Haliguy
Mar 8, 2008, 1:03 AM
Ottawa green-lights Goldboro LNG plan
Last Updated: Friday, March 7, 2008 | 5:58 PM AT Comments0Recommend10
The Canadian Press
The federal government has given its environmental approval to a proposed $4.6-billion liquefied natural gas terminal in Nova Scotia despite biologists' fears the project may harm an endangered population of rare seabirds.
Environment Minister John Baird's decision was issued Friday, with a brief statement saying Ottawa accepts the measures proposed by the consortium to protect the birds and offset other environmental risks.
"The project … is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects," said a news release.
The approved plan promises the companies behind the project will commission a study this spring of the foraging habits of the roseate terns, which look like small gulls with black caps.
It also says that ships can't come closer than 200 metres to the small island where the 25 breeding pairs, a quarter of the Canadian population, nest.
Several hundred tankers of liquefied natural gas, known as LNG, a year are expected to enter the small, rural harbour at Goldboro on Nova Scotia's eastern shore if the project proposed by Keltic Petrochemicals Inc. and MapleLNG Ltd. proceeds.
The companies are planning to construct and operate a wharf, marine terminal, transfer pipelines, storage tanks and regasification facilities, which transform natural gas from the liquefied form used during transport to its regular,market-ready form, by 2012.
Companies seeking gas suppliers
Peter MacKay, the federal minister responsible for Nova Scotia, announced Baird's approval of the project while visiting the area on Friday.
"I think it means a lot to the people of the county in terms of jobs, benefits and infrastructure," he said in an interview.
"Now that we're through the environmental stages, the companies can get on with the various licences that are required, and hopefully, we'll see construction."
Asked about the impact on the terns, MacKay said, "All the parties are committed to work together to ensure there isn't any disruption."
The companies involved praised Ottawa's decision, saying it increases their chances of finding a supplier of the fuel and obtaining a contract with the Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline for transporting gas.
"This took a long time, but it's good for the project," said Harry van Rietschoten, general counsel to 4Gas Inc., the firm that is seeking a source of supply for the gas.
He said after a construction permit is issued, "suppliers around the world will take this project seriously."
"That's important to us, because then you can really kick this off."
The Dutch-based firm, controlled by The Carlyle Group of Washington, expects to find a supplier in six months to a year, said van Rietschoten.
An environmental decision on the project was expected before Christmas. However, federal officials have said a review of concerns about the threatened population of terns played a role in delaying approval.
The bird is listed as endangered under both the federal Species at Risk Act and the provincial Endangered Species Act.
Project not environmentally sustainable, biologists say
Chantal Gagnon, who prepared a report on the project for the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre, said her group remains unconvinced the project has an adequate plan to protect the bird.
"If anything happens, if anything goes wrong, a good portion of the population of this bird could be hurt," she said.
The terns feed in shallow waters on small fish, such as sand lances and silver hake, and the environmental groups argue the shipping activity will make it harder for the birds to find food.
The group also is arguing that the petrochemical plant and the creation of the pressurized gas will add to greenhouse gas emissions.
"The project as a whole is not environmentally sustainable and we don't think it's the kind of project we should be having on our coast," said Gagnon.
Martha Leonard, a biologist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, said studies indicate that the birds forage in shallow waters.
"Anything that disrupts their foraging ground could cause a problem, because the bird needs this shallow water and a certain species of fish," she explained.
Angela Tu Weissenberger, the Ottawa-based author of a study on LNG prospects in North America, says the project still faces hurdles.
"The gas supply situation is actually very tight right now, because you have Europe and Asia increasing their demand, and those regions are willing to pay higher prices for the fuel," she explained.
The proposed project includes five storage tanks with a gross capacity that would allow one billion cubic feet of gas to be sent out every day.
Construction is expected to create 3,000 jobs, and the petrochemical plant is expected to provide 500 full-time positions.
Last Updated: Friday, March 7, 2008 | 5:58 PM AT Comments0Recommend10
The Canadian Press
The federal government has given its environmental approval to a proposed $4.6-billion liquefied natural gas terminal in Nova Scotia despite biologists' fears the project may harm an endangered population of rare seabirds.
Environment Minister John Baird's decision was issued Friday, with a brief statement saying Ottawa accepts the measures proposed by the consortium to protect the birds and offset other environmental risks.
"The project … is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects," said a news release.
The approved plan promises the companies behind the project will commission a study this spring of the foraging habits of the roseate terns, which look like small gulls with black caps.
It also says that ships can't come closer than 200 metres to the small island where the 25 breeding pairs, a quarter of the Canadian population, nest.
Several hundred tankers of liquefied natural gas, known as LNG, a year are expected to enter the small, rural harbour at Goldboro on Nova Scotia's eastern shore if the project proposed by Keltic Petrochemicals Inc. and MapleLNG Ltd. proceeds.
The companies are planning to construct and operate a wharf, marine terminal, transfer pipelines, storage tanks and regasification facilities, which transform natural gas from the liquefied form used during transport to its regular,market-ready form, by 2012.
Companies seeking gas suppliers
Peter MacKay, the federal minister responsible for Nova Scotia, announced Baird's approval of the project while visiting the area on Friday.
"I think it means a lot to the people of the county in terms of jobs, benefits and infrastructure," he said in an interview.
"Now that we're through the environmental stages, the companies can get on with the various licences that are required, and hopefully, we'll see construction."
Asked about the impact on the terns, MacKay said, "All the parties are committed to work together to ensure there isn't any disruption."
The companies involved praised Ottawa's decision, saying it increases their chances of finding a supplier of the fuel and obtaining a contract with the Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline for transporting gas.
"This took a long time, but it's good for the project," said Harry van Rietschoten, general counsel to 4Gas Inc., the firm that is seeking a source of supply for the gas.
He said after a construction permit is issued, "suppliers around the world will take this project seriously."
"That's important to us, because then you can really kick this off."
The Dutch-based firm, controlled by The Carlyle Group of Washington, expects to find a supplier in six months to a year, said van Rietschoten.
An environmental decision on the project was expected before Christmas. However, federal officials have said a review of concerns about the threatened population of terns played a role in delaying approval.
The bird is listed as endangered under both the federal Species at Risk Act and the provincial Endangered Species Act.
Project not environmentally sustainable, biologists say
Chantal Gagnon, who prepared a report on the project for the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre, said her group remains unconvinced the project has an adequate plan to protect the bird.
"If anything happens, if anything goes wrong, a good portion of the population of this bird could be hurt," she said.
The terns feed in shallow waters on small fish, such as sand lances and silver hake, and the environmental groups argue the shipping activity will make it harder for the birds to find food.
The group also is arguing that the petrochemical plant and the creation of the pressurized gas will add to greenhouse gas emissions.
"The project as a whole is not environmentally sustainable and we don't think it's the kind of project we should be having on our coast," said Gagnon.
Martha Leonard, a biologist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, said studies indicate that the birds forage in shallow waters.
"Anything that disrupts their foraging ground could cause a problem, because the bird needs this shallow water and a certain species of fish," she explained.
Angela Tu Weissenberger, the Ottawa-based author of a study on LNG prospects in North America, says the project still faces hurdles.
"The gas supply situation is actually very tight right now, because you have Europe and Asia increasing their demand, and those regions are willing to pay higher prices for the fuel," she explained.
The proposed project includes five storage tanks with a gross capacity that would allow one billion cubic feet of gas to be sent out every day.
Construction is expected to create 3,000 jobs, and the petrochemical plant is expected to provide 500 full-time positions.
