Province Proposes New LNG Environmental Stewardship Plan
Prince George, B.C. – The Province has announced it will be working with First Nations and the natural gas industry through a proposed “LNG Environmental Stewardship Initiative (LNGESI)”.
The initiative was announced at the LNG conference in Vancouver this morning.
Last year, the province reached agreement with 15 First Nations to support the Pacific Trails Pipeline project (PTP), the first proposed gas pipeline to support LNG. Since then, B.C. has been working with First Nations whose traditional territory may be affected by pipelines.
"The Wet'suwet'en First Nation welcomes this initiative and looks forward to working with the Province and other First Nations to turn this concept into a reality” says Wet’suwet’en Chief Karen Ogen.
The Province says this new initiative is not designed to change or alter the existing regulatory process, it is proposed as an enhancement to that process. The Province offers this example: certain environmental values may require long-term monitoring to ensure they are sustained well after pipelines are built. The ESI proposes to have First Nations front and centre in that monitoring so they can support ongoing Provincial efforts.
Comments
This is good because it respects the constitutional obligations of the province to native treaty rights. its a win-win-win for the province, LNG companies, and native rights in the stability and inclusion it should create.
What would be even better is if the municipalities that share these same watershed concerns were also included in some kind of capacity.
I think what a lot of people are not considering is the environmental damage doe to our ground water reserves from the practice of Fracking. The gas has to come from somewhere and they are fracking the shale to get to it. If you have watched the documenty Gasland & Gasland 2 it will open your eyes to the devastation these gas wells are causing. Very interesting to watch someone light there kitchen sink faucets on fire with a bic lighter among other hazards associated with the fracking practice. By the time we wake up it will be too late. Water gone and polluted.
You can live with out gas wells but it is pretty hard to live with out water. This is the most valuable resource we own. Maybe Wiebo Ludwig wasn’t so crazy after all.
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