Documents obtained by University of Victoria air quality researcher Laura Minet reveal that the amount of gas flared at the LNG Canada plant on British Columbia’s North Coast between October and January far exceeded the permitted levels. The reports submitted by LNG Canada to the B.C. Energy Regulator detailed that warm/wet flares surpassed permitted volumes by 45 times on average, cold/dry by 40 times, and storage and loading by five times during the four-month period.
The plant in Kitimat, B.C., processes natural gas into a liquid form for export to Asian markets. A spokesperson for LNG Canada mentioned that the facility is in its initial operational phase, leading to increased flaring activities, which are expected to decrease significantly during regular operations. The company stated that flaring is a regulated safety measure to ensure the controlled combustion of natural gas during specific operational phases.
Publicly available data from monitoring stations in Kitimat showed consistently low levels of pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide over the past year. LNG Canada emphasized their ongoing dialogue with the community, First Nations, and government agencies to address concerns. The facility, owned by Shell and four Asian companies, is considering doubling its capacity in a second phase. Environmental and health organizations have expressed worries about the potential health impacts of pollutants released through flaring, prompting further scrutiny of the facility’s operations.