Letter from BC Nurses' Union

Dear Ms. Stewart and supporters of the Communities and Coal Coalition,

The BC Nurses’ Union, which represents over 40,000 licensed, regulated nurses across the province, supports your campaign to stop the proposed expansion of a coal-export terminal at the Fraser Surrey Docks. It is our understanding that local governments and health authorities have not been properly consulted, which is a cause for concern.

Nurses are acutely aware of the alarming health risks associated with coal dust, and we support the call for the public’s health and well-being being front-and-center in the fight against increased coal transport and expansion around BC.

The BCNU shares your concerns about the proposal, announced recently by Port Metro Vancouver, to develop a coal transfer facility along the Fraser River in Surrey. We concur with the assessment that a coal export expansion project of this size would impact the health and well-being of thousands of citizens in BC communities and cause considerable damage to an already fragile, coastal environment.