The BC Environmental Assessment Office (BCEAO) has issued a noncompliance order to Coastal GasLink.
The BCEAO found in an investigation CGL began pipeline construction through hundreds of wetlands without completing required environmental fieldwork.
According to a statement, the Compliance and Enforcement branch of the BCEAO conducted an inspection of CGL’s wetland construction planning process for a section of the pipeline.
The statement also added that the BCEAO inspected the rest of the pipeline route and found that the wetland construction planning process outlined in CGL’s Wetland’s Management Plan has not been followed for the protected wetlands along the pipeline route.
In an email statement CGL spokesperson Suzanne Wilton said Environmental assessment work was conducted by CGL contractors on all wetlands in the order before construction.
“ How and when the assessment was done did not follow our wetland management plan’s specific specific requirements. Coastal Gaslink is completing additional assessment in accordance with our wetland management plan to return to compliance with the Environmental Assessment Office,” she said.
Wilton also added the additional assessment is not expected to affect construction schedules.
According to the Unist’ot’en there are around 300 of the protected wetlands along the pipeline route and nearly 80% of the pipeline right-of-way has been cleared already, affecting most of the wetlands.
“The Willful disregard and destruction of sensitive ecosystems for a pipeline just goes to show how little CGL respects us or our land. The recent photos of the police with an automatic rifle lurking by the smokehouse at Wedzin Kwa headwaters along with this rampant unchecked destruction and disregard for protect EAO requirements is further proof of systemic racism,” said Unist’ot’en member and clinical lead at the Unist’ot’en Healing Centre Dr. Karla Tait.
The BCEAO has also informed the Wet’suwet’en that it will be Coastal GasLink Qualified Professionals who are ensuring the machinery isn’t run within 30 metres of the wetlands.
Wet’suwet’en leadership, Unis’to’ten, and Gidim’ten Clans have expressed concern over CGL’s wetland planning.