Biofuel facility draws rally at Peace Arch

A crowd estimated to be in the hundreds turned out October 29 at the Peace Arch to show their opposition to plans by the Semiahmoo First Nation (SFN) to build a biofuel facility immediately adjacent to Highway 99 across from the duty-free store.

Several individuals spoke including David Hancock, an environmental author and founder of the Hancock Wildlife Foundation; Surrey councilmember Linda Annis and others. The event was sponsored by the Clean Air Alliance, an organization of local residents who are opposed to the facility being built.

The project is being jointly proposed by the SFN and Andion Global Inc., a Vancouver-based company that has built about 50 biofuel plants worldwide.

The SFN plant would occupy about four acres of SFN land a half-mile north of the U.S./Canada border and about 120 feet from the highway. It will 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. As of 2022, there were nearly 200 RNG projects underway in the U.S.

According to an air quality permit application submitted to Metro Vancouver, the facility would emit 2.8 tons of nitrogen oxides, 35.8 tons of methane and 1.8 tons of sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide for total emissions of 40.41 tons annually. Among concerns frequently cited by project opponents is the anticipated number of odors releases. Andion has downplayed the significance of such releases, saying the majority of releases will take place at night and during fall and winter months.

A virtual meeting to discuss the project has been scheduled by Andion and SFN for Thursday, November 9 at 6 p.m. To register in advance, go to bit.ly/3MrGg6B. To submit questions beforehand, email event@andionglobal.com.