FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2025
VICTORIA, B.C. – The BC Greens are slamming the provincial government for granting the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) fracked gas pipeline its request for a substantial start decision—a reckless decision that prioritizes profits for foreign billionaires over Indigenous rights, environmental protection, and community well-being:
“PRGT is set to transport fracked gas from northeastern B.C. to the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG terminal—an export facility that has not received an environmental assessment certificate,” said BC Greens Interim Leader Jeremy Valeriote, MLA for West Vancouver–Sea to Sky.
“It’s outrageous that the government is allowing construction to proceed with no approved terminus, using an outdated plan, and threatening one of the province’s most sensitive salmon habitats, all to serve the interests of foreign-owned fossil fuel companies. This is a betrayal of environmental stewardship, Indigenous rights, and a threat to sustained climate action in this province.”
The pipeline is co-owned by Texas-based Western LNG and financed by U.S. private equity firms Blackstone and Apollo Global Management, who are major Republican donors with ties to Donald Trump. Its construction contract has been awarded to Bechtel, a U.S. mega-firm with close links to Washington. Ksi Lisims LNG is opposed by the Lax Kw’alaams Band and Ts’msyen Hereditary Chiefs, who claim jurisdiction over Pearse Island, the proposed site of the terminal. The Gitanyow Chiefs are also opposed, based on concerns over Nass River salmon.
“British Columbians won’t benefit from this pipeline anywhere near as much as Wall Street and American billionaires will,” said Valeriote. “In fact, on every facet of this project, it’s this province’s climate, First Nations rights, waterways and land that suffers the most. The damage this will have far outweighs any short-term gain. This decision is deeply irresponsible.”
Construction activities moved ahead last summer on a portion of the right-of-way, to satisfy a technicality that required a “substantial start” to construction to avoid expiry of the now-10-year old permit. The rushed construction clearing also skirted a legally-required cumulative effects assessment, and now the province is plowing forward with this project, ignoring serious objections from the Lax Kw’alaams Band, Metlakatla First Nation, Gitga’at First Nation, Gitanyow and Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs, the Kispiox Band, and conservation groups—objections that have already led to legal action and road blockades.
“This project has changed dramatically since its original approval in 2014 and it has no respect for the project’s climate impacts, the passage of DRIPA, and the impacts to salmon. This government is ignoring its own environmental standards and Indigenous rights commitments for an industry at the end of its days. The province should have required a new environmental assessment instead of letting outdated permits stand.” said Valeriote.
“BC must allow the 2014 certificate to expire and demand a full review under today’s laws. If not, the government should admit to the public that it’s willing to abandon its responsibility to First Nations and environmental protection in the name of offshore profits for fracked gas export.”
-30-
Media contact
Ryan Hook
Press Secretary
BC Green Caucus
+1 250-882-6187 | ryan.hook@leg.bc.ca
Background
- The Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project (PRGT) pipeline would transport fracked gas from northeastern BC to the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG export facility on Nisga’a territory.
- PRGT was initially approved in 2014 to supply the proposed Pacific NorthWest (PNW) LNG project on Lelu Island, near Prince Rupert. The PNW LNG project was cancelled in 2017.
- In 2019, the proponent TC Energy obtained a five-year extension to its environmental certificate. The extension came with several conditions the company must meet, including completing a cumulative effects study for the project in consultation with First Nations.
- In June 2024 the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission was purchased from TC Energy by the Nisga’a Lisims Government and Western LNG. PRGT is now mobilizing to begin pipeline construction on Section 5B of the pipeline in an attempt to achieve a “substantial start” before expiry of its EA certificate on November 25, 2024.
- However, since the 2017 cancellation of the PNW LNG proposal, the PRGT pipeline has no approved terminus. Ksi Lisims LNG is still under review by BC EAO. PRGT’s application for a route amendment is also under review by BC EAO.
- Much has changed since PRGT was approved in 2014, including increased climate impacts, the passage of DRIPA, and impacts to salmon.
- Additionally, the construction of the Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline serves as a troubling illustration of the inadequacies in BC’s processes for permitting, managing, and regulating compliance, enforcement, and overall oversight in pipeline construction. Construction activities repeatedly failed to protect the environment from impacts and CGL was given 59 warnings, 30 orders, 13 stop workers, and the company was fined more than $800,000.
- BC Energy Regulator accepted notice from TC Energy of planned construction start in “Section 5B” on Nisga’a Lands in February 2024, however Section 5B did not exist until April 2024. On April 18, BCER split Section 5 of the pipeline, creating Section 5B. BCER failed to notify other First Nations, landowners and stakeholders in Section 5, and did not post the modified permits until July 17, 2024.
- PRGT’s permits require BCER to complete a Cumulative Effects Assessment for the Project before construction can begin. Instead, the proponent compiled information from 2013 fieldwork for Section 5B only. This does not meet the B.C. government’s definition of a Cumulative Effects Assessment.
- The Certified Project Description attached to Certificate #EA14-06 describes “a natural gas transmission pipeline … extending from the Hudson’s Hope area in northeast BC (56.18797 N, -122.08322 E) to Lelu Island, near Prince Rupert, BC (N 54.19746, -130.28074 E). This does not correspond to the project PRGT now plans to build.
- Existing project agreements with First Nations have not been renewed to reflect the changing parameters of the PRGT project. Gitanyow and Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs are expressing serious frustration at construction beginning under an EA certificate and Impact Benefit Agreements that are now 10 years out of date.