The Smithers resident who wants a federal review of the natural gas pipeline that would feed the planned multi-billion LNG Canada liquefied natural gas facility at Kitimat says heB次元官网网址檚 received threats against his life and property.
B次元官网网址淚 can tell you itB次元官网网址檚 been relatively intense,B次元官网网址� says Michael Sawyer of the attention focused on him since he asked the federal National Energy Board at the end of July for an order that TransCanadaB次元官网网址檚 Coastal GasLink pipeline project be put under federal regulation.
The pipeline has already received a green light from the provinceB次元官网网址檚 environmental agencies, a key factor in the decision by LNG CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Joint Venture Partners (JVPs) whether to give the go-ahead or not.
The JVPs, which now include the Malaysian energy giant Petronas, have indicated a decision will be made by the end of the year, something thatB次元官网网址檚 placed residents, businesses and local governments in Kitimat and Terrace in a high state of anticipation.
But if SawyerB次元官网网址檚 application to the NEB is successful and a review is in order, thereB次元官网网址檚 a growing worry among LNG proponents in the region that an investment decision would be delayed.
And itB次元官网网址檚 that worry which has placed Sawyer in the spotlight, resulting in the threats.
B次元官网网址淥ne said B次元官网网址楬ope you have your fire insurance up to dateB次元官网网址� and another was B次元官网网址楲ook out. WeB次元官网网址檙e coming to get you,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� said Sawyer.
HeB次元官网网址檚 contacted the Smithers RCMP who so far describe messages as B次元官网网址渋mplicitB次元官网网址� and not B次元官网网址渆xplicit,B次元官网网址� Sawyer added.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 not enough for them to act on,B次元官网网址� he said of the police response.
Sawyer said he understands the range of emotions arising from his NEB filing from people anticipating an economic boom from any LNG development, but said his filing is based on Canadian law and judicial precedence.
B次元官网网址淲e live in a society where thereB次元官网网址檚 the rule of law,B次元官网网址� said Sawyer, adding that when governments donB次元官网网址檛 follow the rule of law, B次元官网网址渋tB次元官网网址檚 incumbent upon citizens to hold their feet to the fire and have them obey the law.B次元官网网址�
ItB次元官网网址檚 a position Sawyer bases on two previous court decisions, a 1998 Supreme Court of Canada decision and a 2017 Federal Court of Appeal decision involving the now-shelved Pacific NorthWest LNG project near Prince Rupert.
While pipeline projects in B.C. donB次元官网网址檛 solely fall under provincial jurisdiction as defined by the constitutional provision giving provinces control of natural resources, both decisions determined that a tie-in with existing pipelines that are under federal jurisdiction would also place those new projects under federal jurisdiction.
The 2017 decision is particularly relevant for Sawyer because it stemmed from his own appeal of an NEB decision dismissing his assertion that the pipeline, which would also have been built by TransCanada, to feed the Pacific NorthWest LNG project was within federal and not provincial jurisdiction.
That decision was never appealed by the NEB nor TransCanada, meaning it stands as a precedent, Sawyer states.
In addition to SawyerB次元官网网址檚 legal position, he refutes the premise that LNG is a clean fuel which can replace fuels such as coal until B次元官网网址渟ome other mythical fuel is found.B次元官网网址�
While LNG as a fuel may burn cleaner, once the cumulative energy-using impacts of drilling, fracking, processing, pumping through pipelines, super-cooling for shipping and shipping itself are considered, the emissions total is greater than burning coal, he says.
B次元官网网址淭he [cumulative] emissions are two per cent greater,B次元官网网址� said Sawyer. B次元官网网址淲hen you look at the claim then that itB次元官网网址檚 a cleaner fuel, itB次元官网网址檚 simply not true.B次元官网网址�
ItB次元官网网址檚 why a federal review of the project is needed in the broad public interest, he added in questioning the thoroughness of the provincial review.
Sawyer also said a federal review would put into play federal species protection legislation - he has his eye on a northeastern B.C. caribou herd resident in an area he said TransCanada has already indicated it would need to drill 700 wells a year, with accompanying infrastructure, over the next 30 years.
B次元官网网址淭hat (caribou) herd would simply no longer exist,B次元官网网址� said Sawyer.
Overall, Sawyer said the provincial approval of Coastal GasLink was driven by the former BC Liberal governmentB次元官网网址檚 bias to B次元官网网址渁pprove the project and get it running.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淟ook, if there had been a fulsome [provincial] review, and they acknowledged all of the risks and decided to go ahead with it anyway, I may not have agreed with it but at least it would be intellectually honest,B次元官网网址� he said.
A former environmental consultant in Alberta, first for oil and gas companies and then to citizen groups, landowners and First Nations over a career of more than 20 years, Sawyer said he moved to Smithers to more or less retire.
However, Sawyer said he saw deficiencies in how energy projects in B.C. are examined and decided to become more involved.
He says thereB次元官网网址檚 no personal financial gain in what heB次元官网网址檚 doing and counters criticsB次元官网网址� accusations heB次元官网网址檚 receiving money from American foundations.
He did receive $2,500 to help with legal costs from the West Coast Environmental Law SocietyB次元官网网址檚 environmental dispute resolution fund which is financed by interest earned by trust accounts maintained by lawyers in B.C.
Individuals have also made small donations.
And as for why the application to the NEB has only been filed now with an LNG Canada investment decision expected soon, Sawyer said it simply took this long to gather his information.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no intention to time my application. ThatB次元官网网址檚 how long it took to get this together,B次元官网网址� he said.
