Residents who want to have a say in how the proposed Woodfibre natural gas facility unfolds can join Squamish’s latest committee.
Municipal officials are now accepting résumés from people interested in sitting on the District of Squamish’s new community committee for the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) project along Howe Sound. The group was created to objectively assess the proposed development on the former pulp mill site and provide input to both proponents and local lawmakers, officials said in a statement.
Economic development is council’s No. 1 priority, Mayor Rob Kirkham noted.
“There is currently great momentum with some exciting opportunities knocking at our door,” he said.
To maximize opportunities, officials need to evaluate their long-term sustainability and understand how they fit into Squamish’s vision for a healthy, diversified economy, Kirkham said. The committee will help officials analyze the Woodfibre LNG project and conduct some in-depth investigation into potential areas of concern, he noted.
The committee’s mandate is twofold. It will provide input to help inform council’s response during the environmental review of the project. The committee will also funnel feedback directly to the project’s proponents on certain technical matters that could mitigate impacts in the eyes of the community, the release stated. Those include decisions on whether the plant would be cooled with water or air, whether electricity or natural gas would be used to power the facility and whether structures should be located on land or on floating structures in Howe Sound, officials said.
“There is a very real opportunity to influence the decisions that Woodfibre LNG is currently making — decisions that may lessen the perceived or real impacts on the community and the environment,” Kirkham said.
The committee will be comprised of one member of each from the Squamish Nation, Squamish Chamber of Commerce, Squamish Terminals, tourism groups, cultural groups, environmental groups and six members at large. A councillor and district staff member will join the group as ex-officio members.
The committee’s term is a year long and no committee members will be paid for their work with the group.
Interested residents may apply by submitting résumé and cover letter outlining their interest and how their background experience will benefit the committee to [email protected]. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, April 22.
For more information and the committee terms of reference, visit www.squamish.ca/lng.
