Quebec Environmental Law Centre to aid Environnement Vert Plus and spokesperson, Pascal Bergeron, threatened with legal action by Pieridae Energy Ltd. for having shared *public* information vital to the **public interest** that the company wants kept secret even though it demanded nearly $1Billion from the public. Law centre Director Genevieve Paul: “This is akin to an attempted gag order that clearly aims to intimidate people who are mobilized.”

Non-profit Quebec law centre to aid environmental group targeted by Alberta oil firm by Patrice Bergeron, The Canadian Press Apr 10, 2021, Energetic City

The Quebec Environmental Law Centre is coming to the aid of an environmental group targeted by an Alberta oil company threatening legal action. Pieridae Energy Ltd. issued a letter last month threatening to sue Environnement Vert Plus and its spokesman, Pascal Bergeron, for having disseminated information that it considers confidential, concerning the Goldboro project, a liquefied natural gas plant project in Nova Scotia connected by a pipeline that would cross Quebec territory.

The centre said Friday it is in turn putting the Calgary-based company on notice to immediately stop any attempt to limit its client’s freedom of expression.

In March, Environnement Vert Plus and other groups accused Pieridae Energy of lobbying the federal government to obtain nearly $1 billion worth of funding for its Goldboro LNG project.

In an open letter to federal and provincial leaders, the groups asked governments not to finance the project.

In its formal notice, Pieridae Energy accuses the environmental organization and its partners in other provinces of having failed in an obligation based on a relationship of trust. It accuses the environmentalists of illegally using confidential information with the aim of causing financial harm to the company.

“It was not confidential information, and even if it had not already been in the public space, it is information of public interest, so … in principle, the questions which come under public funds feed the public debate and it is in the interest of the public to have access to it,” law centre Director Genevieve Paul said in an interview.

Pieridae Energy is demanding, among other things, that the groups cease using the information, that the damage caused be mitigated, and that the persons concerned disclose their sources.

“This is akin to an attempted gag order that clearly aims to intimidate people who are mobilized,” Paul said.

She described the threatened legal action as a SLAPP lawsuit — excessive and unreasonable legal action with the purpose of shutting down discussion of issues in the public interest and limiting freedom of expression of the persons concerned.

Paul said the non-profit environmental law group doesn’t want to engage in a lengthy legal battle, it simply wants Pieridae Energy to renounce its threats of prosecution.

“The objective is not to go to court: it is that the people who aim to alert the population to questions of public financing and the environmental risks associated with this project can continue to do their work,” Paul said.

In its documentation, Pieridae reports that the Goldboro project is to have two liquefaction units, each producing 4.8 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year. The production of one of its units has already been sold to a German company for a 20-year term, it added.

The court has previously issued rulings against SLAPP suits aimed at environmental organizations and conservationists.

In 2011, a Quebec Superior Court judge rejected a case initiated by Petrolia that was considered to be such a suit. That company has since merged with Pieridae.

In addition to Environnement Vert Plus, Pieridae’s proposed legal action also targets others who signed the letter to the federal government: the New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance, Nova Scotia’s NOFRAC, the Citizens Oil and Gas Council in Alberta, as well as an environmental activist based in Germany.

Refer also to:

“Bad Corporate Citizen” Pieridae, after demanding nearly $1Billion of public’s money (during a pandemic no less) while promoting dubious Goldboro LNG in Nova Scotia, now threatens legal action to silence concerned citizens. Bradley Toms: “If there’s one way to show you’ve got bad intentions it’s threatening a SLAPP lawsuit against people who are just repeating things that you’ve said.”

“Polluter” Shell & “Penny Stock” Pieridae to retry their sour gas marriage, coached by AER, funded by “Loser” AIMCo. Stewart Shields: “Alberta Conservative gov’ts becoming recognized as the worst petroleum managers in the free world—as this story by the famous Andrew Nikiforuk describes so pointedly!!”

Look out Albertans whose pensions Kenney gave to AIMCo. Crazy Days in Alberta: The Poison Wells File. The province let oil and gas firms create a $100-billion disaster. New example? Shell Pieridae Briko Ikkuma Alberta Foothills Sour Gas Marriage financed by AIMCo and about $10Billion in liabilities.

Wood MacKenzie: No US LNG export projects expected in 2021, making it second year in a row facilities don’t get built as sponsors struggle to secure long-term contracts, Some projects may die

Quebec: 700 abandoned energy wells remain unattended to. Canada’s *multi-billion dollar* abandoned oil & gas well problem exponentially increasing. Where are the authorities? AER execs busy eating two-steak lunches, Judges knowingly publishing lies in rulings

Emergency preparedness is goal of Quebec earthquake road show, Or because Quebec gov’t broke its promise, created Bill 106 to enable fracing in Quebec? First Nations communities in Gaspé unite against fracking, First Nations leaders threaten legal action over Petrolia drilling

Did Petrolia intend to frac all along? After publicly promising for years it would not, Petrolia now says it’s planning to “artificially stimulate” Haldimand oil wells in Gaspé. “Town council cannot accept fracking near homes, near water wells,” Mayor Daniel Côté said.

British frac’er, Ascent, sues Slovenia for protecting drinking water, just like Gastem did to Ristigouche Sud-Est in Quebec, and many other frac’ers have done elsewhere.

The Guardian in UK reports on Ristigouche Sud-Est’s legal win against Gastem: Tiny Canada town defeats oil firm in court fight over drinking water, Company sued Quebec village of 157 people after it created bylaw to protect its water

Unbelievable! A Canadian judge with courage & integrity! Justice Nicole Tremblay ruled a municipality has right to protect its territory based on precautionary principle, but orders only half of tiny Quebec village’s legal fees reimbursed. Is that justice? After 4.5 years of legal stresses & waiting, Ristigouche Sud-Est wins! Gastem sued the community $1.5 Million for trying to protect drinking water

Fascist Canada: Tiny Quebec village faces $1.5M lawsuit by “terrorist” oil company Gastem for trying to protect its water, Ristigouche Sud-Est, Gaspé region, sued for passing bylaw protecting water sources from drilling

Anticosti mayor applying for UNESCO heritage designation. Court orders Quebec to continue financing Petrolia’s Anticosti fracking operations, Orders monthly payments to Petrolia must continue to prevent job losses

“A New Step Forward!” Quebec introduces draconian oil & gas bill to give companies more rights than property owners, Days later authorizes Petrolia Inc to frack Anticosti: “This resounding success on the regulatory front is essentially due to the work of Petrolia, accompanied by the experts at SNC-Lavalin….”

Ensemble! Thermogenic methane contaminating Gaspé drinking water near Petrolia’s methane leaking oil well; Citizens ask municipal representatives to take back Petrolia’s Permits

Borrowed Dreams? Promises of regulations led Gaspé to drop lawsuit with Petrolia. Junex dares to dream of oil in Québec; penny stock soared 209% recently, lifted shares of peers Petrolia and Petrolympcs while $200 Billion debt looms over USA oil and gas

Methane contamination found in Gaspé water wells near Petrolia’s methane leaking oil well; Is the Quebec government deflecting the explosive risk to protect the oil and gas industry?

Government finds methane in drinking water wells in Gaspé, water wells are within 2 km of Pétrolia’s oil wells, one of them reported in 2012 to be leaking methane

Gaspé wants Quebec government to intervene; The Quebec Superior Court agrees with Petrolia, says Gaspé municipality can’t protect its drinking water supplies from the oil and gas industry

Petrolia asks Quebec Superior Court to rule on Gaspé drilling ban put in place to protect groundwater, Do decisions of municipal councils outweigh drilling rights?

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