British Columbia

[Editors:  BC Supreme Court granted the injunction against Site C protesters today. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-hydro-granted-injunction-against-site-c-protesters-1.3469570 ]

Lawyers for BC Hydro and six residents of the BC Peace region are in the BC Supreme Court this week in Vancouver. 

What is BC Hydro Requesting?

As B.C. gears up to host the First Ministers’ climate meeting, new federal data confirms the province’s emissions soaring and its once vaunted clean economy leadership in disarray.

[Wepage editor's note]: 

This column summarizes the negative prospects for the industry in the wake of AltaGas cancelling the Douglas Channel LNG project.

Waste wood could soon replace diesel power at the remote Kwadacha First Nation, which is seeking financial help to build a small biomass plant.

The off-the-grid community of just over 300 wants to build a small biomass facility that would produce around 145 kilowatts of electricity.

"What we're looking at is co-generation, green energy, to burn wood waste to offset the electricity (from diesel) and heat some buildings and a greenhouse we're building," Chief Donny Van Somer said. "We're trying to get off fossil fuels as much as possible."

Feb 25, 2016 - AltaGas announced today that the Douglas Channel LNG consortium has decided to halt project development. 

AltaGas says the decision is based on "adverse economic conditions and worsening global energy price levels." 

The Douglas Channel LNG project site was planned near Kitimat, on the north coast of British Columbia, and had been targeted to commence LNG exports in 2018.

NEWS RELEASE

February 22, 2016

David Suzuki and Grand Chief Phillip Stand with Rocky Mountain Fort Camp in Opposition to Site C at BC Hydro Injunction Hearing

(Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, B.C. – February 22, 2016) The Stewards of the Land at the Rocky Mountain Fort Camp on the Peace River have been dragged into the Supreme Court of British Columbia for protecting their way of life.

Feb. 21, 2016  - For a time, it looked as if the B.C. Liberal government’s political challenge with the Northern Gateway pipeline project would be removed with the federal government’s promised ban on oil tankers off British Columbia’s north coast.

Like a persistent stain, however, Northern Gateway is back on B.C. Environment Minister Mary Polak’s desk for a decision.

[Webpage editor: But see about their plans to expand exports of US thermal coal:  https://dogwoodinitiative.org/beyondcoal/learn-more ]

Port Metro Vancouver didn’t ship a single lump of thermal coal to China in 2015.

Secrecy surrounding proposed land transfers raises concerns about transparency of process

BC Hydro has been quietly offering to transfer thousands of hectares of Crown land to First Nations in compensation for the $9-billion Site C dam.

For Immediate Release

MEDIA ADVISORY

February 19th, 2016

David Suzuki and Grand Chief Stewart Phillip Support Site C Opposition at Injunction Hearing