Following BC government’s issuance of the environmental assessment certificate for the $1.6 billion Woodfibre LNG export facility, Squamish Nation is seeking further government-to-government discussions.
Squamish Nation’s spokesperson Ian Campbell said that many First Nation’s conditions are different than those set out in the provincial certificate and the Nation’s conditions address them specifically.
Campbell added that through the Squamish Nation EA agreement, the Nation is able to hold the proponent accountable.
“Although the province has considered our conditions for Woodfibre LNG, it has not yet come to agreement with the Nation on the conditions the province is responsible for. This is a condition of the Woodfibre LNG approval,” Campbell says.
He stressed that the provincial environmental assessment process did not assess the impacts of the project on Squamish Nation’s aboriginal rights and title. This was done under the Nation’s independent environmental assessment process.
“The province still has to consult with, and accommodate, the Nation with regard to its rights and title,” Campbell says.
According to Campbell, under the Nation’s environmental assessment agreement, Squamish Nation has significant decision-making abilities such as the choice of cooling technology, approval of management plans, and enforcing compliance through SN monitoring of mitigation measures.
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Image: Woodfibre LNG