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FortisBC’s Eagle Mountain – Woodfibre Gas Pipeline Project Earns Environmental Approval
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(Posted on Aug 15, 2016 at 07:40PM by Michelle Bogle)
On August 9, 2016, B.C.’s Environment Minister Mary Polak and Natural Gas Development Minister Rich Coleman announced that approval has been given to FortisBC for the proposed Eagle Mountain – Woodfibre Gas Pipeline (EGP) Project.
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“We’re pleased to receive the provincial environmental assessment approval,†said FortisBC Vice President Cynthia Des Brisay. “The decision is the result of more than two years of engineering and environmental studies to gather information, and countless hours of work by our project team and consultants to design a project that will minimize local impacts as much as possible.â€Â
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The provincial environmental assessment process was coordinated by the BC Environmental Assessment Office. It included the evaluation of various potential pipeline routes and compressor station locations. In response to feedback from the public and local Aboriginal groups, FortisBC proposed a number of design changes to the original plan, including:
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- Changing the crossing method to reduce disturbances in the Skwelwil’em Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area
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- Modifying the proposed corridor to avoid areas of importance to Tsleil-Waututh Nation
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- Moving the proposed Squamish compressor station to the base of Mt. Mulligan
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- Locating a temporary worker camp west of the Squamish River to reduce potential impacts on worker accommodations in the area
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Background
The EGP Project is a 47km long pipeline expansion to FortisBC’s existing Vancouver Island natural gas transmission system to deliver natural gas to the Woodfibre LNG facility, which received an environmental assessment certificate last fall. The pipeline system was built in 1990 to serve Squamish, the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island. It was last expanded before the 2010 Winter Games to convert Whistler from piped propane to natural gas.
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For more information on the EGP Project, visit TalkingEnergy.ca. To review the full list of conditions and design parameters outlined in the Environmental Assessment certificate, please visit the BC Environmental Assessment Office’s website.
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Local Impact
Major developments, such as Woodfibre, are having a positive impact on Squamish’s economy and, as a result, are fueling demand for real estate, especially commercial assets. The former lumber town is now once again poised for growth and expected to draw an increased supply of workers into the area.
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Want to learn more? For more information about commercial real estate activity in the Sea-to-Sky corridor, including Whistler and Squamish, please contact our area expert, David Fox, in our Vancouver office.Â
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