VTACC legal action filed against Texada Island proposal approval
This is from an email and a presss release from VTACC. The petition is available at http://www.vtacc.org/content/pdf/Petition_Final.pdf
Full details available from vtacc.org
Hi all,
We filed our legal challenge to the Texada coal port approval yesterday at the BC Supreme Court.
Thanks to everyone who has helped on this over the past 18 months, from your emails and letters to government, to collecting coal and oyster samples from the Texada beach, to contributing bucks, to offering moral support, to attending the "public information meeting" (ahem) on Texada, the long list goes on...
The government now has 21 days to respond. And this time a bureaucratic form letter won't help them. We are no longer local and regional citizens that can be ignored; now we are their legal adversaries.
The legal petition, linked below, is 25 pages, with almost 350 pages of attached exhibits.
The Globe and Mail picked it up this morning, along with the other growing coal opposition:
Below is our press release. Today is the Port of Metro Vancouver's AGM. They want to approve the Fraser Surrey Docks end of this project this month. They are pushing against a strong tide.
Thanks for being part of the tide!
Donald Gordon
For Immediate Release
June 2 2014
Will Obama's coal rules create pressure for more US coal exports from BC? United Church, Fishermen's Union challenge Port; VTACC files legal challenge with Province over Texada coal export plan.
-- Port Authority AGM tomorrow, Tuesday June 3rd, comes in face of growing opposition to US thermal coal export plans.
Vancouver -- One day before the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority holds its Annual General Meeting, a series of recent developments are highlighting growing opposition to US thermal coal use and export. The public is expected to attend the AGM to challenge the Port over its imminent decision on Fraser Surrey Docks.
1. The Obama administration releases groundbreaking carbon pollution rules today that will significantly restrict coal fired power production in the US and impact the US thermal coal industry. The rules will require a 30 percent reduction in coal fired power emissions below 2005 levels by 2020.
Analysts predict the rules will eventually lead to the closure of 100's of coal fired power plants in the United States. This will cause a shakedown in the US coal industry as domestic markets continue to shrink. While some coal mining companies may go out of business, others will aggressively pursue export opportunities, which will undoubtedly increase pressure to export US thermal coal from BC ports.
Pacific Coast States have so far resisted plans to construct coal ports in their jurisdictions. Communities in California have recently rejected coal port proposals. Governor Kitzhaber of Oregon has already clearly stated his opposition to such plans, and Governor Inslee of Washington has strongly signalled his position on thermal coal exports proposals, calling them "the largest decision we will make as a state from a carbon pollution standpoint." BC Premier Christy Clark stands alone in remaining silent on the issue of US thermal coal exports and risks isolation from her Pacific Coast partners in climate action -- despite promoting LNG exports for their supposed potential to displace thermal coal use in Asia.
2. The BC Conference of the United Church of Canada formally calls upon the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to reject the Fraser Surrey Docks US coal export proposal. The conference includes congregations from across BC, including the province's coal producing regions. The motion is available here.
3. The United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union - Unifor and the T Buck Suzuki Foundation call on the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and BC Health Minister Terry Lake to conduct a full Health Impact Assessment of the Fraser Surrey Docks coal export proposal. The letters express concerns about the impacts of coal exports on BC communities and Fraser River salmon and are available here.
4. Today VTACC files its petition in the BC Supreme Court challenging the decision by the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines to issue a permit amendment to Texada Quarrying to allow for the export of 4 to 8 million tonnes/year of US thermal coal, transshipped from Fraser Surrey Docks. If the Fraser Surrey Docks project is approved by the Port Authority, every day two (and later, possibly 4) loaded, open and uncovered coal barges will travel up the windy Strait of Georgia delivering coal from Fraser Surrey Docks to Texada for transfer to ocean going vessels. Fraser Surrey Docks CEO Jeff Scott has described these barges as "literally the length of a football field." The Affidavit of VTACC's petitioner is available here.
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June 2 2014
Will Obama's coal rules create pressure for more US coal exports from BC? United Church, Fishermen's Union challenge Port; VTACC files legal challenge with Province over Texada coal export plan.
-- Port Authority AGM tomorrow, Tuesday June 3rd, comes in face of growing opposition to US thermal coal export plans.
Vancouver -- One day before the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority holds its Annual General Meeting, a series of recent developments are highlighting growing opposition to US thermal coal use and export. The public is expected to attend the AGM to challenge the Port over its imminent decision on Fraser Surrey Docks.
1. The Obama administration releases groundbreaking carbon pollution rules today that will significantly restrict coal fired power production in the US and impact the US thermal coal industry. The rules will require a 30 percent reduction in coal fired power emissions below 2005 levels by 2020.
Analysts predict the rules will eventually lead to the closure of 100's of coal fired power plants in the United States. This will cause a shakedown in the US coal industry as domestic markets continue to shrink. While some coal mining companies may go out of business, others will aggressively pursue export opportunities, which will undoubtedly increase pressure to export US thermal coal from BC ports.
Pacific Coast States have so far resisted plans to construct coal ports in their jurisdictions. Communities in California have recently rejected coal port proposals. Governor Kitzhaber of Oregon has already clearly stated his opposition to such plans, and Governor Inslee of Washington has strongly signalled his position on thermal coal exports proposals, calling them "the largest decision we will make as a state from a carbon pollution standpoint." BC Premier Christy Clark stands alone in remaining silent on the issue of US thermal coal exports and risks isolation from her Pacific Coast partners in climate action -- despite promoting LNG exports for their supposed potential to displace thermal coal use in Asia.
2. The BC Conference of the United Church of Canada formally calls upon the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to reject the Fraser Surrey Docks US coal export proposal. The conference includes congregations from across BC, including the province's coal producing regions. The motion is available here.
3. The United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union - Unifor and the T Buck Suzuki Foundation call on the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and BC Health Minister Terry Lake to conduct a full Health Impact Assessment of the Fraser Surrey Docks coal export proposal. The letters express concerns about the impacts of coal exports on BC communities and Fraser River salmon and are available here.
4. Today VTACC files its petition in the BC Supreme Court challenging the decision by the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines to issue a permit amendment to Texada Quarrying to allow for the export of 4 to 8 million tonnes/year of US thermal coal, transshipped from Fraser Surrey Docks. If the Fraser Surrey Docks project is approved by the Port Authority, every day two (and later, possibly 4) loaded, open and uncovered coal barges will travel up the windy Strait of Georgia delivering coal from Fraser Surrey Docks to Texada for transfer to ocean going vessels. Fraser Surrey Docks CEO Jeff Scott has described these barges as "literally the length of a football field." The Affidavit of VTACC's petitioner is available here.
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Comments
Whatever we do, we need to be
Whatever we do, we need to be careful about the environment. We must not ruin our planter while developing it. Thanks for this update.
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