The US aluminum company, Alcoa, announced officially on Monday March 16, that it will demolish its smelter at Ferndale, Washington. Calgary based AltaGas has acquired the rights to develop the site possibly for a green hydrogen plant. AltaGas is the parent company of Pacific Northern Gas, which supplies natural gas to Kitimat, through its consumer […]
Two companies plan to construct the first primary aluminum plant to be built in the United States in almost 50 years, the companies said on Monday, adding once complete, the smelter in Inola, Oklahoma will be the largest ever primary aluminum production plant in the U.S. When the smelter in Oklahoma is completed by 2030, […]
Analysis Monday's decision by LNG Canada to postpone the all-important Final Investment Decision for the Kitimat liguified natural gas project came as a momentary shock—but no real surprise. After the Brexit vote, you could see the hold button blinking from across the Atlantic. Andy Calitz CEO of LNG Canada and a long time, experienced, executive […]
LNG Canada has postponed the Final Investment Decision on the Kitimat project citing the "impact of global industry challenges." The latest estimates said that the project would cost $40 billion. The news release says that despite strong community support and regulatory approval, what LNG Canada called "the context of global industry challenges, including capital constraints" […]
The National Energy Board has indefinitely suspended its consideration of the $7.9 billion Northern Gateway pipeline project, including the request by Enbridge to extend the deadline for starting the controversial project. The Joint Review Panel conditions had set December 31, 2016 as the time that Enbridge had to start the project. In a letter to […]
Fewer salmon; many more sardines. That's one of the predictions from a new study from the University of British Columbia, looking at the future of the fishery on the coast. The study concentrates on the First Nations fishery and warns that aboriginal people could face a catastrophic decline in the harvest of traditional species, especially […]
The B.C. government acted improperly and "breached the honour of the crown" when it signed away a provincial review and gave the federal Joint Review Panel for responsibility for assessing the environmental impact of the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, Madam Justice Marvyn Koenigsberg of the Supreme Court of B.C. ruled Wednesday. In a largely technical […]
The Shell-led LNG Canada project in Kitimat has received a facility permit from the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission (OGC), the company said Tuesday. A news release from LNG Canada says the permit is one of the key permits required for the construction and operation of the proposed LNG Canada project. LNG Canada is the […]
The British Columbia Environmental Appeal Board has upheld Rio Tinto's plans for sulphur dioxide emissions in the Kitimat airshed and dismissed the appeal from residents Emily Toews and Elisabeth Stannus. The 113 page decision was released by the EAB late on December 23. It contains a series of recommendations for further studies and monitoring of […]
A pile of slash at a quarry site for the Pacific Trail Pipeline near the Little Wedeene River. (Robin Rowland) Complete photo gallery at my photography site.