Editor:
Re: Majority of B.C.'s LNG produced in Tilbury, March 13
In FortisBC president and CEO Michael Mulcahy's article regarding the Tilbury LNG facility, he states, "What may be of interest to residents of Delta is that the majority of LNG used in the province is produced in Delta at our Tilbury facility, which has been operating safely since 1971."
He's missed some critical issues which, as a resident of Delta, I believe should be "of interest" to us all.
He failed to mention there has been an application for an export permit for Tilbury Gas, which means shipping LNG down the Fraser River and off to foreign markets.
It's my understanding the councils of West Vancouver, Gibsons, the Sunshine Coast Regional District and Islands Trust, when faced with a similar concern about the development of an LNG export facility in Squamish, have all called for a ban on LNG tankers in Howe Sound.
These tankers are twice as long, wide and tall as a large B.C. Ferries vessel, take eight kilometres to come to a full stop and have a 1.5-kilometre blind spot off the bow for any small vessels without radar. Do we want LNG tankers traveling up and down the Fraser?
Cooling down the fracked gas to liquidate it requires vast volumes of water. With an expansion to serve foreign markets, there would be some questions of water that may be "of interest" to us.
Will the water required be taken from the Fraser River or from ground water? Where will the heated wastewater go? What chemicals might be in it and how might this impact our river?
In 1971 the Tilbury facility would be using natural gas extracted by conventional means.
The article doesn't mention that Tilbury, like all LNG facilities, now relies almost exclusively on hydraulic fracturing as a means of extraction.
It is true that natural gas burns clean but there is a growing body of research indicating the processes of fracking and liquefaction makes fracked gas as dirty, or dirtier, than coal and oil.
A recent poll in B.C. reveals the majority of residents are opposed to continuation of current fracking practises in B.C. I believe we, the residents of Delta, have much to learn about the Tilbury fracked gas expansion project.
What impact will it have on our environment? What risks are associated with LNG tankers on the Fraser? What role will it play in determining how we meet our obligations with regard to cutting greenhouse gas emissions?
Shirley Ireland
