COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE As of March 28, 2014
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COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE as of March 28, 2014 CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED 1. Email from Laurie Parkinson dated March 21 March 21, 2014 regarding proposed LNG plant at Woodfibre Pg 2 - 6 2. Letter from the Auditor General for Local March 24, 2014 Government dated March 21 regarding Annual Pg 7 - 8 Service Plan 3. Email from Donovan Whistler dated March 25 March 25, 2014 regarding 6217 SC Highway & Building Pg 9 - 10 Department concern 4. Letter from Brian Blackwell dated March 26 March 26, 2014 regarding past resolution on bollards on Baillie Pg 11 Road 5. Letter from West Sechelt Community March 26, 2014 Association dated March 26 regarding Jasper Pg 12 - 13 Road Infrastructure Improvements 6. Letter from Rural Coordination Centre of BC March 27, 2014 dated March 27 regarding Rural Emergency Pg 14 - 18 Continuum of Care Conference May 30-31, 2014 7. Letter from Sunshine Coast Community Forest March 28, 2014 dated March 24 regarding Sechelt Community Pg 19 - 51 Projects Inc. Annual General Meeting From: Laurie Parkinson [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: March-21-14 12:01 PM To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; Information Request Subject: concern re proposed LNG plant at Woodfibre Dear Mayor, I am a North Vancouver resident, a professional biologist, and land owner on Bowyer Island, in beautiful Howe Sound. I am a frequent user of recreational facilities in Howe Sound, including parks, marinas, and restaurants. I look forward to an unfettered wilderness view of Howe Sound from the Squamish Gondola. As you know, the Sound was polluted by Woodfibre and Port Mellon pulp mills and Brittania mine until recent very successful clean-up efforts. We are all so fortunate re the return of grey whales (first time in a century!), orcas, dolphins, and their food herring. Now, none of us is very surprised to see a pod of dolphins or orcas in Howe Sound reported on the evening news – as you know orcas were reported near Squamish only days ago. For the first time in years, we have commercial salmon and prawn fisheries in Howe Sound! In addition, the clean air in Howe Sound is wonderful. I realize that Squamish needs more businesses/sources of jobs. However, I have grave concerns re the proposed LNG plant for the following reasons (and I apologize for this email being long!): -few long-term local jobs would come from this proposed plant (plant to be built in Asia, barged here) -the LNG company is based in Singapore, the LNG would be sold in Asia, so profits would go offshore -see the attached list of 30 recreational and service industries likely to be negatively affected by a LNG terminal and LNG carriers in Howe Sound -LNG plant would probably be a major source of air pollution from burning natural gas (due to supply challenges and electricity prices), we would get smog in the Sound like in the Fraser Valley, irritating to all users of the Sound -turbines (similar to jet engines) are used to liquefy natural gas; likely a major source of noise pollution above (irritating for all users of the Sound) and below water, scaring away herring and marine mammals, which are all sound sensitive. -huge LNG carrying ships (see http://futureofhowesound.org) will have half mile zones around them excluding all other boats (see attached LNG carrier route map) 2 -all boats will have to wait for LNG carriers to pass, and there will be more LNG carriers in the summer, inconvenient/irritating.....wonder how BC Ferries and tugboats will deal with that -not clear if there will be military escorts travelling with LNG carriers (as in the US), disconcerting to recreational boaters if their boats are boarded for security inspections (because LNG carriers attract terrorists due to huge explosive power – each equivalent to 70 Hiroshima A-bombs) -could be dangerous for boaters/cabin dwellers/Squamish residents/drivers on the Sea to Sky Highway/West Vancouver/Bowen: If a storage tank at the Woodfibre LNG terminal, or in a LNG carrier travelling out of Howe Sound was damaged, it would release (very cold) liquid LNG. The LNG would flow over the water surface and suffocate and freeze anything in its path. When the right concentration of warming LNG/natural gas met a spark it would ignite, producing a massive fire. A spark could come from the spark plug in a boat engine, a propane stove in a local cabin, or from a spark plug in someone’s car in Squamish/along the Sea to Sky Highway/near the water in Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver, or eastern Bowen, depending on where the accident happened/where the wind blew the flammable natural gas. The effects of the fire could fill much of Howe Sound (a confined area for a major explosion), depending on where the accident happened. The fire would probably burn for a long time, producing clouds of black smoke (like the train wreck at Lac Megantic). -a flare at the LNG plant would burn all the time -international LNG shipping regulations specifically advise against having an LNG plant in a narrow waterway such as Howe Sound (www.lngtss.org/standards.html) -most of the natural gas to be liquefied comes from fracking by U.S. companies -BC’s new royalty rules will tax LNG companies only 1.5% of net profits for the first 7 years until they have all their construction costs paid (and only 7% after that). This could be strung out forever by creative bookkeeping (little $ to BC) -The worldwide demand for LNG is very uncertain. Once a pipeline is put in, it could be used to transport oil in the future – that sort of thing is being done these days – imagine oil tankers and oil spills in Howe Sound! Why would we give up so much, for so little financial return? Howe Sound is recovering, let’s not screw it up again! It would affect so many people. 3 Why not grow the recreation industry instead? I am sure Squamish mayor and councillors have tried. From a quick read on the web, I gather that the Squamish harbour needs dredging so bigger boats/ships (M.V. Brittania connection to the Royal Hudson, cruise ships, etc) can moor, and that either the provincial or federal government has promised but not delivered re dredging. This is quite a dilemma for you; I would like to help get the word re this out to more people. My friends and I are happy to email whoever you like re this dredging. I will email John Weston and Jordan Sturdy re this in the next week, and cc Squamish Mayor Kirkham. There could be a land locked salmon farm at Woodfibre, and school kids from Squamish could visit it, as well as kids from present day kids camps around the Sound. With few landlocked salmon farms around, it would be a great eco-tourist attractant. Thank you very much for your time, Laurie Parkinson BSc, MSc from UBC 4 Probable air and noise pollution from LNG plant, and exhaust from LNG carriers would seriously impact local recreational and service businesses in Howe Sound: 1. restaurants, some with ocean view 2. recreational boaters (annual moorages) 3. boat rentals by the day 4. sport fishing – private and tours 5. whale watching tours 6. tourists on ferries, who also stay in BC hotels 7. charter boats to see the Sound 8. kayakers 9. recreational divers 10. water taxis 11. hikers 12. kids summer camps 13. bird watchers who come to see huge numbers of eagles at Brackendale, and eat at local restaurants 14. bus industry – fewer tourists taking the bus along the Sound, fewer drivers employed? 15. tourists who camp in parks along the Sound, and send pictures to friends 16. tourists driving along Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler 17. Royal Hudson clients 18. rock climbers up the Squamish Chief, who probably eat at Squamish restaurants 19. hang gliders 20. Heli-jet helicopter flights taking tourists to Whistler 21. Heli-jet helicopter aerial tours of Howe Sound 22. Harbour Air float plane: fishing and sightseeing charters in Howe Sound 23. cruise ships coming to see the Sound, and its dolphins and whales 24. film industry 25. customers of the Squamish Gondola 26. stores that sell food for the above, in Howe Sound and in Vancouver 27. stores that sell equipment for the above (i.e. dive shops, hiking/kayaking/fishing/hang gliding equipment stores in both Howe Sound and Vancouver) 28. government gets money from selling fishing licences, etc, stores make money selling them 29. trucking industry – delivers food to stores, restaurants, marinas, gas stations along Howe Sound - as well as delivering boat parts and gas to marinas - less trucking jobs? 30. mechanics who sell parts for and do service on float planes, helicopters, boats, the Royal Hudson, and (will service) the Squamish gondola – fewer jobs for mechanics? I’m sure there’s way more. 5 Ferry Routes Proposed LNG Carrier Route To Woodfibre Extent of 0.5 Nautical Mile Exclusion Zones Around Carriers 6 AUDITOR GENERAL FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT BRITIsH COLUMBIA ACCESSIBILIP( INDEPENDENCE TRANSPARENCY PERFORMANCE March 21, 2014 Ref.: 14-49 To: Mayors and Councillors 1EfJ..,.dI\71ED Chairs and Directors of Regional District Boards Chairs and Directors of Greater Boards MAR 24 2014 !LE3c- c DISTRICT OF SECHELT Greetings to All: Re: Annual Service Plan for 2014/15 - 2016/17 I am pleased to advise you that the Auditor General for Local Government annual service plan for the period 2014/15 - 2016/17 will be released on our website www.aglg.ca at the end of day Monday, March 24.