Dear Editor,
Concern seems to be a rather contagious condition these days, easily spread and effecting many. Now, Woodfibre LNG community relations manager, Mr. French is also having his share of it, becoming concerned about people on Bowen Island becoming more and more concerned about the proposed Woodfibre LNG facility and LNG tankers in Howe Sound.
Instead of addressing this in his last week’s letter in The Undercurrent, he has only provided evidence to what length Woodfibre LNG is willing to go to sell this project to the public. For example, the statement regarding LNG spills is misleading. LNG does not evaporate quickly. According to the Sandia Laboratories report on experiments with LNG spills, it takes time for the liquid gas to evaporate. While the liquid spreads over the water, it starts to vaporize and these vapor clouds can spread over distances greater than 1600 up to 2,500meter from the spill, if an ignitions source it is not available.
The whole fight over Woodfibre LNG really boils down to safety and...location, location, location.
Proponents of the Woodfibre LNG project point to safety record of the international LNG industry (SIGTTO) to argue the project and the LNG tankers would be safe for Howe Sound, seemingly in (willing) denial that this safety record is the result of the strict application of the LNG industry safety standards. Adopting the Howe Sound as a suitable site for Woodfibre LNG will violate these safety standards!
On behalf of Concerned Citizens Bowen (www.ccbowen.ca
Anton van Walraven
