CSRD takes on Texada LNG proposal
On August 23, the Comox-Strathcona Regional District (CSRD) passed the following resolution:
WHEREAS the Government of British Columbia has announced that, as of 14 February 2007, all new electricity generating projects in the province will have zero net greenhouse gas emissions;
AND WHEREAS the province also requires 100 per cent carbon sequestration for any coal-fired project;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Board of Comox Strathcona Regional District communicate to the Premier its request that the province extend provincial policy requiring 100 per cent carbon sequestration to all fossil fuel-fired projects in BC, including any liquid natural gas (LNG) electricity generating facilities.
It’s not quite like the Squamish Lillooet Regional District, which denied a zoning application to Ledcor for its Ashlu Creek Power Project. The consequence of that action by local government was Bill 30, in which the provincial government kicked local government out of the room when it comes to power generation decisions. Specifically, it was an amendment to the Utilities Commission Act, stating that local government had no zoning jurisdiction for power projects on Crown land.
The loss of jurisdiction which Bill 30 represented, and the blithe arrogance of the provincial government in removing local government from the table when it didn’t behave, caused local governments across BC, through the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) to object strongly.
The outcome was, Bill 30 stands, and local government is warned not to get in the way, or risk losing even more of its jurisdiction to make local decisions on behalf of the people it presumably best represents.
This latest resolution from the CSRD is more like its 2003 resolution on coalbed methane – when it had the effrontery to ask the provincial government to put a moratorium on coalbed methane activities until issues related to produced water, environmental protection, and consultation were resolved. That resolution was later approved by the UBCM. And ignored by the province.
This resolution, which was triggered by concerns about the WestPac LNG proposal for a LNG receiving facility and a 1200 MW gas-fired generation plant on Texada Island (see LNG Terminal & Power Plant on Texada Island), is likely to suffer the same fate as other local government attempts to speak to the provincial government.
But it is correct in its logic – policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in BC fail from the get-go when at the same time the policy door is wide open for new large greenhouse gas emitting projects.
Posted by Arthur Caldicott on 24 Aug 2007