VANCOUVER, BC – Prime Minister Trudeau has green lighted the Malaysian owned Pacific NorthWest Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) plant on BC’s north coast. Despite massive opposition from tens of thousands of citizens, this project would be the largest source of carbon pollution in Canada. It will endanger the Skeena River’s world famous salmon runs and severely impact Indigenous rights to fish.

“We’re absolutely appalled that this project has been given the go-ahead,” said Wilderness Committee Climate Campaigner Peter McCartney. “Pacific NorthWest LNG poses a grave threat to our global climate, salmon in the Skeena River and the way of life of Indigenous people who live there.”

Pacific NorthWest LNG is slated to be built on top of an eelgrass bed that supports 88 per cent of the salmon in the Skeena River and all those who rely on them. It would also produce 11 million tonnes of carbon pollution – singlehandedly blowing BC’s climate commitments.

Members of the Lax Kw’alaams have been occupying the site in their traditional territory for over a year to halt work on the project, while thousands of supporters have called for the government to reject the proposal.

“This is a huge wake-up call for all of the people who have mobilized to shut these LNG plans down,” said McCartney. “It’s a sign that grassroots opposition needs to ramp up.”

The BC government has committed to lowering emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 but insists it can build an LNG industry that would rival the climate impact of the Alberta tar sands.

“It’s far past time to build an economy that will actually thrive in the coming decades instead of clinging to this failing model – that’s why we need to end BC’s LNG climate disaster before it starts,” said McCartney.

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For more information, please contact:

Peter McCartney | Climate Campaigner, Wilderness Committee

778-239-1935, peter@wildernesscommittee.org