Floating housing for LNG workers rejected by Squamish [Video]

Plans to use a renovated cruise ship to house more than 600 workers as they build a liquefied natural gas facility near Squamish, B.C., have been voted down by the local council.

The ship arrived in B.C. waters in January after a 40-day journey from Estonia, where it had sheltered Ukrainian refugees, but Woodfibre LNG didn’t obtain a permit from the district to operate the so-called “floatel.”

Squamish councillors voted three to four against a one-year permit at a meeting on Tuesday that raised concerns about the safety of women and girls, traffic issues, waste management and potential natural hazards.

Woodfibre wanted workers to start living on the ship this spring on the shores of Howe Sound, outside Squamish.

The Woodfibre website shows the B.C. and federal governments have approved the project, which also has an environmental certificate from the Squamish Nation.