The controversial proposal to build a jet fuel storage tank farm on the Richmond side of the Fraser River has been given the green light by the province.
It was announced Thursday that Environment Minister Mary Polak and Natural Gas Development Minister Rich Coleman had issued a conditional environmental assessment certificate to Vancouver Airport Fuel Facilities Corporation.
The decision was made after considering a review led by the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office, which concluded the project is not expected to result in any significant adverse effects, based on the mitigation measures and conditions of the environmental assessment certificate.
The certificate includes 64 conditions, which together with the design will mitigate potential impacts of the project, according to the province.
The many conditions when it comes to spill and fire prevention, preparedness and response include having at least two escort tugs for each tanker and one tug for each cargo barge coming into the terminal as well as vessels being under the expert control of pilots specifically trained for the Fraser River.
Owned by a consortium of airlines that use YVR, the Vancouver Airport Fuel Facilities Corporation wants to ship jet fuel up the river to a tank farm that would be built on an industrial site on the south arm of the Fraser. An underground pipeline would then send the fuel to the airport.
The fuel corporation notes the system will meet the fuel requirements of the airlines and airport for the foreseeable future, and will be constructed to modern building, seismic, fire and environmental codes to achieve the highest levels of safety and reliability. It will also eliminate the approximately 1,000 tanker truck deliveries from Washington state needed each month to meet fuel demand at YVR.
"Public safety and environmental protection are fundamental priorities for this project," said project director Adrian Pollard. "The spill prevention and response strategies proposed for the Fraser River go well beyond industry standards and best practices. The risk of a spill is low and the response presence designed for this project will benefit all other users on the river."
The project, however, has met fierce opposition from many residents, primarily in Richmond but also some in Delta.
Vancouver Airport Project Opposition for Richmond (VAPOR) recently held a media event at Garry Point Park to renew their call for the proposal to be defeated, citing the huge risks to environment and residents. Members noted that despite over 1,000 days of review, concerns have not been answered and the public hasn't been afforded a hearing.
Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington, who was at the event, said the project should concern everyone, including Delta where the Fraser estuary is threatened.
Delta council has conveyed a number of concerns but hasn't opposed the project outright unlike Richmond council.
Council here was previously told the number of trucks carrying jet fuel through the municipality was expected to increase to 2,200 round trips a month by 2020. The fuel consortium's project has the potential to remove thousands of tanker trucks from local highways each year.
