Fortis B.C. is close to nailing down the power source and site of a compressor station that would be needed for the installation of an expanded pipeline to deliver natural gas to the proposed Woodfibre LNG plant.
At an open house for the Eagle Mountain-Squamish pipeline expansion proposal at the Executive Suites and Resort on Thursday (June 12), company officials said two sites are still on the table — the seven-acre parcel that the company has owned on Pioneer Way since the late 1990s or a 12-acre plot a few hundred metres to the south.
The latter parcel is the “preferred” option, as it would allow for the pipeline to take a more direct route from east to west across the Squamish Business Park. It would also be further from the nearby North Yards neighbourhood, which could be affected by noise from the station, said Carol Greaves, Fortis B.C. community relations manager.
The 12-acre site, though, is the subject of land-sale negotiations with the current owner.
That’s why the Pioneer Way site has to remain on the table for now, Greaves said.
Said Greaves, “We have heard from the public that they would prefer that that [Pioneer Way] site not be used.”
David Moore, a North Yards resident, said he found word of the more southerly site being the “preferred” option encouraging, but added that he was disappointed by the lack of specifics about noise levels.
“I was frustrated that the answers given by the Fortis personnel downplayed noise level and attempted to allay my concerns,” he wrote in an email to the Squamish Chief after the meeting. “They were non-committal on the specifics and the answers varied from as low as 40 db to as high as 60db at the plant boundary.”
Fortis officials said they are close to deciding that electricity will be used to power the plant’s compressors, if the project proceeds.
Greaves said they had hoped to have nailed down a decision in time for last week’s open house. But Greaves and others said B.C. Hydro still has to complete a system impact study before a final determination can be made.
Using electricity would be far quieter — officials said the difference varies a lot from site to site — than using natural gas to power the compressors.
Gary Abbott, Fortis compression project manager, said B.C. Oil and Gas Commission (OGC) rules require noise mitigation measures be taken if the “ambient” noise level around the facility exceeds 45 decibels, or about the sound of a normal, indoor conversation.
“We’re going to have to meet that 45 decibels to meet the requirement of the OGC,” he said.
The proposed pipeline would also be 24 inches in diameter, enough to transport the 230,000 gigajoules per day that the Woodfibre proponents are seeking, Greaves said. The old pipeline, built in 1991, is 10 inches across; earlier projections for the new line were for 20 inches.
Theo van Besouw, the engineering project manager, said the proponents plan to use a new route to cross the Squamish Estuary and Squamish River, a possibility that has drawn expressions of concern from Squamish Streamkeepers and others.
The pipeline would be underground until it reaches the west side of the Squamish River, van Besouw said. Engineers believe they can install the line by drilling just one hole on either end, he said, adding that engineers are aware of the concerns about environmental impacts.
“You can’t go over it and you can’t go through it, so we will go under it,” he said.
Fortis hopes to have all its field studies done by this fall, Greaves said. After that, an official application for environmental certification will be submitted to the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office, which has 180 days after that to reach a decision.
