Another town hall meeting concerning the proposed coal export terminal at Fraser Surrey Docks will be held in South Delta on Monday.
Organized by the citizens' group Communities and Coal, the event at Tsawwassen United Church will feature several guest speakers, including a former coal port inspector.
Located in Surrey near the North Delta border, Fraser Surrey Docks wants to develop part of its 63-hectare site on the south side of the Fraser River to transfer thermal coal brought in by rail from Wyoming. That coal would be loaded directly onto barges and towed by tug to Texada Island, where it would be transferred into storage to wait for oceangoing freighters.
Concern about coal dust has made the application hugely controversial in North Delta and the surrounding region, but residents in South Delta have also voiced opposition.
Communities and Coal was started by two South Surrey moms, who have been working to spread the word and rally communities that would be affected. They held a meeting in Ladner this summer.
The group has collected thousands of signatures on a petition opposing the proposal, prompting Surrey, New Westminster and White Rock councils to come out in opposition until full public hearings and an independent third-party health assessment are completed. Delta has conveyed concerns but hasn't gone as far as opposing the project.
Representatives from the group were also scheduled to make a presentation to Delta's Environment Advisory Committee yesterday, outlining the need for a health assessment for the proposed coal facility.
Port Metro Vancouver last month ordered Fraser Surrey Docks to do more environmental impact assessment work on the proposal.
According to the port authority, for all projects within its jurisdiction, Port Metro Vancouver applies its Air Action Program in which applicants are directed to identify strategies to "keep clean areas clean" and incorporate continuous improvement into their proposed projects.
In an interview earlier this year, a port official told the Optimist the application does not need to go to senior government for approval because Port Metro Vancouver manages the land at the Fraser Surrey Docks through the Canada Marine Act, making it totally within the port's land use control.
The Monday, Nov. 18 meeting at Tsawwassen United (693-53rd St.) will start at 7 p.m. For more information, e-mail concern4allcitizens@gmail.com.
