Coal news and updates

A proposed coal terminal at Fraser Surrey Docks would “not likely cause significant adverse effects to the environment or human health,” according to an environmental assessment commissioned by FSD.

 

But critics, including the region’s top medical health officers, Metro Vancouver regional district, Lower Mainland municipalities and public coal-opposition groups, say the environmental study falls short of even a basic health assessment.

 

The study, conducted by SNC Lavalin and released Monday, suggests coal dust would be minimized as a result of mitigation measures that include using two topper coatings on all coal shipped on railcars; unloading the coal via trap doors in the bottom of each rail car to enclosed, shallow receiving pits in a building equipped with full water misting; and not running barges in winds over 40 km/h.

 

Fraser Surrey Docks also no longer plans to stockpile coal at the proposed $15-million facility.

 

“With the application of these mitigation measures, particulate matter emissions from fugitive dust sources are localized around the facility and predicted air quality impacts are low,” the report said.

 

Fraser Surrey Docks said it sought out industry experts in the fields of toxicology, health, dust exposure, particulate matter, environment and other areas in doing the assessment, which was prompted in August after public outcry. Health authorities last spring called for a comprehensive health assessment, citing concerns over coal dust, increased diesel emissions and noise.

 

“We take our obligation to the community very seriously, as we have for over 50 years, and we recognize the importance of thoroughly reviewing all aspects of the proposed project,” senior planner Tim Blair said in a statement. “The assessment provides answers to the majority of the questions that have been raised and concludes that the project will not cause significant adverse environmental, socio-economic or health effects.”

 

Coal is already shipped out of Delta’s Roberts Bank terminal and North Vancouver’s Neptune Terminals, with Port Metro Vancouver handling 32.7 million tonnes in 2012.

 

The new facility is meant to handle coal from Wyoming, which would be loaded on barges, shipped to Texada Island, and then loaded onto ships destined for Asia. If approved, U.S.-based Burlington-Northern Santa Fe Railway would send one train carrying 12,500 tonnes of coal through Crescent Beach, North Delta and Surrey per day.

 

In a joint letter criticizing of the study, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority chief medical health officer Dr. Patricia Daly and her Fraser Health counterpart Dr. Paul Van Buynder suggest the modelling on potential risks is insufficient and the study gives more consideration to the effect on plants, fish and wildlife than on people.

 

The letter also argues this would be the first time for coal transport on this segment of the BNSF, through urban neighbourhoods and into a port facility that has never handled coal.

 

“Clearly this is a very local development and there’s not real national significance,” Van Buynder said. “What we’re looking at is we’re getting a whole lot of coal out of the U.S. so they can sell it to China or wherever and letting them ship it out of Vancouver because they don’t want to let them ship it out of the states.

 

“We really need a bit more data as part of the process.”

 

The health authority letter notes while the assessment takes into account the growing populations in Surrey and Delta and the vulnerability of children and the elderly, it doesn’t include the entire route, including White Rock and Texada Island.

 

It also suggests that while the health study contains a brief summary on the type of coal to be shipped, it has no information about mercury, lead and other possible contaminants that could affect food grown by residents and farms along the railway.

 

“There’s a lot of community concern,” Van Buynder said. “We want them to work with us and they keep saying no.”

 

The report was issued on the same day that coal-opposition groups asked Delta to join five other municipalities, including Surrey, to protest against the proposed terminal.

 

Metro Vancouver, which is responsible for issuing an air quality permit for the terminal project, has also raised concerns, specifically about climate change.

 

However, the assessment doesn’t look at climate change. The report noted while FSD “is aware that climate change is a concern of the general public and the burning of coal is a greenhouse gas contributor, the main function of the project is to handle the transfer of “unburned coal from rail to barge.”

 

“For this reason, the effects of and on climate change have been excluded from the scope of this assessment.”

 

Roger Quan, Metro’s air quality policy division manager, said Metro may consider holding a public hearing before approving the permit, which could require certain conditions to ensure emission levels are met.

 

A 30-day public comment period was initiated after the report’s release Monday. Port Metro Vancouver has the final say on the project.

 

Source: http://www.vancouversun.com/