Neighbours Rally against Proposed Biofuel Plant on Semiahmoo First Nation’s Land Public Comment DEADLINE October 14, 2023

October 12, 2023

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by Simon Little & janetbrowncknw (Global News) Some South Surrey residents are rallying in opposition to a proposed plant to turn food waste into natural gas on the Semiahmoo First Nation’s reserve lands.

The proposed plant would be located at the south ends of the nation’s lands, across Highway 99 from the Hills and Portal Golf Club and just north of the Peace Arch border crossing.

Andion Global, the company partnering with the Semiahmoo on the proposal, says the project would divert 70,000 tonnes of organic food waste from landfills every year, while generating enough natural gas to power 37,000 homes, while eliminating 55,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

The nation has negotiated deals with local grocery stores and restaurants to supply the plant with food waste that would normally end up in landfills.

A group of nearby residents have come out strongly in opposition to the project, raising concerns about potential harmful pollutants, as well as the prospect of offensive smells the plant could produce.

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Andion asserts that in the “unlikely” worst case scenario, no odour would be detectable 98 per cent of the time, with data showing it would be of greatest concern overnight and in the winter, when windows are closed and people are indoors. The company has also pledged an “odour management plan.”

The company acknowledges there could be cases of moderate odour up to seven times per year at the golf club and Peace Arch Park, and said cases of strong odour would be limited to the eastern western edge of the golf course closest to the plant. It projected no strong odours at any residence.

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“We would look at not only what is our responsibility in environmental protection, but also how are we giving back to our community, how are be bringing something good, and creative and innovative to our neck of the woods here in our traditional territory to ensure that we are not shipping our waste, shipping our garbage, somewhere else and we are able to deal with some of that locally.’ (Harley Chappell, elected Chief of the Semiahmoo First Nation)

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The project is still undergoing permit review by Metro Vancouver and the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District.

It is also still undergoing environmental review by Natural Resources Canada, Indigenous Services Canada and the Canada Infrastructure Bank, which are accepting public comments on the proposal until Oct. 14.

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(Jim) Gouk said opponents have collected more than 4,000 signatures on a petition opposing the plan, and suggested the facility would be better located on the lands of the Vancouver Landfill in Delta. READ MORE

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Proposed Semiahmoo First Nation Biofuel Plant Will Impact Surrey Residents: Councillor Linda Annis (The Link Paper)
Proposed biofuel plant good for the community, says SFN Chief Harley Chappell: ‘It’s kind of troubling when nobody’s reaching out to the nation’ (North Delta Reporter)
LETTER: Biofuel facility should produce only organic fertilizers, not RNG (Peace Arch News)
Online meeting about proposed biofuel facility on SFN land set for Nov. 9 -- Virtual public information session starts at 6 p.m. Thursday (Surrey Now -- Leader)
LETTER: Proposed biofuel facility a good idea in the wrong place (Peace Arch News)
LETTER: Outrage over biofuel proposal ‘confuses and amuses’ (Peace Arch News)
First Nation taken aback as biofuel plant loses federal backing -- Proposed plant in B.C.'s Lower Mainland a collaboration between Semiahmoo First Nation, Taurus RNG (CBC)
South Surrey biofuel application ‘paused’ by Metro Vancouver (Surry Now-Leader)
South Surrey biofuel opponents aim to map health-compromised residents (Surry Now-Leader)

Excerpt from North Delta Reporter: Chappell (SFN chief Harley Chappell), who is known for advocating the importance of being good stewards of the environment and reviving the local shellfish population, said the nation has done its due diligence with the project.

“We wouldn’t, obviously, have the approval from (the) First Nations Health Authority and Fraser Health when it comes to air quality, so it is kind of troubling that these citizens are coming forward and some of the things they’re saying,” he said.

“It’s preposterous to think that we’re not going to take into consideration all the environmental impacts, both positively and negatively.”

Chappell said SFN has looked at other possible projects for the area, but noted they are limited by the service agreements they have with the City of Surrey and the City of White Rock.

“When we look at different opportunities with the limited capacities that we’re given, then we’re not always able to do all the projects that we hope to do – we’re a little bit handcuffed when it comes to that,” Chappell said.

“We are looking to do more public engagement and we’re hoping to meet with local politicians and local governments, just to again, address some of their concerns or issues. I’ve asked our administration girls at the (SFN) office how much has the community reached out? Has anybody reached out? And there’s been very little… I heard one of the local councillors had something to say and she hasn’t reached out to us at all. It’s kind of troubling when nobody’s reaching out to the nation.”

Chappell noted the SFN are at a unique point in their history.

“As our territory’s been developed, we were never at a place – whether it’s local, provincial or federal government – we were never at a place to come and have a conversation or even a discussion with Indigenous communities and even with regional growth strategies and Metro Vancouver’s planning – we were never included in those as reserves,” he said.

The SFN are at a place now where they are looking to expand, and bring economic opportunities into their community for many different things, Chappell explained.

“For us, we see this as a positive thing. One of the biggest contributors for CO2 emissions in South Surrey is both the border crossings that we’re right here at. We’ve dealt with that – that was land that was expropriated from reserve lands to make the highway, to make the border, and obviously now we deal with those repercussions,” he noted.

“So for a neighbour to come from across the way and say ‘Oh my goodness, this is such a horrible thing’ – we’ve been living with this for generations and we continue to.”

Chappell said he and the SFN will continue to look for every opportunity to improve environmental conditions within their territory, as that is their responsibility and always has been.

“We need to look at the data. We need to look at the science. We need to look at the approvals from multiple different levels of government and the support from multiple different levels of government given to get to this point,” he said.

“There are concerns and that’s fine, but from our lens, this is a good opportunity. We can bring this into the community, we can do some good. We can have this time to be able to really support our neighbours.” READ MORE

Excerpt from CBC: A First Nation in British Columbia whose biofuel project has sparked controversy says it was caught off guard by a federal department's decision to pull its support for the proposal.

On Feb. 29, the federal Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources announced it withdrew its backing worth millions for the proposed renewable natural gas plant in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, which some local residents have opposed over potential long-term effects on local air quality and ecosystems.

Plans for the project, a joint venture between the Semiahmoo First Nation, about 50 kilometres southeast of Vancouver, and Taurus RNG, a Vancouver-based company that leads the development of waste to energy facilities, have been in the works since discussions began in 2018, according to the company's website.

Chief Harley Chappell, leader of Semiahmoo First Nation, told CBC News he had no advance warning Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) would stop funding or backing his nation's project.

"We were obviously taken aback as we heard the news and were hoping for some sort of rationale as to why funding had been withdrawn, with no due course, or conversation with the nation," Chappell said in a text message.

"When our council met in Ottawa, there was a lot of excitement toward waste-to-energy initiatives especially on [First Nations'] lands."

The proposed plant — which would be able to take 70,000 tonnes of organic waste from Vancouver annually to be converted into renewable natural gas — was to receive $14.4 million in funding from NRCan's Clean Fuels Fund, announced last June.

But eight months later, the federal department said on its website it "will not be enabling the project" and "no longer has a role" in the environmental assessment, a step the department's website said is required before any "funding, financing or issuing a lease or permit" can occur.

"Natural Resources Canada has announced the decision to withdraw its financial support for the project," Kerry-Lynn Findlay, MP for South Surrey-White Rock, told CBC News in an emailed statement March 2.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank and Indigenous Services Canada both remain involved in the proposal, federal spokespeople said on March 5.

Indigenous Services Canada told CBC News it is overseeing the impact assessment required for the project to be approved, but has not provided any funding for it.

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The reasons for NRCan's withdrawal are unclear.

The federal department declined to comment on its actions, or to confirm the status of its funding. READ MORE; includes VIDEO

Excerpt from Surry Now-Leader: A Metro Vancouver official has confirmed that the air permit application for a contentious South Surrey biofuel plant has been ‘paused.’ READ MORE