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.

The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) board asked during its committee of the whole meeting Tuesday that staff prepare a report identifying what jurisdictional involvement the regional district has in the significant land-use, water and air matter of the Raven Underground Coal Mine Project.

“There’s a fairly significant project in progress here south of Courtenay,” said Area A director Bruce Jolliffe, who brought up the issue of the proposed underground coal mine. “It has gone into the assessment process under the federal government and will go to the provincial government, but the impacts of the mine will be significant on the area. I think we need to have a clear understanding of exactly what kind of impact it will have.”

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is inviting the public to comment on the environmental assessment of the Raven Underground Coal Mine Project until Sept. 20.

The agency is identifying the potential environmental effects of the project that should be examined during the technical stages of the environmental assessment.

Comox director Patti Fletcher thanked Jolliffe for bringing the issue forward.

“I think it’s responsible of us to consider this,” she said.

While he supported the motion, Courtenay director Larry Jangula was unclear what the CVRD’s role would be.

“I’m not sure exactly where we’re going here,” he said. “This decision is not going to be made at this table. We may have input into that, but I understand the decision will be made by the provincial or perhaps the federal government.

“I appreciate hearing from the community and I appreciate we may be asked what our input is, but I still think the bottom line is not our decision.”

Board chair Greg Phelps told Jangula he thought this report would clarify this for the board.

writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com

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