Urgent appeal for action on US coal exports from BC

Can you help push the BC government to act on US thermal coal exports?

Time is running out -- the Port will decide soon.

Can you help encourage the province to intervene in the plan to export US thermal coal down the Fraser River?    

The Port Authority has signalled it will make a decision on the Fraser Surrey Docks proposal this June.  The Port has said it is not interested in further public comment or expert review of the proposal.  It will decide, on its own and behind closed doors, what level of health risk is OK for our communities.

It would be inappropriate for an unaccountable federal body to decide the future of our region at the best of times, and the Port's clearly demonstrated bias in favour of the coal industry gives us a good idea what their decision will be in June.

It's time for the province to step in to protect the public interest. 

Our MLA's get this, because in recent weeks both the Liberal and NDP caucuses have written to the Port Authority asking them to work with our Health Authorities to conduct a comprehensive, transparent and independent review of the health risks of expanded coal exports.  This is an important step and we congratulate them for responding to public concern, but it's not enough.  

We know the Port will not take action on this issue --  the provincial Health Minister must step in and use his powers under the Health Act to convene and coordinate a health impact assessment of the Fraser Surrey Docks proposal.

There are two ways you can help make this happen:  

1. If you haven't already, go here to send your own direct message to government.  We'll make sure it gets to your MLA.  Nearly 4000 people have sent in messages so far!

2.  If you've already emailed government, you can call your MLA's constituency office directly.  This really ups the pressure and makes them aware of how many people want action on this issue.   You can find your MLA's office phone number here in seconds.  The call can be quite brief -- you just need to lay out your concerns to staff and ask them to pass along the message.

If your MLA is with the NDP, please ask him or her to make this an issue in the Legislature.  Ask them to put government on the spot during question period!  Ask them to ask tough questions on your behalf : Will the Health Minister take action, given that the Port refuses to do so?

If your MLA is with the Liberals, please ask them to raise this issue in caucus, with cabinet, and with the Health Minister and Premier directly.

More background on the provincial response to date here.  

Our Premier said she wants to “do the world a favour” by exporting LNG so Asian countries can stop burning dirty thermal coal.  So far, when we ask her government to take action on the plan to export 8 million tonnes of US thermal coal each year from BC, all we get is excuses.

It's time for BC to move past the rhetoric and take action.  We hope you can help make that happen.

PS -- Tomorrow, Saturday April 12 10 a.m. An Important Event! The People's Procession Against the Kinder Morgan Pipeline.  Details: website | facebook

This is from Voters Taking Action on Climate Change.  to see it on your web browser, with links that will work,  go to  

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