Cedar LNG has released new details on its revised pipeline route through Kitimat. The plans advance the company’s application to devise a new route it says will significantly reduce its footprint through the town and lessen environmental risks.
The Haisla Nation holds a 50.1 per cent majority ownership in the project with Pembina Pipeline Corporation. With all approvals and permits in place, including a (US) $3.4 billion final investment decision for a floating LNG facility, Pembina must submit a new application to the BC Energy Regulator (BCER) for the revised pipeline permit that will supply the floating facility.
The construction plans and timelines released by Cedar LNG propose a 24-inch pipeline, approximately 8.8 km long, between the Cedar metering station and Cedar LNG. The pipeline will include a pig launching station at the Kitimat initiation point and a pig receiving station on Lot 99, with no other above-ground valve locations along the route. Due to the topography of Moore Creek and Anderson Creek, the pipeline may feature aerial crossings.
Construction and reclamation will require temporary workspace for storage and access, with decking sites storing cut timber for later removal.
Cedar LNG anticipates the construction phase to begin in 2024 and finish in 2027, with operations starting in 2028 and lasting up to 40 years. Decommissioning is expected to take approximately 12 months.
During construction and decommissioning, local noise levels are predicted to remain below thresholds set by the OGC noise guideline and Health Canada. The Bish Creek Forest Service Road will provide pipeline access during operation, with standard practices to manage dust. Temporary and permanent access road requirements are still under investigation and will be subject to a separate application.
Kitimat Council received these project details at its August 6 meeting, ahead of the deadline to submit comments on the provincial application.
Councillor Mario Feldhoff raised concerns about the pipeline’s now-closer proximity to the shoreline of Douglas Channel, particularly how it might impact Hospital Beach.
“Is it on the beach side of the road, or the opposite side,” he asked. Staff confirmed it will run on the opposite side. The new route will also trigger notifications to property owners in close proximity to the new route.
Cedar LNG is poised to pay $111,000 to the District of Kitimat to use one hectare of land protected under an environmental covenant, enabling the company to shorten the pipeline's length through municipal areas. This change aims to reduce environmental and community impacts.
During the council meeting councillor Michelle Martins asked staff to seek details from Cedar LNG on precisely how the new route will reduce environmental impacts as stated by the company.
The Northern Sentinel has reached out to Cedar LNG.
The original route followed the Coastal GasLink right-of-way from the metering station on Kitimat's eastern edge to its delivery point 10 km west through town. The revised plan proposes a new metering station inside the LNG Canada facility, reducing the pipeline’s length to 1.1 km and eliminating the need to cross the Kitimat River or right-of-ways through old forests, the Strawberry Meadows neighbourhood, and a Haisla cultural site.
The covenant land, now owned by LNG Canada, stretches along the west bank of the Kitimat River. Established in 1984 with Ocelot Industries as a greenbelt and recreation area, the covenant aimed to protect its natural state. Existing disturbances, including a dirt road and structures, predate the current project.
Cedar LNG has proposed expanding the road from eight to fifteen metres and reducing the covenant area from 6.5 to 5.4 hectares, offering $111,343 to the district’s Ecological Restoration Reserve Fund in exchange. Council unanimously supported the plan earlier this year, subject to public notice. The proposal has also received modest approval from area conservation and environmental groups.
