January 30, 2019 – The Office of the Wet'suwet'en has written to B.C Minister of Environment George Heyman to request an immediate cease-and-desist work order for Coastal GasLink pipeline project on Wet'suwet'en territories.

This comes after the Office of the Wet'suwet'en received an email from the B.C Environmental Assessment Office Compliance and Enforcement Officer stating that Coastal GasLink was not compliant with the pre-construction requirements at six of the inspected locations, and has been conducting work outside of their Environmental Assessment Certificate conditions. The email further states that the Compliance and Enforcement Officer has issued a Warning of Non Compliance to Coastal GasLink under the Environmental Assessment Act.

“Coastal GasLink has been found non-compliant in six legally-required and legally-binding conditions. This report by the B.C Environmental Assessment Office Compliance and Enforcement Officer affirms our own Wet'suwet'en investigations about Coastal GasLink’s willful and illegal disregard for our territories and cultural practices. The provincial government is required to uphold its own law and issue an immediate cease-and-desist work order for Coastal GasLink pipeline project on Wet'suwet'en territories. This project already does not have free, prior and informed consent under Wet’suwet’en rule of law, and now is violating B.C laws,” says Chief Namoks.

The Office of the Wet'suwet'en is a central office for the Wet'suwet'en Nation and is governed by the Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs residing throughout the 22,000 square km of Wet'suwet'en traditional territories. Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs are the Title Holders and maintain the authority and jurisdiction to make decisions on unceded lands. Under ‘Anuc niwh’it’en, Wet’suwet’en rule of law, all five clans of the Wet’suwet’en have unanimously opposed all pipeline proposals and we have not provided free, prior, and informed consent to Coastal GasLink/TransCanada to do work on Wet’suwet’en lands.

MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Chief Namoks: 250-847-3630