News Release - February 18, 2014

Minimal funding for environmental protections

VICTORIA, BC – The British Columbia 2014 Budget announced this afternoon made it clear that the provincial government plans to stake our economic future on an as yet unrealized liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry.

Like past government messaging on LNG, today’s budget promises an industry that will benefit British Columbians, but remains incredibly vague on the specifics of how this will be accomplished. The government based budget estimates on five LNG facilities even though no contracts have been signed yet.

The startling lack of details continued into the thin section on environmental protection and climate change. 

Slightly under $4 million in funding increases were announced for the Ministry of the Environment, with the majority of that increase slated for the Environmental Assessment Office to ensure there aren’t backlogs with environmental assessments for anticipated LNG terminals.

“The BC government is betting the farm on the development of a massive LNG industry in BC,” said Gwen Barlee, Policy Director with the Wilderness Committee.

“It is clear from today’s budget however that there will not be corresponding protection of our environment. The budget contains nothing that will ensure ‘world-class’ environmental protection. Wishful thinking won’t make this industry green, and neither will running pipelines through parks,” she said.

Also missing from the budget was any specific information on how the government plans to reconcile the expansion of an LNG industry with the province's agreed upon carbon emissions reductions targets. If five LNG terminals are built, BC will massively miss its greenhouse gas reduction goals.

“The government doesn’t appear to have a strategy to move forward with LNG without forsaking our commitments to taking action on climate change,” said Torrance Coste, Vancouver Island Campaigner with the Wilderness Committee.

“Given the massive cuts to federal oversight, we were hoping the BC government would step up to the plate to protect our environment. That clearly hasn’t happened, and this government has continued its disregard for the environment,” Coste continued.

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For more information, contact:

Gwen Barlee, Policy Director, Wilderness Committee – 604-202-0322

Torrance Coste, Vancouver Island Campaigner, Wilderness Committee – 250-516-9900
 

Photo: LNG tanker (Shell)