VICTORIA, B.C. – The BC Greens are slamming the provincial government for granting the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) fracked gas pipeline its request for a substantial start decision—a reckless decision that prioritizes profits for foreign billionaires over Indigenous rights, environmental protection, and community well-being:
“PRGT is set to transport fracked gas from northeastern B.C. to the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG terminal—an export facility that has not received an environmental assessment certificate,” said BC Greens Interim Leader Jeremy Valeriote, MLA for West Vancouver–Sea to Sky.
“It’s outrageous that the government is allowing construction to proceed with no approved terminus, using an outdated plan, and threatening one of the province’s most sensitive salmon habitats, all to serve the interests of foreign-owned fossil fuel companies. This is a betrayal of environmental stewardship, Indigenous rights, and a threat to sustained climate action in this province.”
The pipeline is co-owned by Texas-based Western LNG and financed by U.S. private equity firms Blackstone and Apollo Global Management, who are major Republican donors with ties to Donald Trump. Its construction contract has been awarded to Bechtel, a U.S. mega-firm with close links to Washington. Ksi Lisims LNG is opposed by the Lax Kw’alaams Band and Ts’msyen Hereditary Chiefs, who claim jurisdiction over Pearse Island, the proposed site of the terminal. The Gitanyow Chiefs have also opposed PRGT, based on concerns over Nass River salmon.
“British Columbians won’t benefit from this pipeline anywhere near as much as Wall Street and American billionaires will,” said Valeriote. “In fact, on every facet of this project, it’s this province’s climate, First Nations rights, waterways and land that suffers the most. The damage this will have far outweighs any short-term gain. This decision is deeply irresponsible.”
Construction activities moved ahead last summer on a portion of the right-of-way, to satisfy a technicality that required a “substantial start” to construction to avoid expiry of the now 10-year-old permit. The rushed construction clearing also skirted a legally-required cumulative effects assessment, and now the province is plowing forward with this project, ignoring serious objections from the Lax Kw’alaams Band, Metlakatla First Nation, Gitga’at First Nation, Gitanyow and Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs, the Kispiox Band, and conservation groups—objections that have already led to legal action and road blockades.
“This project has changed dramatically since its original approval in 2014 and it has no respect for the project’s climate impacts, the passage of DRIPA, and the impacts to salmon. This government is ignoring its own environmental standards and Indigenous rights commitments for an industry at the end of its days. The province should have required a new environmental assessment instead of letting outdated permits stand.” said Valeriote.
“BC must allow the 2014 certificate to expire and demand a full review under today’s laws. If not, the government should admit to the public that it’s willing to abandon its responsibility to First Nations and environmental protection in the name of offshore profits for fracked gas export.”
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Media contact
Ryan Hook
Press Secretary
BC Green Caucus
+1 250-882-6187 | ryan.hook@leg.bc.ca