Press Release, CoalWatch Comox Valley, November 14, 2011

CoalWatch Comox Valley has slammed the recently announced public comment period on the proposed Raven Coal Mine Project, calling Compliance Coal Corporation’s responses in the latest version of the tracking table, vague, evasive, and anything but transparent.

“The BC Environmental Assessment Office should be encouraging inclusiveness and public participation in this environmental assessment process,” said John Snyder, President of CoalWatch, “but here we have over 1100 pages of documents that have been foisted onto the public that do not result in much useful—let alone new—information on this project. Due to the sheer volume and complexity—and the fact that government is only allowing the public two weeks to respond—this is actually a huge disincentive to participate.”

“The BC Environmental Assessment Office and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency have insulted the public and demonstrated denial of their promise of transparency and public participation. The responses are referenced to sections in the draft AIR so one has to bounce around thousands of pages in this literary labyrinth in an attempt to clarify anything. The proponent has had over four months to respond to the nearly 3,000 public comments—a task they achieved using a full-time staff. Yet the public, with volunteers who have other lives and jobs, is given only two weeks for the mammoth task of responding,” said Cam Connor, Vice-President of CoalWatch.

All the local governments in the Comox Valley and Port Alberni, along with thousands of British Columbians, have called for a more rigorous environmental assessment review, an independent review panel with public hearings. So far, those requests have been rejected at both the provincial and federal levels of government.

“Many of the public comments submitted were well-researched by highly respected scientists and other professionals. Comments from the general public were also well-thought-out and presented. We deserve more respect for our work than this incredibly feeble showing from both levels of government and the proponent,” said Maggie Paquet, CoalWatch director and biologist.

“It’s clear that there’s widespread public concern and opposition to the massive coal mine proposal,” said Snyder. “If the nearly 5,000 comments submitted so far are a barometer, there’s no social license for this project either in the Comox Valley or in Port Alberni.”

The public comment period for this stage of the environmental assessment is open from November 15 to November 29, 2011. For details on how to make a submission, visit www.coalwatch.ca.

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Contact John Snyder for more details: 250-335-2246

Click here to download the press release