The regional district’s decision to reject West Coast Olefin’s proposed natural gas liquids recovery plant in Pineview couldn’t come soon enough for Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dolleen Logan.
On Thursday, the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George board of directors voted against advancing the project to the B.C. Agricultural Land Commission for consideration of the non-farm use of agricultural land. The controversial project was proposed on a 12.9 hectare area, located between McRinny Road and Lund Road in the Pineview/Buckhorn area. The board postponed the decision to Thursday, after a pair of deadlocked votes during the board’s meeting in November.
“It should have been turned down the first time,” Logan said. “Hopefully it won’t pop up somewhere else in Prince George. I have no idea why it would take so long. If it was in our community, it wouldn’t have even gone to the board.”
The proposed project drew opposition from the Lheidli T’enneh and Pineview residents, who submitted numerous letters and a petition with more than 2,000 signatures in opposition to board directors.
Those concerned about the lost jobs and economic benefits the project would have brought shouldn’t worry, Logan said.
“Don’t worry, there are jobs coming. We’ll be making some announcements this summer,” Logan said.
Several companies are looking at projects in the Prince George area which will bring jobs and economic benefits to the entire community, while building a sustainable future, she said. The Lheidli T’enneh are “open for business,” she added, and want to work with companies that will bring benefits to their members and the entire community.
“Come to Lheidli T’enneh, our door is always open,” Logan said. “(But) I haven’t heard from (West Coast Olefins CEO) Ken James since he walked out that door and said, ‘I don’t need you people.’”
Logan said, going forward, she would like to see submissions for non-farm use in the Agricultural Land Reserve to come to the Lheidli T’enneh for approval first, before going on to the regional district board.
“It’s like we don’t have a voice. It goes the ALR, the Oil and Gas (Commission)… You have to meet a lot of people, just to get you word across, and then you don’t have any say,” she said. “It’s been very stressful. This has been going on since 2019.”
In the meantime, the Lheidli T’enneh will continue to work with the regional district and City of Prince George on projects, she said. This proposal strained the relationship between the Lheidli T’enneh and the city, she said, but in any relationship you won’t always agree all the time.
According to information released by West Coast Olefins, the proposed project would have recovered natural gas liquids - including propane, butane and natural gas condensates - from Enbridge’s Westcoast Energy Pipeline and returned cleaner-burning “lean natural gas” to the pipeline. A new pipeline would transport the natural gas liquids to a proposed separation plant in the Danson Industrial Park in Prince George to be separated and sold.
West Coast Olefins CEO Ken James had not replied to a request for comment as of Friday morning.
