B.C. backs pipeline tied to Indigenous and U.S. interests, drawing protest and legal action

The British Columbia government’s decision to allow a controversial natural gas pipeline to move forward has sparked fierce opposition from Indigenous leaders who vow legal and on-the-ground resistance this summer.

Matt Simmons and Shannon Waters report for The Narwhal.

In short:

The B.C. Environmental Assessment Office ruled that the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) pipeline had “substantially started” before its 2014 approval expired, despite route changes and limited construction work. This locks in its environmental clearance indefinitely.
The 800-kilometer pipeline, co-owned by the Nisg̱a’a Lisims Government and Texas-based Western LNG, would cross over 1,000 waterways, including crucial salmon habitat, to feed a planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility near the Alaska border.
The Gitanyow and Gitxsan Nations, among others, strongly oppose the pipeline and plan to escalate efforts in court and on the ground to halt construction, citing environmental, jurisdictional and climate concerns.

Key quote:

“This decision makes a mockery of the true purpose and intent of what is considered to be a ‘substantial start’ for major infrastructure projects.”

— Naxginkw Tara Marsden, Wilp Sustainability Director, Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs

Why this matters:

Pipelines like PRGT are flashpoints in broader fights over Indigenous sovereignty, climate policy, and fossil fuel infrastructure. The project’s approval renews tension between the B.C. government’s climate promises and its backing of LNG development. Methane, the main component of natural gas, traps heat far more effectively than carbon dioxide, making its extraction and export a major contributor to global warming. For salmon-dependent ecosystems and the First Nations communities that rely on them, risks from construction and spills are acute. Meanwhile, legal and physical resistance signals continued friction as climate policy collides with economic and political interests.

thenarwhal.ca

Aerial view of Rosendale Dairy, a CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) in Rosendale, Wisconsin.

Credit: Amelia Bates/Unsplash

Colorado CAFOs linked to ammonia air pollution hotspots

Levels of airborne ammonia, which can harm people’s ability to breathe, are increasing three times faster each year in Colorado’s Front Range where there are clusters of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) compared to nearby urban areas without the massive livestock farms, according to a new study.

Read the Full Article on

www.thenewlede.org

B.C. backs pipeline tied to Indigenous and U.S. interests, drawing protest and legal action

Opinion: Why Trump’s $2 billion buyoff to cancel offshore wind farms is a bad deal for American taxpayers and the US energy supply

Bolivia’s fuel shortages drive a surge in electric cars

Drilling into the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica

Why short-term wins for the Colorado River won’t avert a water crisis

Plugging away at the millions of derelict oil and gas wells in the US

As coal rebounds, more toxic mercury is in the air

Colorado CAFOs linked to ammonia air pollution hotspots

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.