The local council rejected plans to use a renovated cruise ship to house more than 600 workers while they build a liquefied natural gas facility near Squamish, British Columbia.
The ship arrived in British Columbia waters in January after a 40-day voyage from Estonia, where it had housed Ukrainian refugees, but Woodfibre LNG did not obtain a permit from the district to operate the so-called “floatel.”
Squamish councilors voted three to four against a one-year permit at a meeting Tuesday that raised concerns about the safety of women and girls, traffic issues, waste management and potential natural hazards.
Woodfibre wanted workers to start living on the boat this spring on the shores of Howe Sound, outside Squamish.
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Woodfibre’s website shows the federal and British Columbia governments approved the project, which also has an environmental certificate from the Squamish Nation.
Several district councilors noted at Tuesday’s meeting that the LNG project was not under discussion, but rather the decision was whether or not use of the floating work camp would be allowed.
Tracey Saxby, executive director of the advocacy group My Sea to Sky, issued a statement saying Woodfibre knowingly decided to take the risk of taking the ship into British Columbia waters without district approval to anchor it at the site.
“Community members, who are on the front lines of this LNG export project, expressed concern about the impacts on the human rights of women and girls, the safety and well-being of workers, the safety of the traffic and waste disposal,” it says in the statement.
There are “so many unknowns,” he says, and the company’s application is missing key information the community needs to make an informed decision.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
