If the risks are that obvious and great, why not avoid it altogether?
Delta Mayor George Harvie had that to say about the Port of Vancouver’s proposed Terminal 2 expansion for Roberts Bank, which is the topic of a month-long public hearing.
Harvie explained his recent presentation to the independent review panel in Delta, saying a consensus was needed among the scientists, including federal scientists who warned about the impact on shorebirds, before the mega project is allowed to proceed.
“They need to take a pause and listen to the Environment Canada scientists because they are in the negative compared to the scientists the port has hired. Until there’s a consensus between those two groups, we should not be proceeding on this project at all,” Harvie told the Optimist.
“I will always side with the independent government scientists,” he said.
Environment and Climate Change Canada this year made headlines when the agency outlined a number of serious concerns regarding the potential impact of T2 on bird populations, disagreeing with the port’s conclusion the project, with the implementation of proposed mitigation measures, would result in no residual effects to coastal birds other than for diving birds.
The agency also outlined concerns with the proposed offset plan to mitigate the direct loss of wetlands, including mudflats, noting most of the reliable evidence in the port’s environmental impact statement indicated the potential for large declines in food availability for shorebirds during the critical breeding migration period.
“ECCC maintains that there is insufficient, science-based information to support the proponent’s finding that the project would not adversely impact intertidal biofilm and consequently, migratory shorebirds in general, and the western sandpiper species in particular,” the agency’s submission states.
Meanwhile, Harvie also reiterated Delta’s concerns about the future of prime farmland that could be forced to make way for industrial development to serve port expansion.
“They say to the best of their ability they will not use agricultural land, and they need about 1,100 acres. I’m chair of Metro Vancouver’s Industrial Land Strategy Task Force and I said to the panel, ‘I can’t find 1,100 acres. We’re out of industrial land in 2020. I said to the panel I’d like know where they can find this 1,100 acres because I still believe they are targeting our agricultural land.”
Harvie noted organized crime remains a huge concern as well. The percentage of containers that are thoroughly inspected “is minuscule” coming and going from the port, he said, adding Delta police don’t have authority on federal land.
The Ports Canada Police was disbanded in 1997, leaving municipal police to patrol docks and ports, provincial government money laundering investigator Peter German noted in his recent report. German warned the lack of a dedicated port police could be allowing large numbers of stolen vehicles to slip out of Canada.
Harvie also noted Delta believes a complete analysis of Global Container Terminal’s proposed fourth berth at Deltaport is required before T2 is considered.
This article by Sandor Gyarmati originally appeared in the Delta Optimist on May 30, 2019.