Like many Sea to Sky residents, I just received a glossy brochure in the mail from Woodfibre LNG, promoting itself as a positive for our community and great stewards of the environment. Woodfibre LNG didn’t bother to include mention of its cooling system and the threat to herring in the advertisement. For the real scoop, the LNG plant needs a cooling system, which requires a large intake pipe that will use up to 17,000 metric tonnes of ocean water per hour. And where do they want to plunk it? Right next to prime Howe Sound herring spawning habitat, as identified by Squamish residents .
What does Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ request to Woodfibre LNG mean? To “update its findings” in its report? Will the fox guard the hen house or will DFO truly get serious about protecting sensitive herring spawning habitat? Herring are one of the true contributors to recovery of Howe Sound, helping to facilitate the return dolphins, orcas, salmon and even the odd baleen whale.
I still have hope the right thing will be done for the environment and Howe Sound, even though the federal Conservative government gutted the Fisheries Act through the passing of Bill C-38 in 2012, which significantly narrowed the prohibition against harm to fish habitat and may allow “serious harm to fish” to be permitted in some cases, as stated in the bill in section 136.
I can see real change happening, if local citizens speak out and make our MP, John Weston, accountable. He needs to know we will not accept these devastating impacts to Howe Sound. If John and his Conservative government don’t listen and they approve this project, voters can exercise their opinions on the matter in the upcoming federal election. What kind of future do we want for Howe Sound?
Dave Brown
Whistler
