The natural gas liquids extraction plant being proposed by West Coast Olefins Ltd. (WCOL) is receiving pushback from residents in the Pineview area, where the project would be built.
A group met on July 27 at the Pineview Community Hall to discuss the project, as well as what they could do to fight back against it.
The community started gathering letters from people opposed to the extraction plant.
“We’re concerned about the air quality, we’re concerned about water contamination, we’re concerned about all the issues that come with a gas plant,” said Gary Wood, one of the residents living near the proposed extraction plant.
“My neighbour across the road, the plant is going to be right against it. And then on the north side, there’s another fella with a quarter section there that’s going to be right up against it. And so we’re banded together, and we’re trying to do whatever we can to have this thing stop.”
Wood said a petition was started at the Pineview store and that they had 254 against the project and 17 for the project.
According to their Grasslands Not Gas Lands Facebook page that has since risen to over 270 against and 21 for.
WCOL is hoping to have regulatory approval in the next nine to 12 months and aims to start construction in 2022.
“We’re just farmers out here, you know? This isn’t what we do, we don’t know how to fight these kinds of things. But I guess we’re learning pretty fast here,” said Wood.