The Smithers resident who wants a federal review of the natural gas pipeline that would feed the planned multi-billion LNG Canada liquefied natural gas facility at Kitimat says he乌鸦传媒檚 received threats against his life and property.

乌鸦传媒淚 can tell you it乌鸦传媒檚 been relatively intense,乌鸦传媒� says Michael Sawyer of the attention focused on him since he asked the federal National Energy Board at the end of July for an order that TransCanada乌鸦传媒檚 Coastal GasLink pipeline project be put under federal regulation.

The pipeline has already received a green light from the province乌鸦传媒檚 environmental agencies, a key factor in the decision by LNG Canada乌鸦传媒檚 Joint Venture Partners (JVPs) whether to give the go-ahead or not.

The JVPs, which now include the Malaysian energy giant Petronas, have indicated a decision will be made by the end of the year, something that乌鸦传媒檚 placed residents, businesses and local governments in Kitimat and Terrace in a high state of anticipation.

But if Sawyer乌鸦传媒檚 application to the NEB is successful and a review is in order, there乌鸦传媒檚 a growing worry among LNG proponents in the region that an investment decision would be delayed.

And it乌鸦传媒檚 that worry which has placed Sawyer in the spotlight, resulting in the threats.

乌鸦传媒淥ne said 乌鸦传媒楬ope you have your fire insurance up to date乌鸦传媒� and another was 乌鸦传媒楲ook out. We乌鸦传媒檙e coming to get you,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮�媒� said Sawyer.

He乌鸦传媒檚 contacted the Smithers RCMP who so far describe messages as 乌鸦传媒渋mplicit乌鸦传媒� and not 乌鸦传媒渆xplicit,乌鸦传媒� Sawyer added.

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 not enough for them to act on,乌鸦传媒� he said of the police response.

Sawyer said he understands the range of emotions arising from his NEB filing from people anticipating an economic boom from any LNG development, but said his filing is based on Canadian law and judicial precedence.

乌鸦传媒淲e live in a society where there乌鸦传媒檚 the rule of law,乌鸦传媒� said Sawyer, adding that when governments don乌鸦传媒檛 follow the rule of law, 乌鸦传媒渋t乌鸦传媒檚 incumbent upon citizens to hold their feet to the fire and have them obey the law.乌鸦传媒�

It乌鸦传媒檚 a position Sawyer bases on two previous court decisions, a 1998 Supreme Court of Canada decision and a 2017 Federal Court of Appeal decision involving the now-shelved Pacific NorthWest LNG project near Prince Rupert.

While pipeline projects in B.C. don乌鸦传媒檛 solely fall under provincial jurisdiction as defined by the constitutional provision giving provinces control of natural resources, both decisions determined that a tie-in with existing pipelines that are under federal jurisdiction would also place those new projects under federal jurisdiction.

The 2017 decision is particularly relevant for Sawyer because it stemmed from his own appeal of an NEB decision dismissing his assertion that the pipeline, which would also have been built by TransCanada, to feed the Pacific NorthWest LNG project was within federal and not provincial jurisdiction.

That decision was never appealed by the NEB nor TransCanada, meaning it stands as a precedent, Sawyer states.

In addition to Sawyer乌鸦传媒檚 legal position, he refutes the premise that LNG is a clean fuel which can replace fuels such as coal until 乌鸦传媒渟ome other mythical fuel is found.乌鸦传媒�

While LNG as a fuel may burn cleaner, once the cumulative energy-using impacts of drilling, fracking, processing, pumping through pipelines, super-cooling for shipping and shipping itself are considered, the emissions total is greater than burning coal, he says.

乌鸦传媒淭he [cumulative] emissions are two per cent greater,乌鸦传媒� said Sawyer. 乌鸦传媒淲hen you look at the claim then that it乌鸦传媒檚 a cleaner fuel, it乌鸦传媒檚 simply not true.乌鸦传媒�

It乌鸦传媒檚 why a federal review of the project is needed in the broad public interest, he added in questioning the thoroughness of the provincial review.

Sawyer also said a federal review would put into play federal species protection legislation - he has his eye on a northeastern B.C. caribou herd resident in an area he said TransCanada has already indicated it would need to drill 700 wells a year, with accompanying infrastructure, over the next 30 years.

乌鸦传媒淭hat (caribou) herd would simply no longer exist,乌鸦传媒� said Sawyer.

Overall, Sawyer said the provincial approval of Coastal GasLink was driven by the former BC Liberal government乌鸦传媒檚 bias to 乌鸦传媒渁pprove the project and get it running.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淟ook, if there had been a fulsome [provincial] review, and they acknowledged all of the risks and decided to go ahead with it anyway, I may not have agreed with it but at least it would be intellectually honest,乌鸦传媒� he said.

A former environmental consultant in Alberta, first for oil and gas companies and then to citizen groups, landowners and First Nations over a career of more than 20 years, Sawyer said he moved to Smithers to more or less retire.

However, Sawyer said he saw deficiencies in how energy projects in B.C. are examined and decided to become more involved.

He says there乌鸦传媒檚 no personal financial gain in what he乌鸦传媒檚 doing and counters critics乌鸦传媒� accusations he乌鸦传媒檚 receiving money from American foundations.

He did receive $2,500 to help with legal costs from the West Coast Environmental Law Society乌鸦传媒檚 environmental dispute resolution fund which is financed by interest earned by trust accounts maintained by lawyers in B.C.

Individuals have also made small donations.

And as for why the application to the NEB has only been filed now with an LNG Canada investment decision expected soon, Sawyer said it simply took this long to gather his information.

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 no intention to time my application. That乌鸦传媒檚 how long it took to get this together,乌鸦传媒� he said.