$14.4 million pulled from proposed B.C. biofuel facility

CityNews Vancouver has reported a biofuel facility planned on Semiahmoo First Nation land next to the Peace Arch border crossing has lost financial support.

In a March 2 article, CityNews wrote that the Member of Parliament for South Surrey-White Rock, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, said Natural Resources Canada will not give the $14.4 million it had previously committed to pledge.

Andion Global Inc., a renewable natural gas company, and the Semiahmoo First Nation were jointly proposing the project. Findlay said Andion can apply for future funding but would need to go through the process again, according to the CityNews article.

The plant would occupy about four acres a half-mile north of the U.S./Canada border and about 120 feet from Highway 99. It was expected to process some 70,000 tons of organic food waste and generate approximately 3.5 million gigajoules of renewable natural gas (RNG), roughly equivalent to 136.5 million liters of propane.

The project was met with pushback from surrounding residents who held a rally with hundreds of people at the Peace Arch on October 29, 2023. Project opponents were concerned about the number of odors released, the impact on the ecosystem, health risks and public safety, among other problems.