This recent Letter to Editor in the Delta Optimist (also included below) draws attention to alternative solutions to providing West Coast container terminal expansions.
And here are more letters written by concerned Canadians:
- Stop endangering the Fraser River Estuary
- Roberts Bank Terminal 2 continues to be flawed
- Terminal 2 project has many flaws
- Global Containers, Deltaport commentary is worth considering
- Time to stop the Port of Vancouver's flawed project
- In opposition of Roberts Bank Terminal 2
- Don't hide behind the Canada Marine Act
- End Terminal 2 talk
- Port of Vancouver’s Roberts Bank Terminal 2 should not be built
- Port
of Vancouver is 'disappointing' with Terminal 2
- Think
twice about shipping terminal at Roberts Bank
- What
happens if the Port of Vancouver can't find a company to operate Terminal 2?
- Canadian
government implored to put a stop to Terminal 2 proposal for Roberts Bank
- Do the right thing and cancel the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 proposal
- Is
smaller port expansion proposal the better option?
- Too
many flaws in T2 plan for massive terminal to be built
- Blockades
to better business in B.C.
- Terminal
2 is an environmental disaster that’s flying under the radar
- Terminal
2 would annihilate an entire species
- Is
there political interference with Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project Review Panel?
- Terminal
2 has failed any kind of environmental scrutiny
- Wait
for the right project
- T2
hearing shows there are better options for West Coast container terminal
- There
are incremental options to Terminal 2 that offer no risk to taxpayers
- T2
project should have been abandoned a long time ago
Editor:
As many readers will know, the Port of Vancouver is proposing a new container terminal project, the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) at Deltaport near Tsawwassen. As one of the largest port expansions in decades, this mega-project will have major economic, environmental, and social implications.
The ecological impacts of this project would be severe. These include profound disruption to shorebirds such as western sandpipers, chinook salmon, southern resident killer whales, and First Nations marine harvesting grounds. The integrity of the entire Fraser Estuary is at risk.
Ecological sustainability is not the only concern about RBT2. Since its initial proposition in 2013, estimated costs for this taxpayer-funded project have increased from $2.4 to 3.5 billion. Fortunately, there are ecologically responsible and economically-viable alternatives.
The Port of Prince Rupert announced in February that it would be considering a new terminal expansion. If built, this project alone would nearly match the proposed capacity increases at RBT2.
There is a proposal to create a three to five million TEU trans-shipment container facility in Port Alberni, which would see deep-water vessels offload cargo then use a hub-and-spoke model to barge containers to destinations throughout the Salish Sea, relieving congestion on infrastructure.
Another idea would be to convert the Roberts Bank coal terminal to container facilities, in consideration of the expected shift toward cleaner fuel sources and renewable energy.
Global Container Terminals is proposing an alternative terminal expansion at Deltaport – a fourth berth along the southeast side of its existing facility. This project would have dramatically less impact on orcas, chinook salmon, and shorebirds including western sandpipers.
Today, we have an opportunity to mitigate past environmental mistakes, and to avoid future ones. Let’s focus on alternatives to RBT2 that will protect our ecosystems while facilitating sustainable economic development.
Jeffrey Wynne
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