Stephen Rees's blog

In the wake of Christy Clark sending a letter to Justin Trudeau suggesting a tax on US coal exports through Vancouver would be an appropriate response to the softwood lumber tariff

Actually this lady beat her to it

No Coal Makes Way for a Cheaper, Faster, Safer Second Tunnel

No need for $4 billion Boondoggle Bridge

After years of ignoring thousands of people complaining about the impacts of US thermal coal through the Lower Fraser Delta, Premier Christy Clark is finally acknowledging that the coal is “not good for the environment.”

Now she is asking Prime Minister Trudeau to ban the export of thermal coal.  No matter how he responds, the public now expects the B.C. Government to stop plans of Fraser Surrey Docks to export US thermal coal.

The reason for the largest, most expensive bridge ever built in B.C. is to remove the George Massey Tunnel, dredge the Fraser deeper and facilitate export of US thermal coal through Fraser Surrey Docks.

Plans also include transport of dangerous jet fuel and LNG on Panamax vessels and LNG carriers on the Fraser for the first time in history.  As Canada has no effective laws, these projects do not meet international safety standards.

With no need for coal freighters, the public should demand that the B.C. Government revive the original plans to upgrade the George Massey Tunnel and build a second tunnel by immersing a second tube.  This would be cheaper, faster, and safer.

Cheaper:    Bridge: $3.5 to $6 billion                    Tunnel:       $1 to $2 billion

Faster:        Bridge:  5 to 6 years                          Tunnel:       2 to 3 years

Safer:          During seismic activity: “Underground structures suffer minor damage       compared to aboveground structures.”

(Tunnel under seismic loading: a review of damage case histories and protection methods, page 24)

ENGOS, Journalists and Politicians

“… politicians (other than all local mayors except one) simply have done little to challenge this $3.5 Billion boondoggle when another tunnel at less than 1/4 the coast is the best alternative to protect the fragile lower Fraser River.

The issue is mainly about building a bridge that will allow large freighters and tankers up the river after the tunnel is removed and that will be a very large nail into the coffin of the Lower Fraser in that it will be followed by Port Vancouver’s grandiose plans to industrialize the estuary and lower river.

This and the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project will be the modern era’s beginning of the final degradation process of the last significant biological values in this globally significant river and estuary. It is time that the federal Trudeau Ministers did stand up and take notice of an out of control Port Vancouver and a total lack of and or proper CEAA assessment of such large projects affecting many federal values.”

Otto Langer Fisheries Biologist

Background

The B.C. Government triple-deleted all information on how they changed plans from a twinned tunnel to a massive bridge.  Freedom of information requests from the public and MLA Vicki Huntington yielded a response of:

“Although a thorough search was conducted, no records were located in response to your request.”

However, a FOI request from Voters Taking Action on Climate Change revealed that from 2012 to 2014, the B.C. Liberals had ongoing discussions and correspondence with the federal government, the Port of Vancouver, Fraser Surrey Docks and vested interests.