The City of New Westminster is standing strong in its opposition to a proposed coal facility across the Fraser River.
The city will inform Port Metro Vancouver and Fraser Surrey Docks that it still opposes the coal transfer facility and doesn’t feel the environmental impact assessment done by SNC Lavalin addresses the city’s concerns.
“It doesn't address any of New Westminster’s concerns,” said Coun. Chuck Puchmayr. “It certainly doesn’t address any of the environmental concerns.”
Given that there are no trees or structures located between the coal facility and New Westminster, Puchmayr believes New Westminster could be greatly impacted by the coal facility that would be located directly across from Westminster Quay and Queensborough.
With two barges of coal being loaded daily, Puchmayr worries that people would not only have to deal with impacts from coal dust but also from chemicals in the topping agent applied to minimize fugitive coal dust.
"It may be just as toxic as the coal dust," he said.
Coun. Bill Harper believes the United States should be responsible for shipping its own coal.
“Let them do it through their own ports, and not contaminate the environment in Metro Vancouver,” he said.
Harper said the assessment didn’t address the impact of coal on the river, ocean or Texada Island.
"It's time that the port authority got on the right side of this argument," he said.
Fraser Surrey Docks has applied to Port Metro Vancouver for a permit to operate a coal transfer facility, where coal arriving on trains from the United States would be loaded on to barges and shipped to Texada Island and then to China. The facility would handle between four million and eight million metric tonnes of coal annually.
Puchmayr said he's concerned about the "incredible authority and power" that the federal government has given Port Metro Vancouver, which is able to override fisheries, health authority and regional district concerns.
"It makes me shudder," he said of its powers.
As requested by Port Metro Vancouver, Fraser Surrey Docks hired a consultant to conduct an environmental impact assessment about the proposed facility.
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy said the assessment "completely dodges" all of the questions being asked by municipal councils and health officers.
"They don't get, or they deliberately don't acknowledge, environmental issues are health issues," he said.
Coun. Lorrie Williams questioned the effectiveness of the sealing agent that would be applied on the coal.
Mark Allison, a senior planner with the city, said the topping agent creates “a sort of gel” on top of the coal. While there is fairly good evidence that it works up to a certain point, he said it tends to break down after a certain amount of time when traveling by rail.
Coun. Betty McIntosh supported the recommendation to oppose the facility, but also wanted council to ask for a permanent air quality monitoring station in New Westminster. She is concerned about air quality associated with the proposal, as it would result in an increase of train traffic to Fraser Surrey Docks, and more diesel tugs would be needed to help transport coal-filled barges to Texada Island.
"I think we should be going one step further than this recommendation,” she said.
Other council members defeated the recommendation to ask for air quality monitoring for fear of giving the impression New Westminster was supportive of the facility if that was provided.
