Eva Clayton, elected president of the Nisga’a Lisims government, hailed the ruling as an important step.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
The head of British Columbia’s Environmental Assessment Office has ruled that the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline for transporting natural gas has been substantially started, clearing the way for further construction on the project.
Alex MacLennan, the regulator’s chief executive assessment officer, made the decision after a detailed review of PRGT, the B.C. government said in a statement Thursday.
PRGT initially received its environmental assessment certificate in 2014, and won approval for a five-year extension in 2019, giving the project until last November to substantially start pipeline construction to prevent the certificate from expiring.
“With this decision, the certificate remains in effect for the life of the project, unless it is cancelled or suspended pursuant to the Environmental Assessment Act,” according to the B.C. government’s news release.
“As outlined in his reasons for decision, the chief executive assessment officer determined that the physical work completed is consistent with standard pipeline development, and together with other activities and investments undertaken, the company demonstrated a strong intention to advance the project in the near term.”
Plans call for the 750-kilometre pipeline to supply the future Ksi Lisims LNG facility, which is undergoing an environmental review for exporting liquefied natural gas.
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PRGT, which is currently co-owned 50-50 by the Nisga’a Nation and Western LNG, could cost between $10-billion and $12-billion to construct across Northern B.C.
B.C. Environment Minister Tamara Davidson delegated the decision on the pipeline plans to Mr. MacLennan.
“This is an important step – not just for PRGT, but for the Nisga’a Nation’s vision of self-determination and long-term prosperity,” Eva Clayton, elected president of the Nisga’a Lisims government, said in a statement late Thursday. “For too long, Indigenous Nations have watched resource development happen around us, instead of with us.”
The Nisga’a, Western and a group of natural gas producers named Rockies LNG are partners in Ksi Lisims. Last month, TotalEnergies of France said it acquired a 5-per-cent stake in Western. The French company also has the option to buy a direct 10-per-cent interest in Ksi Lisims.
Western LNG president Davis Thames welcomed the regulator’s decision, describing PRGT as “a model for how major infrastructure projects should be done – respectfully, inclusively and with shared prosperity."
Groups opposed to PRGT include the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition, Wilderness Committee, David Suzuki Foundation, Dogwood, Stand.earth, Sierra Club BC and Northwest Institute.
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Gitanyow hereditary chiefs and several Gitxsan Nation leaders are also opposed to the pipeline route, which would cross their traditional territories.
“The B.C. government has decided to charge ahead with building another fracked fossil gas pipeline at the expense of our climate and in violation of First Nations’ rights,” Dogwood campaigner Ashley Zarbatany said in a statement.
“Climate breakdown is at our doorstep, and we need to be building Canadian-owned renewable energy,” Sierra Club BC organizer David Quigg said.
The B.C. government said compliance and enforcement officers will keep tabs on PRGT during construction to ensure the pipeline meets regulatory requirements.
PRGT said it has already invested nearly $584-million in the pipeline project.
The Shell PLC-led LNG Canada project is nearing construction completion in Kitimat, B.C., and will become the country’s first export terminal for the fuel by mid-2025.