CKPG File Image

By Caden Fanshaw

WESTCOAST OLEFINS

‘This is not the right place for it,’: Pineview residents upset at possibility of new Westcoast Olefins plant

Jul 28, 2021 | 1:53 PM

PRINCE GEORGE- After failed attempts to build proposed Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Recovery Projects in Prince George, McLeod Lake, and Kitimat, plans are being put into place to try and build it in Pineview.

The location proposed for the NGL Extraction Plant just off of Lund Road near Buckhorn has some residents and neighbours frustrated, puzzled, and angry.

“A plant like that should be in a large industrial complex,” says Joe Cvenkel, a Pineview Resident. “Okay so here’s the really heavy industrial with all the inherent problems and risks, and negative effects in our backyard.”

Road Work Ahead

Cone Zone awareness campaign seeks to keep roadside workers safe.

8h ago

TOURISM SCHOLARSHIP

Tourism Prince George, CNC, and UNBC help tourism industry with scholarships

12h ago

Search and Rescue

Search and Rescue urges safety with May Long Weekend coming up

12h ago

Westcoast Olefins announced they would try to bring back their NGL Recovery Project to Prince George in December 2020, and until now, discussions of where it would go were quiet.

“We’ve been put in the dark,” says Gary Wood, who’s property faces the proposed site. “It’s like we’ve been ambushed.”

A community meeting was held on Tuesday night at the Pineview Hall for residents to ask questions and share their concerns for the project.

Over 150 people came out along with an overflow crowd in the parking lot to share their concerns and try to learn more about the project.

Westcoast Olefins didn’t bother to attend the community meeting.

The project includes an NGL Recovery Project which includes an NGL extraction plant with access road, a high-vapour-pressure pipeline and an NGL separation plant.

The land where the extraction plant is being proposed is part of the Agricultural Land Reserve, which will require an extra hurdle to overcome for ground to be broken.

As of Wednesday according to Westcoast Olefins, the project still has to gain regulatory approvals from the Oil and Gas Commission, the Agricultural Land Commission and the Regional District for rezoning.

The proposed extraction plant location is also adjacent to a wetland area which by regulation has to be located 50 metres away.

That same wetland was the subject of bird research late this past spring according to residents.

A petition started by residents in the area had over 250 signatures against the project and 17 for it as of Wednesday afternoon.

The petition is being kept at the Pineview General Store.

CKPG News has reached out to Westcoast Olefins for comment.