Social, Cultural and Economic Factors of Importance to First

Nation Communities in Permitting LNG Developments

February 18, 201

Presenter Rabel Burdge

Facilitator John Kenney

Social Impact Session OverviewGoals:

To understand the importance of considering social, cultural and economic impacts in approving LNG development in British Columbia

Major themes: What are social impacts? How have previous natural resource developments

impacted Aboriginal Communities? The importance of job opportunities in the LNG industry Listing of important additional social, cultural and economic

impacts Where you get information about the use of social impact

assessment in the context of B.C.’s energy sector?

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Beautiful British Columbia

What are social impacts and why should you be interested?

Social Impacts (also called effects and consequences) refer to changes in the lives of individuals and communities due to LNG development

You need to know that LNG development will change the lives of Aboriginal people and their communities.

Doing social impact assessment will allow you to benefit from LNG and avoid possible negative consequences

The next slide contains a list of natural resource development projects in Canada and Alaska: I would like you to pick one or more (or others not listed) that you know about or have heard about. Think how the development has changed life among First Nation peoples and their communities in this part of the world. After a minute or so we will share some of your observations.

Major Natural Resource Development Projects in Canada and Alaska

Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek to Fairbanks

Alaska Pipeline-Prudhoe Bay to Valdez Mackenzie Valley Pipeline (both times) Diamond Mines in the Canadian North Oil Sands in Northern Alberta Enbridge Northern Gateway Oil Pipeline Gitga’at First Nation marine use areas in

Hartley Bay along the BC coast

What are the key social impacts in deciding to agree to LNG development?

On site employment of Aboriginal people Education, skill requirements for LNG jobs Employment of non-Aboriginal People Population changes in LNG regions and

where temporary and permanent population increases will take place?

Support for ancillary business and other employment opportunities

Community and Provincial infrastructure needs

Other Important Social Impacts and Changes Drug and alcohol abuse (gambling in the future?) Decreased use of Aboriginal languages Changes in traditional cultural practices to include

visiting sacred sites, hunting and gathering, continued use of country food and sharing of the harvest

Competition among First Nations for NG development Pressure on First Nation and Village level leaders Overlapping taxing and collection authorities Distribution of royalties and revenues—the devolution

effect Opportunities for equity positions among First

Nations

Discussion Questions

Could you share any experiences and lessons learned from discussion with proponents as it relates to social impacts and community well-being?

Has your First Nation attempted to incorporate any social impacts into any Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) with a project proponent?

Have you experienced any reluctance on the part of proponents to talk about or include social impacts during negotiations?

British Columbia requirements for doing Social Impact Assessment

A key in doing environmental and socio-economic impact assessment in British Columbia is the use of Valued Components (VC). The Application Information Requirements (AIR) must deal with how socio-economic valued components of cultural/heritage resources, recreation, employment, business opportunities, health, education/knowledge and families will be impacted by the proposed action. For details on valued environmental components go to:

http://www.eao.gov.bc.ca/pdf/EAO_Valued_Components_Guideline_2013_09_09.pdf

The Canadian Environmental assessment Act (CEAA) makes oblique reference to social impact assessment except for using Aboriginal Traditional

Knowledge (ATK) in the permitting process

“Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge may be considered in conducting an environmental assessment." These principles are voluntary and intended to provide general guidance on the consideration of ATK http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=4A795E76-1

Proponent Project Presentation

The important difference between social impact assessment and

public consultation

SIA is a systematic effort to identify, analyze, and evaluate social impacts of a proposed LNG project on the individual, social groups within a community, or the entire region—in advance of the decision making process.

Public Consultation is a means of educating the impacted community as to the potential benefits and consequences of LNG proposals, alternative courses of action and the respective impacts of each!

Welcome and Introductions

INSERT NICE PICTURE OF REGION?

Do not let this happen in your communities!

When an LNG Refinery was built in Western Australia, the Aboriginal Rock Art was scooped up and dumped in a pile three miles away!

Next Steps Require that social, cultural, health and economic impact assessment be a part of the EIA process. In addition, insist that the JRP include and recognize social and economic impacts in issuing decisions.Join the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) Western and Northern Canada Chapter. Go to http://www.iaia-wnc.ca. Encourage people in the environmental ministries to attend and both IAIA-WNC & IAIA and participate in regional international environmental assessment organizations.Read more about social impact assessment! http://www.iaia.org/publicdocuments/Activity_Resources/Key_Citations/Key%20Citations_SIA%2009%20Oct.pdf