By Laura Busheikin, Infocus Magazine, August, 2010

Local group fights to prevent proposed coal mine from opening in Fanny Bay.

These 10 files contain all public comments submitted to CEAA regarding the Raven Underground Coal Project up to and including August 30, 2010.

Raven_PublicComments_1.pdf

These letters were published in the Vancouver Sun on August 30, 2010, in response to Stephen Hume's column, Coal mine prompts environmental concerns, on August 18.

Delores Broten, Editor, Watershed Sentinel

John Snyder, Chair, CoalWatch Comox Valley

Marilyn McClelland, Fanny Bay

Lynne Wheeler, Fanny Bay

The Sun received many more letters from people echoing Stephen Hume's criticisms of the proposed Raven mine and the environmental assessement processes. We know this, because some of those letters were copied to CoalWatch. The Sun chose to print only four.

The Sun chose to publish two letters criticizing Hume's column. We'd hazard a guess that these are the only two it received. CoalWatch didn't receive any;)

John Tapics, President and CEO, Raven Underground Coal Project

Pierre Gratton, President and CEO, Mining Association of BC

John Snyder, Alberni Valley Times, August 26, 2010

Recently, Phillip Woolgar's article "Coalwatch calls for expert panel review" explained that Coalwatch had requested a joint federal/provincial, independent expert review panel for full public hearings.

Gwyn Frayne, Comox Valley Record, August 26, 2010

Dear editor,

I am writing on behalf of the Comox Valley Chapter of the Council of Canadians.

We wish to voice our concerns against the Raven Coal Mine.

John Snyder, Comox Valley Record, August 26, 2010

Dear editor,

Recently CoalWatch Comox Valley Society filed our request with federal Minister of the Environment Jim Prentice to refer the environmental assessment of the Raven Underground Coal Mine Project to a joint federal/provincial independent expert review panel for full public hearings.

Click here to download this submission

By Lindsay Chung, Comox Valley Record, August 19, 2010

The Comox Valley Regional District is seeking clarification on its role as the Raven Underground Coal Mine Project moves into the federal environmental assessment stage.

Marc Gaudreau, Comox Valley Echo, August 20, 2010

As time passes, we draw nearer to the possibility of MORE coal mining returning to Vancouver Island. The company pushing to do so (Compliance) is preaching all the positives that their proposed Raven coal mine can bring, the negatives are barely mentioned. Our provincial government is likely in full support of not only this potential new mine, but many others in BC as well. It is well documented that our government has basically supported as much as 99% of all mines that have applied for a permit throughout history.

Dawn Stofer, Island Tides, August 18, 2010

Dear Editor:

We live in a beautiful place, whose provincial motto is ‘Beautiful British Columbia’. We have a province abundant with diverse ecosystems, thriving/struggling populations of fish and wildlife. It has also been described as being ‘Super Natural’.

Greg Wood, Letters, August 18, 2010

I have lived in Fanny Bay my whole life and this coal mine is extremely upsetting to my way of life and my children's life. My community's water quality, basically everything that is precious to me, the little jewel from Deep Bay to Union Bay is a precious place.

Ryan Price, CFAX, August 17, 2010

Click here to listen to the conversation.

Media Release, Environmental Law Centre & Devlin Gailus, August 17, 2010

You don’t need a canary to convince CoalWatch Comox Valley that mid-Vancouver Island doesn’t need another coal mine, particularly the Raven Underground Coal project planned for their region. The group called on the provincial and federal governments Monday to conduct the environmental assessments of the project with a Joint Review Panel process.

Times Colonist, August 17, 2010

The clock is ticking down for those who want to tell the federal government what they think about plans for an underground coal mine in the Comox Valley.

News Release, Denman Opposes Coal, August 15, 2010

Denman Opposes Coal (DOC) served up cake instead of coal at the Denman Saturday Market on August 14th. A double chocolate zucchini cake with the inscription “Eat Cake, Not Coal!” brought attention to the proposed Raven Coal Mine.

Click here to listen to the conversation

Gord Kurbis, A-Channel News, August 10, 2010

Click here to play video

Phillip Woolgar, Alberni Valley Times, August 10, 2010

Officials with CoalWatch Comox Valley slammed the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency Monday, over what they called a lack of information released about a massive mining project.

Stacey Gaiga, Alberni Valley Times, August 09, 2010

Many people in several Vancouver Island communities, including Roberta Stevenson, Executive Director of the B.C. Shellfish Growers Association, are very concerned about Compliance's Raven Underground Coal Project proposal to operate a coal mine that will damage and destroy marine life and put the lives of Vancouver Island residents at risk.

News Release, CoalWatch Comox Valley, August 8, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“We need aquifer mapping and a full expert panel review”, says CoalWatch

The countdown is on for people to express concerns in the opening round of public comment into the proposal for a massive coal mine in Comox Valley.

Citizens have until Sept. 20 to formally comment during this first comment period on the proposed mine as part of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency’s review of the project.

On August 6, the CEAA posted it's background document on its Registry website, and has asked the public to make comments. Please note that the deadline for written comments is September 20, 2010.

CoalWatch will be reviewing this background document and issuing a press release and statement in the next few days. Please log onto our website, www.coalwatch.ca, or subscribe to coalalert, our email announcements list, for further details.

CoalWatch will have more details and information to assist the public in submitting comments during this public comment period. In the meantime, we have some suggestions on our Environmental Assessments page.

Note that all documents related to the federal environmental assessment are listed at the bottom of the main page for the Raven project, on the CEAA Registry.
http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/050/details-eng.cfm?evaluation=55529

Thank-you.
John Snyder, Chair
CoalWatch Comox Valley

Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, Aug 6, 2010

CEAA posted three documents to its registry for the Raven Underground Coal Mine Project, ref 10-03-55529.

• Request for Public Input into the Environmental Assessment
• News Release: Raven Underground Coal Mine Project Public Comments Invited
• Background Information for the Initial Federal Public Comment Periond [sic]

The "request for public input" and the "news release" are identical. The important document is the backgrounder.

Comments must be received by September 20, 2010

Send comments to:
Raven Underground Coal Mine Project
Andrew Rollo, Project Manager
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
805 -1550 Alberni Street
Vancouver BC V6G 1A5
Tel.: 604-666-2431 / Fax: 604-666-3493
Email: Raven@ceaa-acee.gc.ca

Background Information for the Initial Federal Public Comment Period