BC Regulator Orders LNG Canada to Address Flaring Violations

The British Columbia Energy Regulator has ordered LNG Canada to address violations involving black smoke emissions from flaring at its liquefied natural gas facility in Kitimat, following an inspection that uncovered two instances of noncompliance with the company's permit.

Regulator staff visited the plant on British Columbia's northwest coast in February and observed the emissions, including one episode that continued for more than seven hours. The permit requires that flaring during normal operations produce no black smoke and that emissions during process upsets not exceed 15 minutes within any two-hour period. Patrick Smook, the regulator's vice president for compliance and operations, signed the order, which declares LNG Canada out of compliance and mandates new reporting obligations effective April 22.

Under the order, the company must deliver a report by August 15 detailing the root causes of the black smoke emissions and outlining preventive measures. Those steps must then be put in place by October 15. The directive comes amid broader concerns about flaring volumes at the site. Monthly air emissions reports, obtained through freedom of information requests by...