Aboriginal leaders have served notice that the north Pacific coast of British Columbia is open for energy business with Asia, at least when the tanker cargoes are liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The welcome mat has been laid out by Haisla First Nation at Kitimat, the native community in the eye of a Canadian storm over planned new pipelines and tanker terminals. As the focal point for a growing lineup of LNG export schemes and two oilsands pipeline and port projects, Kitimat is spawning industrial, environmental and political duels before national regulatory agencies (see Daily GPI, Oct. 24).

On the oil front the Haisla are keeping quiet, although they belong to a native coalition titled Coastal First Nations that has aligned itself with eco-resistance groups by declaring resistance against development in the early rounds of the Canadian regulatory duel. But when it comes to gas, the Haisla have confirmed that they are enthusiastic converts to industry as 50% owners of a project called BC LNG.

The community’s attitude shows in a written final argument presented to the National Energy Board (NEB) during the last stage in its review of an application for a 20-year gas export license by BC LNG.

“The project will have no new adverse impacts on aboriginal or other interests. Quite the opposite: the project will have significant new beneficial impacts for the Haisla and other people,” say the Kitimat natives, whose aboriginal territory includes the sea channels that LNG tankers will traverse as well as the planned liquefaction plant and export dock.

“For the Haisla these benefits include access to a new revenue source…to support health, education, community development and many other needs of the First Nation and its members on and off reserve,” the community says in urging the NEB to approve the LNG project.

“In addition…business and employment opportunities associated with the project will be available for Haisla members and businesses. It is important to the Haisla Nation that its government and members have the opportunity to participate in the development of the natural resources in its territory.”

The Kitimat aboriginal community, citing previous experience, also voices satisfaction with parallel project reviews currently under way by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and a tanker traffic management group led by Transport Canada.

Like the native and industry corporate owners of the project, the Haisla aboriginal government acknowledges that BC LNG is starting as a modest initial foray into the field. The plan calls for a two-stage construction program of facilities for LNG export tonnages equivalent to 250 million cubic feet of gas per day, or enough to fill two Asia-bound tankers per month.

But documents in the NEB export license case make it plain that the BC LNG partners regard the current plan as only the beginning on a plan with potential to grow. “The BC LNG project is scalable so that it can add capacity as Canadian penetration of Pacific Rim markets increases,” the owners have told the board.

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