Editor:
Fortis BC has been a proud member of the Delta community for decades. We've been safely delivering natural gas to Delta homes and businesses since 1957. It's a responsibility we take very seriously.
We also value our strong relationship with local community organizations committed to making Delta one of the best places to live. That's why we were surprised to learn the Burns Bog Conservation Society has been distributing incorrect information about the safety of our natural gas operations and the expansion of our Tilbury LNG facility; we feel it's important to set the record straight for Delta residents.
In its fundraising letter, the society raises concerns about the safety of our natural gas pipelines running underneath Burns Bog. The fact is that our natural gas pipeline system and associated facilities have excellent safety records, thanks to the monitoring systems and processes that FortisBC and its predecessors - B.C. Gas and Terasen Gas - have had in place for decades.
Cooling natural gas into a liquid - or LNG as it's more commonly known - is a safe way to store and transport it, which brings us to the second misconception in the society's letter, regarding the expansion of our Tilbury natural gas liquefaction plant in Delta. LNG is non-toxic, non-flammable and noncorrosive. In the unlikely event that LNG is spilled, it would simply evaporate, leaving no residue behind on the soil or water.
It's worth mentioning that when we built the Tilbury facility more than 40 years ago it was the first of its kind in B.C. Today it's one of only two LNG facilities in Western Canada, and we operate them both. With that experience in hand, we firmly believe that Delta is poised to lead the way as many industries convert to cleaner energy alternatives.
One initiative we're working on is helping the marine industry transition to cleaner fuels. A study commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund Canada (related to shipping in the Arctic) found that switching to LNG from heavy fuel oil would mean a reduction in all pollutants, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Plus the safety risks associated with spills are greatly reduced.
In fact, Delta residents will soon see Seaspan and B.C. Ferries vessels plying the Fraser River and Salish Sea, fuelled by LNG from our Tilbury Island facility.
We believe that natural gas and LNG are good for Delta and B.C. It's a safe and versatile energy source that has long been a part of our everyday lives. We encourage Delta residents to visit our new website, TalkingEnergy.ca, to learn more and to ask questions.
Viviana Zanocco
Community and Aboriginal Relations Manager FortisBC
