Coal plan approved by Port Metro Vancouver New Westminster officials not impressed

While world leaders were meeting in Paris to tackle climate change, Port Metro Vancouver approved Fraser Surrey Docks’ application for a thermal coal facility on the shores of the Fraser River.

Fraser Surrey Docks applied to Port Metro Vancouver to amend its existing permit to build and operate a direct transfer coal facility, where coal would be loaded onto ocean-going vessels and shipped to Asia. The site is located across the river from Westminster Quay and Queensborough.

“I think that really highlights the duality on this situation. On one hand, Canada is wanting to play a larger role when it comes to the issue of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change; on the other hand, we have a very local project that seems to be a complete contradiction,” Mayor Jonathan Cote told the Record. “I am hopeful these two dual conversations will be joined together and this project never ends up happening.”

The City of New Westminster has expressed a number of concerns about the project, including the lack of a public health analysis and a scientific analysis of the impacts of the project. It is also concerned the global impacts of greenhouse gases from the proposal at Fraser Surrey Docks weren’t considered as part of the approval process.

While the decision didn’t come as a surprise, Cote said the city continues to have issue with the proposal and will continue to express those concerns in the hope that it’s a project that doesn’t see the light of day.