There is an old adage, "follow the money,” used to analyze why industries make major decisions. The proposed West Coast Olefins petrochemical/plastics plant is moving north, so let's follow the money.
Who has asked the B.C. Environmental Assessment office if, in their discussions with West Coast Olefins, they indicated to WCO that stringent emission controls might be needed, adding significant costs to their budget?
Who has asked why an intelligent and forward looking chief and council of the Lheidli T'enneh Nation, after several months of discussions, lost trust in West Coast Olefins?
Who has asked if Chief Clayton Pountney and Council did their due diligence into researching WCO itself, as well as the adverse consequences to building such a plant, on their unceded traditional territorial lands? Such consequences, like the significant increase in deadly cancers amongst plant workers, and the increase in neurodevelopmental conditions in children born to women workers.
Who has asked if the Lheidli T'enneh Nation found out how many more citizens would die from the toxic air pollution of petroleum by products and particulates emitted by the plant and the trains, trucks and cars used?
Did the Lheidli T'enneh also realize that vast amounts of fugitive plastic pellets will contaminate their lands and waters within a 35 kilometre radius for centuries to come?
Who has asked fishers/ hunters about concerns they may have to feed their families wildlife which has consumed those escaped plastic pellets? Such ingested plastics are human endocrine disruptors which cause serious illnesses. As these fugitives plastic pellets are not biodegradable, they pose trans-generational risks to the well being of humans and wildlife.
Who has asked if West Coast Olefins was concerned about the competition from Enbridge, who are proposing a much cheaper $2.5 billion BC Frontier gas plant and resource extraction project near Chetwynd? If approved, it will most certainly kill the ethylene project of WCO anywhere south of Chetwynd.
Who has asked the “noisy” environmental groups like PACHA (Peoples Action Committee for Healthy Air) and Too Close 2 Home who are they and what do they want? Well, we consist of hundreds of everyday working and retired Prince George citizens, professors from the university, engineers, architects, specialist biologists, medical doctors, environmentalists and literally dozens of senior year UNBC under and postgraduate students. Scientists of the highest calibre have been donating their expertise for free, because they care deeply about the health and welfare of us all.
Who has asked how many hundreds of hours of research from the world's scientific literature was completed by the noise makers? About 500 and more hours. There were also dozens of hours spent organizing public workshops, educating the public as to the dangers of placing such a petrochemical plant right in the Bowl of PG.
Who has really looked closely at the people leading West Coast Olefins? The individuals heading up this company are not Dow, Bayer, Celanese or Nova Chemicals. They are simply a small group of chemical engineers and an accountant, who used to be employees of some of these big named companies. They actually have rather limited experience in the development of a project of this magnitude.
By asking such probing questions, we may get a better understanding of the multilayered and complex decision made by WCO to move north. We do indeed need to "follow the money.”
Dr. Marie Hay
Prince George
