Our newsletter: 15 August 2024
Nisga’a law covers environmental reviews
The Nisga’a Nation in British Columbia now has finalized and passed its Nisga’a Environmental Assessment Act.
It will come into effect in 2025 and, under it, any resource project on Nisga’a lands will face review by the Nisga’a Environmental Assessment Office.
The new law provides for Nisga’a environment administration experts to conduct simple or comprehensive reviews, based on the project’s anticipated effects.
NIsga’a lands and resource director, Mansell Griffin: “This legislation will not only put Nisga’a Government at the helm of the environmental assessment process for large projects on Nisga’a lands but, just as importantly, will bring to the forefront rigour, consistency, and transparency to the environmental assessment of smaller projects.”
Nisga’a President Eva Clayton says: “There’s more work to be done at the decision table and I look forward to seeing this though for the benefit of the economy, land assessments, and public engagement.”
- More info: https://ow.ly/gGnI50SVmaJ
Woodfibre LNG picks up the pace
Blasting is under way at the Woodfibre LNG site on Howe Sound, and concrete pouring has started for pipe-rack foundations.
Woodfibre LNG advises that all blasting will occur during daytime hours.
But some other work will occur past District of Squamish noise bylaw hours. Night work is expected this month, including marine works (pile installation with a vibratory hammer), form work, concrete pours, and site maintenance, including erosion and sediment control.
Soon, barges will conduct marine piling work. All work in or near the water is subject to a marine-mammal monitoring program.
And the floatel work camp will be ramping up to full occupancy (around 350 people).
- More info: https://ow.ly/hytu50SVkr7
- About Woodfibre LNG: https://ow.ly/1BYU50SVnsM
Up at Kitimat, LNG Canada will reach a number of major commissioning milestones, including the introduction of natural gas to the liquification and export facility: https://ow.ly/Ubkg50SWYcr
Ksi Lisims LNG to meet net-zero rule
The Nisga’a Nation and its partners in the Ksi Lisims LNG project (Rockies LNG Ltd. and Western LNG) say they will be able to meet B.C.’s net-zero requirement for new LNG projects, with a proposed 100-km transmission line to hook up to B.C. Hydro’s power grid.
And they say a change of route for the associated PRGT pipeline will not have substantial environmental impact.
The original route was to end near Prince Rupert, to feed gas to Petronas’s proposed Pacific NorthWest LNG project. That project was shelved in 2017. Now the pipeline would stop short of Prince Rupert, and take a turn north, to end at Ksi Lisims on Nisga’a territory.
- More info: https://ow.ly/Y8H550SVmSW
Preliminary work is expected to start Aug. 24 on the pipeline: https://ow.ly/mc3H50SXCR1
Meanwhile, the deadline is Sept. 3 for comment to the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office on the proposed route change. You can comment here: http://ow.ly/lj4G50SP454
- About Ksi Lisims LNG: https://ow.ly/JXuy50SPWNV
Indigenous clean-energy news
- The Lower Nicola Indian Band is a partner in the proposed Aspen solar-energy project 50km south of Merritt BC. Aspen is engaging with affected First Nations. https://ow.ly/37Qw50SWJZn See also: https://ow.ly/Y09h50SWKG1
- Quebec Inuit community switches to hydro power to end diesel generation, and sell surplus electricity: https://ow.ly/x8Up50SS5c0 (Photo above)
- Ottawa expands the Canada-Nova Scotia clean-energy partnership, which involves First Nations: https://ow.ly/aMo050SShxO
- New ECO Codes Acceleration Program helps Indigenous communities adopt and implement building codes or advanced energy performance: https://ow.ly/3q2P50SUUMh
ALSO IN THE NEWS
- Indigenous leaders call out federal Bill C-59 for its potential to limit opportunities for Indigenous communities: https://bit.ly/3WqcN0X
- With more projects like Cedar LNG, ‘we can continue Indigenous, and Canadian, nation-building (and) move forward together.’ https://ow.ly/FlLP50SRwTR
- Canada ramps up carbon capture and storage to cut emissions and sustain energy production: https://ow.ly/B6ca50SUNiV
- Despite billions spent in the pursuit of net zero, the share of fossil fuels in Canada’s energy consumption has increased: https://ow.ly/UMaJ50SUQFJ
- From the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Natural-gas power produces 50% fewer emissions than coal power, even when fugitive emissions from gas are taken into account. Page 527 at https://ow.ly/1upP50STfFt
- BC cannot rely on hydropower for ever. LNG could be a source of power in a diversified energy portfolio: https://ow.ly/Yncg50SVLRT
EVENTS
- Forward Summit East, Sept. 25-26, Orillia ON: https://ow.ly/i65h50QnWYR
- Carbon Capture Canada expo, Sept. 10-12, Edmonton: https://ow.ly/sOyJ50SBqxz
- Nation2Nation’s 8th annual forum, Oct. 8-10, Terrace BC: https://ow.ly/omzI50RAgBT
- Canadian Gas Association’s Energy Nexus and Technical Conference, Oct. 8-10, Toronto: https://ow.ly/HrKx50SbcZx
- Forward Summit West Coast, Oct. 22-23, Vancouver: https://ow.ly/4UQe50R3CY2
- Indigenous Clean Energy’s 2024 ICE Gathering, Nov. 27-29, Toronto: Registration to open in mid-August. https://ow.ly/E32W50SREmg
2025
- 22nd Annual BC Natural Resources Forum, Jan. 14-16, Prince George: https://ow.ly/V5ii50SX2Uo (Sponsorship opportunities available: https://ow.ly/rLsi50SX2vX)
- Nation2Nation Women’s Gathering, April 24 -25, Kitimat BC: https://ow.ly/A8yo50SYpkv
- National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association, Indigenous Prosperity Forum, May 6-8, Gatineau PQ. Details TBA.
- Ninth Indigenous Resource Opportunities Conference, June 18-20, Nanaimo BC: https://ow.ly/m1rW50SHvIp
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