Raven Coal Mine

The Public Comment period to voice your opinion on the Raven Coal mine at Fanny Bay is now!

Please write and help spread the word about this brief time to get informed and respond to this very local carbon increasing dirty energy project.

Heres a few things Shiela posted about it from a local Fanny Bay resident:

Some of you are aware, some of you not, that we have a proposed coal mine in the stages of environmental assessment near our home.  With coal at an all time high price, this and other mines are being pursued on Vancouver Island.  After reading and studying the information for about a year now, we and many others truly believe the risks to our area are far too serious to support such an undertaking.

• The stock pile of tailings (nearly 60% waste of what is mined), will be put into ponds equivalent to somewhere around the size of 60 to 80 football fields.  Without question, this will generate acid mine drainage affecting Baynes Sound at some point in its existence. 
• The world renowned oysters harvested in Baynes Sound employing approximately 500 people, sustainable indefinitely, is at risk, as opposed to an estimated 250 jobs for 16 years at the mine.   
• The mine will require phenomenal amounts of water to wash the rock to get the finished product, thereby impacting groundwater, and putting aquifers and landowner's wells at risk. 
• The end product will be moved by up to 72 B train truck trips every 24 hours equating to 144 trucks per day (both directions) on the small highway through Cathedral Grove to Port Alberni (designated shipping port).
• According to recently released documents, the methane emissions from the mine for a year will be equivalent to CO2 emissions from somewhere around 500,000 cars on the road.  And of course this coal is all off to Asiaso the carbon footprint of burning it is not even discussed.
• Progress has been made with reclamation bonds for circumstances like mine abandonment (for example if coal prices drop) but consensus indicates it is still always inadequate and as has been the case in the past, the taxpayers will always be called to the rescue.
• This very company's affiliate in the interior of BC some years back was implicated in dumping of toxic waste.

 
I would like to ask all of you to take the time to express your opposition to the current proposal. Hand written "snail mail" letters have the most impact but, without question a raven [at] ceaa-acee [dot] gc [dot] ca (quick e-mail) or online comment will be an important contribution to letting the powers that be hear our voices.  The time frame for public comment is May 18th to June 27th.

To find out more, heres a good website to help with your submission: http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/coalwatch

Here are email addresses to use to express your concern, plus a sample letter, and the postal address too:

To:   raven [at] ceaa-acee [dot] gc [dot] ca;

Cc:   Duncan [dot] J [at] parl [dot] gc [dot] ca, Lunney [dot] J [at] parl [dot] gc [dot] ca, don [dot] mcrae [dot] mla [at] leg [dot] bc [dot] ca, scott [dot] fraser [dot] mla [at] leg [dot] bc [dot] ca, ron [dot] cantelon [dot] mla [at] leg [dot] bc [dot] ca,  Minister [dot] Transportation [at] gov [dot] bc [dot] ca, steve [dot] thomson [dot] mla [at] leg [dot] bc [dot] ca, env [dot] minister [at] gov [dot] bc [dot] ca, SMIN [dot] Minister [at] gov [dot] bc [dot] ca, premier [at] gov [dot] bc [dot] ca, pm [at] pm [dot] gc [dot] ca, minister [at] ec [dot] gc [dot] ca, FOR [dot] Minister [at] gov [dot] bc [dot] ca, climateactionsecretariat [at] gov [dot] bc [dot] ca, min [at] dfo-mpo [dot] gc [dot] ca, EMH [dot] Minister [at] gov [dot] bc [dot] ca, bjolliffe [at] comoxvalleyrd [dot] ca, gphelps [at] courtenay [dot] ca, gphelps [at] courtenay [dot] ca, Christy [at] christyclark [dot] ca, FLNR [dot] minister [at] gov [dot] bc [dot] ca

Mail addresses as follows:

Dear Sir/Madame:

  As a resident living in Georgia Straight in the area of Fanny Bay/Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, I am very concerned about the potential environmental, social, health, and economic impacts of the proposed Raven Underground Coal Mine Project.  We chose our lifestyle and home, in part, for the natural beauty of an area untouched by the current industrialization experienced in many others parts of Canada.  I strongly object to the impact that living adjacent to a coal mining operation will have on the local environment and my families health.
   I ask that you rethink the proposal keeping in mind that the creation of some 250 short term jobs, in an unsustainable industry, does not come close to outweighing the long-term, sustainable jobs in aquaculture and tourism in Baynes Sound and the surrounding area.  Nor are risks associated with coal mining in the area of the Comox Valley and the whole of Vancouver Island acceptable to me.  I ask that you apply the precautionary principle and err on the side of caution, and I insist you entertain a joint federal/provincial independent expert review with full public hearings as opposed to the somewhat limited study now occurring. Comprehensive aquifer mapping of both Raven and Bear tenures would also seem to be prudent.  There is no time for mistakes, mining has disrupted many lives in the past and will do the same in the future without responsibility before the damage has occurred.

Thank you for your time,

Sincerely,

    (your Name and address)

Here is a link to see what other people are sending in if you are interested.
http://www.eao.gov.bc.ca/pcp/comments/Raven_Coal_Mine_comments.html