford. “It's wholly appropriate we ask for that extension and should that be granted, as I believe it should, I look forward to … formalizing our feedback as a group.”
Coun. Chris Pettingill informed the other council members that he has corresponded with those at the Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Biosphere Region and they told him that they plan to provide feedback to the BCER about the discharge.
These project updates come just a few weeks after the province’s Environmental Assessment Office approved the worker accommodations with the stipulation that both companies need to have a gender and cultural safety plan for the work camps.
With the camps set to bring up to 1,200 workers to town, The Squamish Chief asked the companies involved about their plans so far to handle waste.
Sean Beardow, communications director for Woodfibre LNG told The Chief sewage would be treated on board the floatel and transported to receiving facilities outside of Squamish.
In terms of how sewage will be handled for the FortisBC camp, the company says it will be stored, and disposed of in accordance with the BC Environmental Protection Act.
"It is anticipated that sanitary waste will be collected in above-ground sewage holding tanks and hauled by sewage tanker trucks provided by a carrier to an authorized receiving facility. The lodge operator will secure a service agreement between the sewage hauler and the receiving facility,” wrote Jessica Skjeveland, corporate communications advisor for the company.
~With a file from Jennifer Thuncher/The Squamish Chief
