Doctors urge feds to assess health impact of Pacific Northwe

[Oscar]

Doctors urge feds to assess health impact of Pacific Northwest LNG project

[ http://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/09 ... ng-project ]

By National Observer in Opinion, Energy | September 18th 2016

Lelu Island, the proposed site of the Pacific NorthWest LNG export facility. Photo by Brian Huntington/Ocean Ecology.

The Canadian Association of Physicians is calling on the Trudeau government to hold off on the Pacific Northwest LNG project until possible human health impacts are addressed.

The controversial project has attracted widespread criticism, in part due to its proposed location at Lelu Island in northern B.C., which is at the mouth of B.C.'s second-largest salmon bearing river. Although some First Nations approve of the project [ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... -1.3316862 ], led by Malaysian energy giant Petronas, others have signed a declaration against it [ https://ecotrust.org/lelu-island-declaration/ ], warning that it could wipe out salmon in part of the province [ http://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/02 ... chers-warn ] , and harm harbour porpoises while damaging the ecosystem on the Flora Bank. [ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/bri ... e29093139/ ]

If constructed in its present state, it could also account for up to 87 per cent of all emissions allowed under B.C.’s 2050 target according to the Pembina Institute [ http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/ ... g/07042_01 ] , and make it impossible to honour the climate commitments made by Canada in Paris and New York City. [ http://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/04 ... d-un-today ]

In a new letter to federal environment minister Catherine McKenna, health minister Jane Philpott and Indigenous affairs minister Carolynn Bennett, a number of prominent physicians across Canada are warning that the project is too risky.

Read the full letter below:

[ http://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/09 ... ng-project ]