An environmental group was in Ladner on Friday submitting comments on the controversial Fraser Surrey Docks coal export plan.
Members of the Vancouver and Victoria based Dogwood Initiative delivered letters of concern to Port Metro Vancouver's community office at the Trenant Park shopping centre, saying local residents are frustrated with the biased approach the port authority has taken.
"Our community should be involved in decision making on these kinds of projects. It should be based on evidence and science, and informed by the values we share as Delta residents. Our port authority should listen to these voices and say no to new coal ports," the group's Brenda Ross said.
Outside the office, organizer Arie Ross told the Optimist her group was busy canvassing opinions in South Delta and those were also submitted.
Also gathering feedback, Phyllis Ruthven said the coal dust issue is of tremendous concern to many, but they're finding quite a few in South Delta are not aware of what Fraser Surrey Docks is planning and assume the controversy surrounds Westshore Terminals at Roberts Bank.
Located in Surrey near the North Delta border, Fraser Surrey Docks plans 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. The original plan was to have that coal loaded onto barges and towed by tug to Texada Island, where it would be transferred into storage to wait for oceangoing freighters. Up to four millions tonnes would be handled initially.
Although the project did not require either a full federal or provincial environmental assessment to be conducted by either the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency or the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office, Port Metro Vancouver decided to require an environmental impact assessment and additional human health assessments due to public interest in the project.
Fraser Surrey Docks said that as part of the review process, it contracted thirdparty experts to conduct environmental impact, air quality and human health risk assessments.
Last August, the port authority approved the application and granted a permit, prompting the group Communities and Coal Society to file for a judicial review, alleging the port failed to consider certain environmental effects as required by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Also opposed, the cities of Surrey and New Westminster have been granted intervener status in the case.
In May 2015, Fraser Surrey Docks issued a notice that it wanted to amend its project permit to allow the loading of coal directly from its facility to ocean-going vessels, skipping having the coal barged out to Texada Island. The amended application includes the port facility spraying empty outgoing rail cars with dust suppressant. Also noting that transferring coal directly onto ocean going vessels as opposed to barges will result in less risk of coal dust escaping, Fraser Surrey Docks held a comment period on the new plan for two weeks in May. Port Metro Vancouver had a public consultation period that began in mid-July and concluded on Friday.
Delta council has agreed to have the mayor send a letter to Port Metro Vancouver requesting that a Metro Vancouver air quality permit be a requirement of the amended application and that the final Air Quality Management Plan for the project be publicly released for comment prior to approval.
