New Westminster's two members of Parliament are getting an earful from constituents who are concerned about a proposed coal export facility at Fraser Surrey Docks.
New Westminster-Burnaby MP Peter Julian, who is the federal NDP's energy and natural resources critic, is asking that Port Metro Vancouver halt the expansion at Fraser Surrey Docks and proceed to conducting broad, inclusive and transparent public hearings.
In a letter to Port Metro Vancouver, he said he has been receiving "a steady flow of complaints from constituents who are very concerned" about the consequences of a proposal to expand the coal export capacity at Fraser Surrey Docks.
"There is documented evidence of an increase in coal dust pollution in the area, which is seriously affecting the health and safety of families residing by the Port Metro Vancouver area," Julian wrote. "From this outcry we must recognize that there has been a lack of public consultation by Port Metro Vancouver prior to authorizing this expansion, as well as a lack of proper health and safety assessments of the environmental risk involved. Clearly, the residents living within a close proximity to the terminal were not adequately informed or consulted."
Port Metro Vancouver has received an application to allow the Fraser Surrey Docks to accommodate a facility where coal is loaded from trains onto barges using a conveyor system. The coal, which originates in the United States, would travel by rail through White Rock, Delta and Surrey, from where it would be loaded onto ships and sent overseas.
The Quayside Community Board has collected signatures from more than 300 people who are opposed to the proposed coal export facility at Fraser Surrey Docks. More than 40 people attended a rally against the proposal at the Quay on Sunday.
New Westminster-Coquitlam MP Fin Donnelly was unable to attend the rally but passed along concerns about the coal terminal expansion. He's written to Port Metro Vancouver voicing his concerns about the proposal and calling for inclusive public consultation.
The support from the members of Parliament is welcomed by Voters Taking Action on Climate Change, which has been lobbying against coal expansion plans in Metro Vancouver.
According to Voters Taking Action on Climate Change, coal export plans, that are currently being considered by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, will make Metro Vancouver the largest exporter of coal in North America. The group also fears that these projects, if approved, would increase the risk of runaway climate change and would expose regional residents to coal dust, diesel exhaust and increased train traffic. Port Metro Vancouver has directed Fraser Surrey Docks to conduct further consultation as they refine the project and finalize the proposed mitigation strategies.
According to Port Metro Vancouver, Fraser Surrey Dock will be hosting two open houses in May, with a focus on clarifying the scope of the projects; responding to concerns raised during the first phase of consultation; communicating its proposed mitigation measures; and soliciting comments on the materials presented.
New Westminster city council has approved a motion to require that one of the two public consultation meetings be held in New Westminster.
"It is encouraging that the Port Authority has finally acknowledged public frustration over the lack of consultation on this proposal, but open houses represent a woefully inadequate response to this frustration," Voters Taking Action on Climate Change director Kevin Washbrook said in a press release. "Open houses are more of an exercise in public relations than an effort at real public consultation, and they do not in anyway replace full public hearings as a process for including the public in decision making."
Voters Taking Action on Climate Change believes that public hearings on coal export proposals should include an opportunity for Metro Vancouver residents to present testimony and to challenge decision makers.
