The concerns in the northeast centre around the added
land, air, water, and community impact on top of what
is already a significant amount of natural resource
development activity occurring in the region. Although
the Peace River area does have a completed
land use plan, some critics argue that more
attention needs to be paid to the cumulative
impacts of industrial activity. In communities most
affected by LNG development, the cumulative impact
conversation is mainly focused on infrastructure stresses
and community well-being challenges linked to potential
population growth.
and other environmental objectives given the opportunity
to develop LNG is not a simple one. While critics do
highlight some legitimate concerns, we believe the overall
cost-benefit analysis is favourable for LNG.
There are sizable benefits from LNG development that
can serve to inform the planning and trade-off analysis
required to ground a conversation about cumulative
impacts. While critics often raise concerns over potential
impacts and externalities, the benefits are rarely
mentioned. A rational discussion of cumulative effects
cannot ignore the benefits of economic activity.
Ultimately, the critics raise a mixed bag of environmental
concerns about LNG development in BC. Some are fairly
easy to dismiss, while others, primarily around options
to reduce the industry’s GHG footprint and manage
cumulative impacts, require further ev