A provincial environmental assessment of a controversial jet fuel pipeline that has galvanized Richmond is being put on hold until after the election.
The B.C. Environmental Assessment Office has been reviewing a $100 million proposal by the Vancouver Airport Fuel Facilities Corporation (VAFCC) to build a 80-million-litre fuel terminal and tank farm on the South Arm of the Fraser River in Richmond and run a 15-kilometre pipeline to Vancouver International Airport.
On Monday, environment minister Terry Lake announced his ministry's review of the project will be postponed, pending the adoption of a B.C.-wide land-based spill preparedness and response plan.
A symposium being held March 25 to 27 will bring experts in land-based spills to discuss best practices and how they can be applied to B.C., where a new oil pipeline, the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline and a number of new gas pipelines are being considered – all of which present risks of land-based fuel spills.
The province is also looking at marine spill responses. Although marine spills are the jurisdiction of the federal government, the province wants to make sure the federal guidelines are in line with its own protocols.
In Richmond, the main concern over the VAFFC proposal is the impact on the Fraser River, in the event of a leak from a jet fuel tanker, and the risks associated with building an 80-million-litre tank farm on an earthquake liquefaction zone.
Once the province has finalized its spill response plans, in May or June, the environmental assessment office will be asked to submit a supplemental report on the VAFFC plan within 75 days.
Asked whether he expected to take heat for delaying the decision until after the election, Lake told Business in Vancouver his government might, in fact, have been criticized for making a decision so close to an election.
"One way or the other, we were going to get criticized," Lake said. "I would rather be criticized for seeking more information than not getting enough information."
The VAFFC, a consortium of airlines, says the new pipeline is needed to guarantee a supply for jet fuel for the airport, which is currently supplied with a pipeline from the Chevron refinery in Burnaby, and with tanker trucks.
This is the second time the VAFFC proposal's assessment has been postponed. The last time was at the request of the VAFFC, which decided to propose an alternate route for the pipeline in order to avoid residential areas.
That has not allayed concerns by Richmond residents, including Richmond city council, which has unanimously voted against the proposal. Richmond East Liberal MLA Linda Reid has also taken a public stance against the proposal.
