LNG Canada has defended its handling of noise complaints tied to flaring during its Kitimat facility鈥檚 commissioning phase, telling council that the company remains in compliance with regulatory limits but recognises residents鈥� concerns.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to note flaring is an elevated noise source, it is different than normal operations where we won鈥檛 have that kind of presence; we expect normal-operations noise to be substantially lower,鈥� said Teresa Waddington, vice president of corporate relations.

Waddington told council on April 7 that flaring, which began in late August 2024 as part of the plant鈥檚 commissioning phase, is expected to continue intermittently during the facility鈥檚 start-up period, with some events in the first year potentially lasting for several weeks. She said this process is necessary to prepare the plant for its first cargo shipment.

鈥淎s we go through these next few stages of commissioning we are readying for that first export to occur,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very exciting; it feels like it鈥檚 right on the horizon. The 鈥榤iddle鈥� of 2025 gives us the latitude to make sure that as we commission we鈥檙e following the plant, following what makes sense to do at every step.鈥�

Councillor Graham Pitzel, a resident of the Strawberry Meadows neighbourhood closest to the site, asked whether noise monitoring in the area had detected any breaches of the 30 to 50 decibel range. Waddington replied that equipment placed throughout Kitimat, including Strawberry Meadows, had not registered any readings above that threshold.

鈥淚鈥檝e walked through your neighbourhood and you鈥檙e right, Strawberry Meadows is one of the louder locations. But no, it鈥檚 not exceeding the threshold,鈥� she said.

Councillor Michelle Martins raised concerns about the scale of LNG Canada鈥檚 door-to-door engagement, noting only 40 homes had been visited, despite ongoing complaints from the Kildala area. 鈥淚 would have appreciated LNG Canada make the effort to consult me and my neighbours directly in a personable way, rather than relying on us to attend the engagement sessions,鈥� she said.

Waddington responded that the visits were based on complaints received by the company and its field staff, but acknowledged the company may need to widen its approach. 鈥淲e only had about three phone calls, but those 40 homes were selected by our people in the field going street to street,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ne of the things we are definitely considering as flaring continues and as residents become more and more interested in what is going on鈥攚e will need to continue to engage.鈥�

Since November 2024, LNG Canada has held 18 community engagements in Kitimat and Kitamaat Village and plans to hold five more this spring. The company has responded to 389 interactions through its community feedback mechanism, with eight formal complaints submitted through the BC Energy Regulator and five more logged directly through its own process.

Each complaint is investigated, according to LNG Canada. The process includes contacting the complainant, examining the timeline of operations, conducting off-site noise measurements, and in some cases, adjusting work schedules to reduce noise impacts.

Waddington said LNG Canada has engaged directly with residents including Andrew Farina, who addressed council in March to call for stronger local oversight of industrial noise. While LNG Canada maintains it remains in compliance with BC Energy Regulator standards, it said it recognises residents may still be affected.

LNG Canada acknowledges that, despite strong local support, flaring may place strain on relationships with the community, and says it is committed to doing its best to ensure openness and transparency throughout the commissioning process.

Councillor Mario Feldhoff commended the company for maintaining regular dialogue with the municipality and its residents by following through on its commitments and pledges to community engagement.