FortisBC officials kept a close eye on Squamish’s municipal election last weekend.
The construction of a 24-inch diameter pipeline to service the proposed Woodfibre liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant requires a lot of permits through the District of Squamish, Fortis spokesperson Carol Greaves said. Earlier this month, council moved to defer FortisBC’s development permit to drill three test sites in and near the Squamish Estuary. Those applications are now on hold until Victoria gives the green light to three boreholes within the provincial Skwelwil’em Wildlife Management Area.
The drilling is required to ensure the trenchless method of installing the proposed pipeline under the estuary is viable, Greaves said, noting the energy provider had hoped to get work going. Fortis will continue to provide officials with information regarding the project, she added.
“We are looking forward to working with the new mayor and council.”
Before Squamish residents set out to the polls, the natural gas distribution company was combating a war of words. Anti-Woodfibre LNG organization, My Sea to Sky, sent out a flyer to Squamish residents regarding the proposed compressor station that’s slated to be built on a 12-acre lot off Queens Way. They warned residents of noise concerns, safety considerations and questioned if the compression station could impact locals’ health.
The flyer contained a lot of “inaccurate” information about the company’s proposed facility, Greaves said.
“There is a lot of misinformation out there,” she said.
FortisBC operates 11 compression stations throughout the province. At all of them, the operations meet or exceed the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission’s safety, noise and other applicable guidelines, Greaves noted. The distance between compression stations and residences varies, she noted. An overview of the constructed facility is conducted by a third-party who completes a risk assessment on the compression station. That report designates details such as evacuation zones.
FortisBC has a compression station in Langley, which is within 300-metres of residential buildings, and one in Coquitlam that is 800 metres way from homes. The proposed facility in Squamish sits 800 metres away from housing, Greaves said.
The electric-run facility is anticipated to create 62 decimals of noise, Greaves said. The sound will be mitigated with landscaping and possibly a cement barrier.
“I’ve been told it’s the equivalent of a conversation in a restaurant,” she said.
FortisBC’s compression stations have been operating for decades without experiencing fires or explosions, Greaves added.
Dealing with FortisBC has been “entirely frustrating,” My Sea to Sky spokesperson Tatiana Kostiak said. The company’s proposed compression station is moving forward without much public discussion, she noted. Community meetings were scheduled on days that conflicted with other local events, Kostiak said.
“It doesn’t lend itself to the public really hearing a full story” she said.
Residents that lived within 800 metres of the proposed compression station received a letter outlining the development from Fortis. My Sea to Sky objected to the tone of the mail out.
“It just sounded like it was a done deal. It didn’t allow for anybody to even believe they can ask questions,” Kostiak said.
