Pacific Northwest LNG called out for misleading advertising

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 5, 2015

Friends of Wild Salmon calls out Pacific Northwest LNG for misleading advertising

Friends of Wild Salmon is calling on Pacific Northwest LNG to publicly retract their misleading advertisement in this week’s regional newspapers and issue a truthful ad showing the risks their project poses to Skeena wild salmon. “Communities throughout the Skeena watershed depend on wild salmon for their livelihoods. It is critical that Pacific Northwest LNG provide residents with factual, honest information about the risks their project poses to wild salmon”, said Gerald Amos, Friends of Wild Salmon Chair. The Pacific Northwest LNG ad claims that their new design “protects fish and fish habitat in the Skeena estuary”. This claim is made despite expert warnings that their new design seriously risks the erosion of Flora Bank and destruction of the eelgrass beds critical to Skeena salmon. “Pacific Northwest LNG is aware of the erosion problem with the new design. I spoke to them at their last open house and they said they were meeting with Dr. McLaren whose sediment analysis confirmed a serious flaw in the new design which threatens Flora Bank if the Pacific Northwest LNG project is allowed to proceed.” said Luanne Roth with the T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation. Their full-page ad fails to show hundreds of pilings needed for the trestle and berth. This forest of pilings just northwest of Flora Bank will break up wave action and the flow of currents that are needed to protect the sensitive eelgrass of Flora Bank – critical habitat for all Skeena salmon species. A 1973 report by the DFO rejected the use of Flora Bank as an industrial site due to the risks posed to Skeena salmon. Pacific Northwest LNG has refused to listen to repeated requests to find an alternative site. ---30--- Contact: Gerald Amos, Friends of Wild Salmon, 250-632-1521; Luanne Roth, T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation, 250-627-4201

Note: The Pacific Northwest LNG terminal is slated to accept fracked gas from TransCanada's proposed Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline. Madii Lii camp is currently blocking this pipeline route.

Original release:

http://friendsofwildsalmon.ca/news/article/friends_of_wild_salmon_calls_out_pacific_northwest_lng_for_misleading_adver