ELC Requests Strategic Economic and Environmental Assessment for LNG development in BC
August 1, 2013
Today the ELC asked the federal and BC Ministers of Environment to establish a Strategic Economic and Environmental Assessment of proposed massive new BC LNG developments. Acting for the Northwest Institute for Bioregional Research, the ELC proposes a careful examination of a dozen or more new LNG proposals, thousands of related new gas wells, the potential for numerous redundant cross-provincial pipelines, and the resulting risks to water, air, fish, grizzly, caribou, and human health. The Assessment would also examine:
- Whether the price of Asian gas which is driving the current LNG boom is likely to collapse in the near future?
- Whether some new projects are being announced in BC to better the negotiating position of corporations with other gas-producing countries?
- Whether the new industry could ultimately cost taxpayers because:
- industry subsidies may be necessary to make the industry competitive with the rush of new natural gas suppliers coming into global markets; and
- if the industry collapses, contaminated sites may be left to taxpayers to clean up, as the oil and gas industry has done in the past.
- If the industry succeeds, whether LNG exports could cost homeowners money by lifting gas prices to Asian levels as in Australia, where LNG exports caused domestic prices to quadruple in exporting regions.
- Whether BC can avoid Australias mistake of allowing pell-mell development that led to unnecessary redundant infrastructure and unnecessary environmental damage? Will the Province avoid a number of unnecessary and redundant pipeline corridors to be constructed across BC?
- Whether fracked natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel or whether Cornell University scientists are right in concluding that it may be as bad a greenhouse gas as coal?
- A host of other environmental and public health issues.
Click here to read the request
Media:
2013 July 31 – Liquified Natural Gas push could raise home heating costs, report says, Times Colonist
2013 August 1 – Stephen Hume: Is liquefied natural gas B.C.’s yellow brick road to prosperity? Vancouver Sun