Editor's note: This letter was sent to Premier Christy Clark, Minister of Transportation Todd Stone and various other B.C. ministers. It was copied to The Chief for publication.
Re. Proposed Woodfibre LNG facility/LNG tankers.
It seems a strange fit, tankers 295 metres in length, 47 m wide accompanied by tugs, carrying up to 180,000 cubic metres of volatile liquid natural gas (LNG), travelling though a heavily populated, and a busy industrial marine traffic area, where much of the population is dependent on the marine waterway for transportation, business, tourism, water recreation, and daily travel. An accident could have disastrous results. I find it puzzling, this defining silence from the ministry on the unavoidable disruption to our B.C. Ferries service, travelling out of Horseshoe Bay to Vancouver Island, Bowen Island, and to Langdale, by these huge ocean-going tankers. Business, tourism, and resident travellers rely on an uninterrupted ferry schedule. It seems logical to me that this discussion would take place long before starting an environmental assessment on the proposed LNG facility in Howe Sound. The Woodfibre location, accessed only by water or air, presents a serious problem for an emergency response. A leak of gas reaching ignition could result in a horrific forest fire. An explosion from a LNG accident could wipe out most everything for miles (from www.iomosaic.com).
Sandia Report (2006), based upon the worst-case scenario; a flammable LNG vapour cloud could extend 7.3 miles before reaching a source of ignition, the burn flame will continue back to the source of vapour point (fireball) with catastrophic results, and water will not extinguish the resulting fire.
Yes, ministers, we have every right to be concerned for our health, our way of life, and our environment. You can't protect us from human error, and it just takes one accident to harm so much. When will discussions take place around the issues brought forward here? Will the Ferry Advisory Committees, and public be part of the discussion?
Vel Anderson
Gibsons
