Parksville Qualicum Beach News, November 5, 2009

Dan Berkshire, project manager, showing the property before heading out on a tour of the site.

COMOX — Thousands of hectares of land at the south end of the Comox Valley are covering a rare find — and Compliance Energy wants to unearth it.

Compliance (which, with partners Itochu Corporation and LG International make up Comox Joint Venture) went to the public last week to introduce the proposed Raven Underground Coal Project.

“This one project is bigger than all the previous coal that has been mined in the area,” said Dan Berkshire, project manager for the Raven lands.

The estimated 100 million tonnes, if proven and approved for mining, would far exceed the roughly 50 million taken out in places like Cumberland and Nanaimo during their active coal mining days.

But that’s still a long way away.

They hosted an open house at the Fanny Bay Community Hall — with more than 300 people coming through to ask questions about the proposal and to view maps and graphs.

They also took local media out to the site, to get an idea of the layout, impact and access to the property.

“We’re extremely lucky in the fact that this location ... we’re literally sitting on the doorstep of all the infrastructure that we need,” said Berkshire during that tour.

The land is 3,100 hectares in size, but the actual surface area of disturbance will be confined to 200 hectares — almost directly across from the access at Buckley Bay Main (near the Denman Island ferry) to the west side of the property, set in a valley with a natural ridge on the water side.

The site was chosen with the help of a community advisory committee.

That ridge should protect the coast and Denman Islanders from sight or noise pollution from the mining work — which is all done mechanically now, using no explosives.

The coal underground is metallurgical coal — coal used in the making of steel. According to Berkshire, it’s quite rare, and their Asian partners are interested in securing a source for future industry in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China.

Getting the coal off the island and all the way to Asia will be a big part of the decision making process. Berkshire said they’re considering training or trucking to Port Alberni, to Campbell River’s Middlepoint or Duke Point outside of Nanaimo.

Transportation is just one piece of the feasibility study which is now underway. The company expects it to take more than six months before the environmental assessment and feasibility process is complete and they know whether the project is economically viable.

That planning process is ongoing now — and they say they’re eager to keep the community involved and be open for any questions.

Among the top questions for many locals is the potential impact on watersheds and the job market.

Raven representatives say now that the mine work would be confined within the Cowie Creek watershed, and that they are continuing to monitor so they can assess mitigation measures.

As for jobs, the work is estimated to provide 200 direct jobs, with 300 to 500 additional, indirect jobs in local communities over the mine’s anticipated 25-year life.

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