No extension planned for Pacific NorthWest LNG CEAA review

The target is still mid October for the
CEAA Report on the proposed
Pacific NorthWest LNG
Terminal at Lelu Island
(artist visual from
Pacific NW LNG website)

October will remain the target for delivery for the highly anticipated CEAA report on the Pacific NorthWest LNG terminal proposal, as the Federal environmental review agency has reportedly informed two groups requesting more time that there will be no extension provided towards delivering their findings.

The Globe and Mail reported the latest development in the Pacific NorthWest LNG review process on Wednesday, noting that the federal review agency had advised the Gitanyow First Nation and former Lax Kw'alaams Mayor Garry Reece that they were holding to their schedule with the report to be handed off to the Federal Cabinet by mid October.

 In the same article Globe and Mail reporter Brent Jang observed that the CEAA had offered assurances that the proposed Terminal project would not ruin the salmon catches of British Columbia Aboriginals who fish upstream on the Skeena River.

The full article can be reviewed here.

It was the second Globe article in recent which weeks which indicated that the proposed terminal posed a low risk to B.C's salmon habitat, with this July 28th item outlining the background to a submission from the Department of Oceans and Fisheries on the theme of impact on fish.

With the finish line in sight for the lengthy review process that has marked the timeline of the Pacific NorthWest LNG project, once the report is delivered to the Federal Cabinet the Liberal Government of Justin Trudeau, the Federal government will then provide their decision on the major industrial proposal for the North Coast.

That however won't be the final word on whether the project moves forward or faces further delay.

As we noted on the blog earlier this month, officials from Petronas energy, the Malaysian parent company of Pacific NorthWest LNG confirmed recent rumours that they will be conducting their own review of all the components of the proposed development, once that Federal decision has been delivered.

You can review the many twists and turns on the story that has dominated the North Coast's imagination from our archive page here.