There's plenty the Corporation of Delta has to say in its submission to a panel reviewing the Port of Vancouver's application to build Terminal 2 at Roberts Bank.
Civic staff outlined a lengthy list of questions and concerns recently for the federal review panel tasked with gathering submissions and eventually holding public hearings.
Staff had gone through the port's extensive environmental impact statement - 11 large volumes of information that triggered the review after their submission - and have come up with a number of issues.
Sean McGill, director of human resources and corporate planner, said the municipality at this stage is looking for more information and not stating whether it's in favour or opposed to the project.
Among the things Delta wants the panel to consider are the economic rationale in light of the rapidly changing global container shipping industry, expanding the assessment to consider direct cumulative impacts of a doubling of road and rail traffic in Delta, steps that must be taken to expedite the establishment of a world-class spill response system, as well as the role of inland ports.
The public consultation period wrapped up last month, after which the panel will take some time to consider the submissions and possibly ask the proponent for more information.
The public hearings aren't expected to begin until next spring at the earliest.
Noting new information has recently been released making a further strong case against T2, Against Port Expansion's Roger Emsley said, "What is very clear is that the damage that will result were RBT2 to go ahead will be immediate and irreversible. Mitigation will not be possible.
"The key question: Is the whole panel exercise one that is simply going through the process with the decision to proceed already made, or will they recognize what many have been saying for years, no more industrial development on Roberts Bank?" According to the port, the extensive work behind the environmental impact statement looked at the potential environmental, economic, social, heritage and health effects of the project, including cumulative effects.
The document includes proposed mitigation measures to reduce, avoid or offset potential effects and describes the monitoring and follow-up program that would be undertaken to ensure mitigation measures are effective.
