Following two days of talks with the federal government, Northwest Aboriginal nations demand that the “deeply flawed” environmental assessment of Pacific NorthWest LNG project should be extended.
According to the chief negotiator, Glen Wiliams of the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs, said, “CEAA (the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency) has fundamentally misunderstood its fiduciary obligations to meaningfully consult the proper title holders.”
An alliance of First Nations hereditary leaders held a series of meeting with CEAA during July and August, stressing that the Petronas-led liquefied natural gas export Pacific NorthWest project on Lelu Island “cannot and will not proceed without their support.”
CEAA is nearing the end of a review process, and Wiliams said the CEAA process has been biased from the outset.
Northern First Nations are demanding an extension of at least four months to the CEAA process in order to conclude the consultation process.
Presentations were made to CEAA regarding scientific data collected from several studies that confirm the uniqueness of salmon habitat at the mouth of the Skeena River, which is unlike any other area on the Canadian Pacific Coast.