FortisBC is cleared to do its pipeline route testing in the Squamish Estuary.
The latest development permit application passed council unanimously Tuesday afternoon at a special council meeting.
The permit allows the company to conduct geotechnical investigation on the Squamish River dike and geophysical work within the Wildlife Management Area (WMA). FortisBC will drill test boreholes at two locations along the dike.
The company has argued the testing work is necessary to collect information in order to design a trenchless pipeline crossing of the Squamish River and parts of the estuary for the Eagle Mountain-Woodfibre Gas Pipeline Project that would feed natural gas to the proposed Woodfibre LNG export facility slated for southwest of downtown Squamish.
In January, council had voted 4-3 against authorizing a development permit to FortisBC for more invasive investigative work in the estuary and the WMA.
“We took the feedback we received on our previous application to heart and really looked outside of the box to revise our testing program to respect community values and ensure the testing we do is as environmentally sound as possible,” Trevor Boudreau, FortisBC spokesperson, said after council granted the permit Tuesday.
In her support for the new application, Councillor Karen Elliott, who opposed the first development permit, said it was worth turning the original application down.
“What this taught me is when you ask tough questions, when you stick up for the values of your community and the feedback that you are getting, you get a better result,” she said.
“That is why I will support this today, is because two boreholes is way better than five, and it is unfortunate we had to go through this whole long process to get what we wanted in the first place.”
In March FortisBC representatives filed a petition against the District of Squamish with the province’s Supreme Court over the denial of the development permit.
That petition was still in the court system, pending the outcome of this second application.
Councillor Peter Kent referenced the court action in his support for this development permit.
“As most of you know, my whole position on putting a pipeline in the estuary I find distasteful, but I also understand the reality of our ongoing action that we have had based on our previous [development permit], and I think by granting this we are entertaining the lesser of two evils,” he said. “I think two boreholes on the dirt dike, if that is what it takes to satisfy your geotech and your geophysical, I think is far better than… a legal defense losing the case and having three more boreholes dug in the WMA.”
Mayor Patricia Heintzman noted that this application process is just one in many as the proposed pipeline and Woodfibre LNG projects ramp up.
“Of course this is just the borehole testing, there’s lots more applications coming forward. This is not the last we have heard of this particular project, I am sure,” she said.
FortisBC will begin its work within three or four weeks, according to the company.
Boudreau said if the data collected is conclusive, then there won’t be a need for further work in the estuary until after a decision on the company’s environmental certificate application is made. That decision is expected this summer.
Taking into account that it is bird-nesting season, Boudreau said before work begins an environmental professional will do a sweep of the area to ensure there are no active bird nests. If there are nests, work will stop until it’s safe, he said. Boudreau also said access along the dike road will be maintained while crews are working.
