Media Release, CoalWatch Comox Valley, Jan. 21, 2010

The controversial proposal for a large underground coal mine in the Comox Valley drew another standing room only crowd to the Fanny Bay Hall on Monday night, as almost 200 people attended a film about the impact of coalmining on communities.

“People from Parksville to Courtenay came out because they are so concerned about the risks associated with a coalmine in the heart of the Baynes Sound watershed,” said Campbell Connor of CoalWatch Comox Valley.

The film, “Burning the Future”, documents the experiences of communities in West Virginia, where coalmining has had a devastating impact on well water, flooding, and health.

“The mountain top removal in West Virginia is a different method of removing coal than the underground mine proposed for Fanny Bay, but any coal mining involves moving around huge volumes of water, dust, and toxic waste,” said Connor.

“There are a lot of valuable lessons we can learn from the experiences of other communities where coal mining takes place.”

CoalWatch was formed in November, when 200 people packed the Fanny Bay hall to ask questions and raise concerns about the proposed mine, which is at the beginning stages of the environmental assessment process.

The proposal is a partnership between Compliance Energy and two trading companies from Japan and Korea. If approved, the mine would remove 2.2 million tonnes of coal per year for 20 years. The coal would be transported to either Campbell River, Port Alberni, or Duke Point for shipment to Asia.

Monday’s film screening was sponsored by the World Community Film Festival. The film can be borrowed from the festival’s video library in Freakin’ Coffeeshop, at 2456 Rosewall Cres. in Courtenay.

For more details about CoalWatch Comox Valley, visit www.coalwatch.ca.

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