Latest news with #environmentalAssessment
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
B.C. gives green light to LNG pipeline, with no need for new environmental assessment
The British Columbia government says a decade-old environmental assessment certificate remains valid for the construction of a natural gas pipeline in northern B.C., in a decision opposed by the province's Green Party and environmental groups. The Environmental Assessment Office says it has determined the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline has 'substantially started,' fulfilling a requirement of the 2014 certificate and allowing the project to proceed without a new assessment. The original approval was for a roughly 900-kilometre pipeline between Hudson's Hope in northeastern B.C. and Lelu Island near Prince Rupert, the site of a liquefied natural gas processing facility that has since been cancelled. The pipeline was purchased by the Nisga'a Nation and Texas-based Western LNG last year to supply natural gas to the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG facility, a project the province says is still undergoing environmental assessment. The province says the office is also reviewing requests by the proponent to change the pipeline route, including shifting its end point to the Ksi Lisims facility and rerouting the eastern portion of the pipeline. The BC Greens say in a statement that upholding the original certificate is 'reckless,' prioritizing the project's American financial backers over Indigenous rights, environmental protection and community well-being. 'It's outrageous that the government is allowing construction to proceed with no approved terminus, using an outdated plan, and threatening one of the province's most sensitive salmon habitats, all to serve the interests of foreign-owned fossil fuel companies,' the Greens' interim leader, Jeremy Valeriote, says in the statement. 'This is a betrayal of environmental stewardship, Indigenous rights, and a threat to sustained climate action in this province,' Valeriote says. The pipeline is partly financed by the U.S. private equity firm Blackstone, which the Greens described as a major Republican donor with ties to U.S. President Donald Trump. The Greens' statement also noted that the U.S. engineering and construction company Bechtel had been selected to construct the pipeline. Western LNG called the substantially started ruling 'a significant milestone in the path toward delivering responsible, Indigenous-led energy infrastructure' in B.C. Eva Clayton, president of the Nisga'a Lisims Government, says in a statement released by Western LNG that the ruling was 'an important step — not just for (the pipeline), but for the Nisga'a Nation's vision of self-determination and long-term prosperity.' The project is opposed by the nearby Lax Kw'alaams Band and Ts'msyen hereditary chiefs, who the Greens say claim jurisdiction over Pearse Island, the site of the proposed Ksi Lisims terminal. Gitanyow hereditary chiefs have also opposed the project based on concerns over Nass River salmon, the Greens add. Thursday's statement from the province says the Environmental Assessment Office began its review last November in order to make a determination of whether the project had been 'substantially started' within the 10-year deadline. It says the office looked at construction and other activities by the proponent up to the deadline of Nov. 25, 2024, and found the condition was met. The review included a field assessment of the project, documentation from the pipeline proponent and 'information from First Nations, Gitanyow hereditary chiefs, Gitxsan Wilps and members of the public,' the statement says. The Greens' statement says construction activities moved ahead last summer on a portion of the pipeline's right-of-way in order to avoid expiry of the original permit. The environmental group also issued a statement calling the decision to uphold the decade-old certificate as a 'slap in the face' of B.C.'s climate plan. The decision follows the release of B.C.'s climate accountability report, which showed the province is already set to miss its climate targets, the group says. This report by Brenna Owen of The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
Canadian regulator says Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline project has started
June 5 (Reuters) - British Columbia's Environmental Assessment Office has determined that work on the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission natural gas pipeline project has been substantially started, the provincial government said on Thursday. The decision means a 2014 environmental assessment certificate for the project will remain in effect indefinitely, unless suspended or cancelled under the Environmental Assessment Act, the B.C. government said in a press release. The 900-kilometre PRGT project will run from Hudson's Hope in northeastern B.C. to Lelu Island near Prince Rupert on Canada's Pacific Coast. It was acquired from TC Energy ( opens new tab by the Nisga'a First Nation and the Western LNG in March 2024 to supply natural gas to the proposed 12 million tonneS per annum Ksi Lisims liquefied natural facility. The 2014 environmental assessment certificate required that the project show substantial progress by November 25, 2024. The B.C. Environmental Assessment Office launched a review process late last year to examine whether work had started, considering site inspections, documentation from PRGT and input from local First Nations. The government statement said compliance and enforcement officers will continue to monitor the PRGT project throughout construction and operation to ensure it meets all environmental requirements.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
York1 filed court challenge over landfill project months before Ford government proposed rollback
The company behind a controversial landfill proposal near Dresden launched a legal challenge last summer over Ontario's decision to require a full environmental assessment — months before the Ford government introduced legislation to scrap that requirement. York1 Environmental Waste Solutions Ltd. filed a judicial review application on July 29, 2024, seeking to overturn the province's designation regulation that placed its project under Ontario's comprehensive environmental assessment process. A copy of the court filing and confirmation of the legal action were provided to CTV News by York1. The application was filed in Divisional Court in London, Ont. CTV News has contacted the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for confirmation and comment and is awaiting a response. Timeline of events: Dresden landfill proposal March 11, 2024 – While speaking in Windsor, Premier Doug Ford is asked about the proposed landfill near Dresden. He says he's unfamiliar with the issue but adds: 'If people like something, we do it. If they don't, we don't do it. It's about as simple as that.' – While speaking in Windsor, Premier Doug Ford is asked about the proposed landfill near Dresden. He says he's unfamiliar with the issue but adds: March 15, 2024 – Former Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Andrea Khanjin announces the project will be subject to a comprehensive environmental assessment, under Ontario Regulation 284/24. – Former Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Andrea Khanjin announces the project will be subject to a comprehensive environmental assessment, under Ontario Regulation 284/24. July 29, 2024 – York1 files a judicial review application, arguing the designation contradicts prior guidance the company says it received in 2022 from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, indicating a screening-level EA would apply. – York1 files a judicial review application, arguing the designation contradicts prior guidance the company says it received in 2022 from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, indicating a screening-level EA would apply. April 17, 2025 – The Ford government introduces Bill 5, which proposes to eliminate the EA requirement for the Dresden site — effectively reversing the March 2024 decision that York1 is challenging in court. York1 argues in court filings that the province's shifting position — from limited EA, to full EA and now a possible exemption — created uncertainty and made the project 'unfeasible.' The company says it purchased the Irish School Road property in 2022 after receiving written guidance from the Ministry outlining regulatory expectations for a regenerative recycling facility accepting construction and demolition waste. A 2022 letter from the Ministry, provided by York1, states that a screening-level environmental assessment would be required for certain aspects of the project — not a comprehensive one. The project has faced widespread opposition from Dresden residents. Chatham-Kent Council has unanimously opposed the proposal, and municipal officials say the site's historic environmental approvals — dating back to the 1970s and 1990s — no longer meet modern standards. York1, meanwhile, says it met with Chatham-Kent officials numerous times, and claims the municipality initially expressed support for the project — including the concept of a host-community agreement — before later reversing course. The legal action preceded a wave of political scrutiny that has since intensified attention on the project. In May 2025, Ontario Liberal MPP Ted Hsu asked the province's Integrity Commissioner to investigate possible connections between the Ford government and the landfill proposal — pointing to roughly $200,000 in political donations made since 2018 by members of the Brunetti family, York1 executives, and individuals tied to companies involved in the property's ownership. Hsu has questioned the timing of those contributions, noting several were made around key regulatory decisions. Asked about the donations, York1 spokesperson Laryssa Waler declined to comment on individual contributions, saying all political donations in Ontario are publicly reported and 'speak for themselves.' The judicial review has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.
Reuters
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
US finds endangered Gulf of Mexico whale threatened by oil and gas vessel strikes
May 20 (Reuters) - The Trump administration published a long-awaited environmental assessment on Tuesday that found that vessel strikes related to oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico are likely to jeopardize the existence of the endangered Rice's whale. The analysis, known as a biological opinion, governs how endangered and threatened marine species should be protected from oil and gas activities in the region, which President Donald Trump has renamed the Gulf of America. There are an estimated 51 Rice's whales in the Gulf, according to the analysis, which sets speed restrictions and a requirement for vessels to maintain a 500-meter (547 yards) minimum distance from the species if spotted. A federal judge last year ordered the National Marine Fisheries Service to revise its previous assessment because it did not adequately address risks species face from oil spills and vessel strikes. Oil and gas industry groups had warned that if the revised document was not produced by the judge's deadline of May 21 that vital energy operations would be shut down. Those groups, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), welcomed publication of the analysis but criticized the finding that oil and gas activities threatened the Rice's whale population. "As we continue reviewing the new opinion, we are concerned by the inclusion of a jeopardy finding for the Rice's whale," NOIA President Erik Milito said in a statement. "That determination appears inconsistent with the best available science and triggers unnecessary regulatory uncertainty." An environmental group that had sued to protect the Rice's whale from oil and gas activities said the restrictions on drillers did not go far enough. "It's just as inadequate for protecting rare marine species as the last biological opinion was," said Chris Eaton, an attorney with Earthjustice. "For Rice's whales, it allows activities over the next 45 years that the Fisheries Service admits will kill nine whales and seriously injure three more."
CTV News
12-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
After Ontario backtracks on landfill study, Liberals seek probe into donor links
The former Dresden landfill seen just north of Dresden, Ont. (Michelle Maluske/CTV News Windsor) TORONTO — The Ontario Liberals have asked the integrity commissioner to investigate the province's decision to backtrack on an environmental assessment of a massive landfill expansion project backed by Progressive Conservative donors. The Liberals want the integrity commissioner to look at whether Premier Doug Ford's government gave the project special treatment because its developers are lucrative donors to his party. 'The actions of the Ford government around the expansion of the Dresden landfill undermine trust in our political system and raise serious questions about the potential influence of money on public policy,' said Liberal member of provincial parliament Ted Hsu, who requested the investigation. 'Today, we're confronting a troubling question: is public policy in Ontario for sale?' The 30-fold expansion of a dormant landfill north of the rural farming community of Dresden in Chatham-Kent has spawned local backlash and concerns about possible ecological effects. Citing the community's concerns, the government ordered an environmental assessment for the project last year. But now, the province plans to revoke that assessment under a controversial omnibus bill working its way through the legislature. The premier's office and environment minister maintain it's necessary because getting the project done quickly is the best way to ensure the long-term stability of a waste system that is nearing its capacity. Environment Minister Todd McCarthy said the province can't afford to keep shipping a large share of its waste to the United States, suggesting Ontario is facing a landfill capacity 'crisis.' He said Monday that the site would still be subject to other environmental laws and oversight. 'I will stand for strong environmental oversight in Dresden. I can assure the residents of that, I can ensure Ontarians of that, but we must address our landfill capacity challenges. We will be out of landfill within a decade if we do nothing. We are taking action,' he said during question period. The Liberals fired back by suggesting the government was leveraging the U.S. trade war to push through policy that would benefit insiders at the expense of transparency and accountability to local residents. They also questioned whether the flip-flop was timed to coincide with a local byelection. The province initially announced it would pursue the environmental assessment in March 2024. Shortly after that, the premier called a byelection in the local riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, where the successful PC candidate Steve Pinsonneault campaigned against the expansion. Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie called it a 'question of integrity.' 'You promise one thing during a byelection, and then you quietly walk it back when no one's listening, no one is paying attention months or one year later: that's the issue for us,' she said Monday. Pinsonneault's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The integrity commissioner's office said it was reviewing the Liberals' request. York1, the company behind the project, is seeking to revive the dormant landfill about a kilometre north of Dresden and expand it to service waste from across the province. Details of the developers' donations and lobbying efforts were first reported by The Trillium, a Queen's Park-based news outlet, and were cited by the Liberals in their letter to the integrity commissioner. The Trillium reported that executives at the companies and their family members had donated about $200,000 to the PCs since 2018. The Canadian Press has corroborated some of those political contributions recorded in a public Elections Ontario database. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Under the proposal, a small landfill dating back to the 1960s that holds 40,000 cubic metres of waste could be expanded to a total of 1.6 million cubic metres, enough to fill almost 650 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Officials have said the company also wants to establish waste processing stations to receive up to 6,000 tonnes of waste per day, even though existing permits for the property dating back to 1998 only allow for a tiny fraction of that amount. Half the waste would come from a range of sources, including some 500 tonnes of asbestos-containing waste, according to municipal documents. The other half would be soil and 'soil-like materials,' including contaminated soil. If approved, Chatham-Kent's mayor has argued the project would have a 'devastating impact' on the community and those around it. 'Only through a full environmental assessment process will the impacts of this proposal be fully understood, and we are confident that such a process would show that a landfill, recycling and waste facility cannot be located this close to a vibrant and historic town,' wrote Darrin Canniff in a letter to the environment minister posted publicly earlier this month. The municipality had previously raised concerns about a lack of consultation by the company and its initial proposal's apparent lack of relevant research. In letters to the province, the municipality suggested no studies had been conducted on potential effects to noise, air quality, traffic and human health, while only minimal information was available on how the project would affect ground and surface water resources. The property is surrounded by prime agricultural land. The water around the site streams into the Sydenham River, home to some endangered species, including the spiny softshell turtle. An environmental assessment would have had to consider alternative designs or locations for the project. In a statement, the premier's office echoed the environment minister's comments about strong environmental oversights and protections, as well as Ontario's strained landfill capacity. 'The people of Ontario have spoken loud and clear — they want a government that will do whatever it takes to protect Ontario, to build a province that is more resilient, self-reliant and able to withstand anything that comes our way. That is exactly what our government will deliver,' the statement read. The Liberals said the landfill flip-flop echoes other recent controversial moves that appear to trample local opposition, pointing to Ford's now-reversed decision to open protected Greenbelt lands for development, the use of ministerial zoning orders to override municipal decisions and his government's handling of the Ontario Place redevelopment. The legislation that would nix the environmental assessment, Bill 5, is under broader scrutiny. While its stated aim is to speed up mining and infrastructure projects, critics have suggested it would give cabinet too much authority to exempt the government from labour and environmental laws. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 12, 2025. Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press
