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British Columbia Officials: Coastal GasLink Failed on Fixing Environmental Violations

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A Gidimt'en checkpoint near the Unist'ot'en camp off a logging road near Houston, B.C., on Wednesday, January 9, 2019. Coastal GasLink says supplies like water are at risk of running out for more than 500 workers who have been stuck for three days on the other side of blockades near a pipeline worksite in northern B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito. CAH

B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office found Coastal GasLink in multiple environmental violations (BC). These infractions may harm waterways along the pipeline’s path. Coastal GasLink failed to address nearly two dozen sediment and erosion issues along waterways and wetland areas in 2020, according to the EAO.

Sediment can reduce aquatic biological productivity and suffocate fish eggs. Coastal GasLink claims its 670 km pipeline crosses 625 streams, creeks, rivers, and lakes, including fish habitat.

After initially failing to comply with environmental permits, the project has been given two regulation orders to correct the issues. The billion-dollar pipeline project must now control erosion and prevent sediment from entering vulnerable waterways.

Coastal GasLink said it took “immediate action to remedy the EAO reports’ findings of non-compliance.” the company said in a statement.

EAO published non-compliance orders days before the RCMP arrested 30 people supporting the blockade of Coastal GasLink work camp, which housed more than 500 pipeline workers from the Wet’suwet’en First Nation.

Blockades set up by land defenders in the Wedzin Kwa, or Morice River, are preventing Coastal GasLink from drilling.

According to a spokesperson for Canada’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, Coastal GasLink has responded to the results of the inspection and the EAO will be verifying its compliance.

TC Energy owns the $6.6 billion pipeline that will transport fracking-produced natural gas from northeastern British Columbia to a $40 billion LNG terminal on the province’s north coast, where it will be exported to Asia. Trudeau’s government claims it is Canada’s most significant private sector investment ever.

A total of 20 elected band councils along the pipeline route have signed agreements with Coastal GasLink; however, the pipeline has not been approved by the majority of Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, who reside on the pipeline route.

Hereditary leaders and their supporters have resisted the construction of the pipeline because of a dispute over who has access to Indigenous lands.

Original source material for this article taken from here

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Written by Olivia Woods

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