Congratulations to Michelle Mungall on her selection for an important cabinet post, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

Condolences, Michelle, because you bagged the hottest potato. It’s high praise to be given responsibility for the minefield of mines and energy. It’s going to be interesting because mining and energy are ALWAYS environmental issues.

Including LNG. Before the election, you said LNG is a non-starter in the global market. Christy Clark was selling an empty promise. But now the shoe is on the other foot. LNG is impractical because of its emissions. The methane emissions all along the production chain, the energy in compressing gas, and of course the final burn. The National Energy Board admitted this week it failed to take total carbon emissions of LNG into account.

And the Trudeau government has pushed back restrictions on methane emissions. Supposed to start in 2020, they are delaying them until 2023. Industry cuts to methane are relatively inexpensive. It’s the low-hanging fruit.

What about the Site C dam? Before the election, you said the dam has to go to the B.C. Utilities Commission to finally test if it will be good for B.C. The Liberals refused to do that.

External experts suggested that beyond the environmental damage to the Valley, Site C is uneconomic. The electricity market just isn’t there.

Clark was pushing Site C for quick jobs in construction. Very expensive jobs for B.C. BC Hydro was being left saddled with huge debt and rising charges to consumers, for decades. British Columbians would end up paying billions in higher rates.

The Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion? Hundreds of bitumen tankers in the Burrard Inlet? The NDP was clear: we’re not having it. That promise was a big vote getter. Don’t pull a Trudeau on us with promises.

Then there’s the mines. The deadline to file charges on Imperial Metals’ huge tailings spill at Mount Polley comes up next month. Coal mining and shipping. There’s lots on mines.

Good luck Michelle. You are now playing to an international audience with a whole province watching closely. In Nelson, we will be too.

Keith Wiley

Nelson