FortisBC announced an addendum to its application filed with the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) that would have the compressor station “on the base of Mount Mulligan.” Based on the site plan included in the application, the compressor station would be about 1.8 kilometres from the residences in upper Valleycliffe and Ravens Plateau and further from the new Crumpit Woods subdivision. I live in the area.
The electric drive option was dropped for this location and replaced by turbines burning natural gas (essentially jet engines) and producing CO2 plus objectionable byproducts in the process.
Noise, emissions and gas venting would need to be addressed to the satisfaction of our residents.
We walked the proposed Mount Mulligan site yesterday to gain firsthand information. Here is what I found:
1. The one-kilometre-diameter proposed compressor siting area clearly overlaps the District of Squamish boundary and so the whole aspect of the Mount Mulligan site ought to become a matter in which the District engages.
2. This site is not a “discreet distance from the nearby community” (i.e. the new Crumpit Woods subdivision and Ravens Plateau in Valleycliffe) as claimed by the proponent. A distance of 1.8 km over an essentially straight sight-line to a compressor towering 400 metres above the community with mountains and rock walls surrounding the site is not likely going to produce an acceptable night-time noise level. Wind conditions could cause the noise level going from barely audible to unacceptably loud, depending on conditions. We believe the noise level engineering conducted by the proponent should have gone beyond merely modelling.
3. There are better options:
• locate the compressor station further up the Stawamus River-Indian River valley in the area of the pass (existing road, with no communities nearby); or
• reroute the pipeline via the Britannia Creek or Furry Creek valleys. These routings were previously considered by Fortis but perhaps prematurely abandoned.
The initial location of the compressor station in the industrial park was well publicized in open houses etc. before the submission was made to the EAO. Now Fortis is filing with the EAO first and subsequently seeking public input.
This is not very neighbourly.
Herbert Vesely, P.Eng.
Squamish
