ELC Requests Strategic Economic and Environmental Assessment for LNG development in BC

Filed in: Government Land Mining & Energy Province-wide Research | by

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 Australia’s 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