Stephen Rees's blog

Apparently I am a ‘stakeholder’. I got the following information in an email today, and thought I would spread it around. Port Metro Vancouver wants to build even more container capacity at Roberts Bank. The “Terminal 2 Project” will they say be subject to “a thorough and independent environmental assessment.” I suppose much of the argument will be that this area has been so developed over the last few years that there is now very little left to be protected, but perhaps I am a cynic. What I do not see – and please somebody of you see it let me know – is any kind of justification for the project. Like the coal terminal expansion, these projects have long been on the wish list, but the world has changed. It seems the people in the Port Boardroom have not noticed that yet. Sea level rise will probably wipe out all this development, but sooner than that the penny is going to drop that importing stuff from China that we do not need is a pretty silly way to run an economy, especially when the only way we can think to pay for it is to dig up ever more fossil fuels for them to burn. Actually China is beginning to reassess how it grows, and in future more of its products will be for home consumption, not export. They are going to wean themselves off imported fossil fuels by becoming leaders in renewables. And the need for West Coast ports is going to decline because of the new Panama Canal and ice free shipping routes through the arctic.

Is it worth going to any of these meetings  to repeat this, or do I just cut and paste this into an email? I somehow doubt anyone there reads this blog.

Invitation to participate in Pre-Design Consultation for the proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project

Dear Stakeholder,

Port Metro Vancouver is undertaking Pre-Design Consultation regarding the proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project between October 7 and November 12, 2013.

As part of this consultation, Port Metro Vancouver will present information regarding the conceptual project design, and will seek input regarding elements of the project and developing environmental mitigation plans.

The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project is a proposed new three-berth container terminal at Roberts Bank in Delta, BC that could provide 2.4 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of container capacity. The project is part of Port Metro Vancouver’s Container Capacity Improvement Program, a long-term strategy to deliver projects to meet anticipated growth in demand for container capacity to 2030. For more information regarding the project, please visit www.portmetrovancouver.com/RBT2.

You are invited to provide feedback and learn more about the project by:

• ·         Attending a small group meeting or open house (see schedule below)
• ·         Reading consultation materials and providing feedback online (consultation materials and an online feedback form will be available at www.portmetrovancouver.com/RBT2 on October 7, 2013)
• ·         Visiting Port Talk (www.porttalk.ca/RBT2) and participating in a discussion forum
• ·         Calling 604.665.9337
• ·         Providing a written submission through:

o   Fax:  1.866.284.4271

o   Email: container.improvement@portmetrovancouver.com

o   Mail:  Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project
100 The Pointe, 999 Canada Place
Vancouver, BC               V6C 3T4

Small Group Meeting & Open House Schedule

 *To register for a Small Group Meeting, please email container.improvement@portmetrovancouver.comor call 604-665-9337. Pre-registration for open houses is not required.

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How Input Will Be Used

Input received will be considered, along with technical and economic information, in developing project designs or plans, including engineering and environmental mitigation plans, for the proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project.

Regards,

The Container Capacity Improvement Program Team