Province orders Woodfibre LNG to relocate workers to floatel by June 21

The Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) has issued a cease-and-remedy order to the Woodfibre LNG project following a June 10 inspection that revealed approximately 350 workers were residing in unauthorized locations. The order mandates that WLNG relocate these workers to a marine-based work camp, or “floatel,” as required by the project’s environmental assessment certificate, by the end of Friday, June 21, 2024.

The floatel will be moored near the Woodfibre site, about seven kilometres from the urban centre of Squamish. The EAO continues to monitor the site to ensure compliance and will re-inspect for adherence to the order.

The order notes that on June 7, the EAO’s Compliance and Enforcement Branch (CEB) became aware of potential non-compliance with the certificate’s requirements. A responded by WLNG confirmed that approximately 300 workers were housed at a construction camp in Port Mellon and 30 workers in local hotels in Squamish, both contrary to the certificate’s conditions. Additionally, 41 workers with specific exemptions were housed in a leased building in Squamish.

The non-compliance was attributed to a ‘missing’ local government permit required for housing workers outside the floatel. The response detailed the certificate holder’s efforts to obtain this permit and comply with the certificate’s requirements. Amendment 3 to the certificate, aimed at mitigating the adverse impacts of a large construction workforce in the local community, requires workers to be housed on the floatel and restricts their access to the local community for non-work-related activities.

The EAO said it will continue to oversee the situation to ensure all conditions are met and compliance is maintained.