Keri Sculland, Alberni Valley Times, July 06, 2011

The Environmental Assessment Office has a lot of work ahead of it, posting the more than 2,500 public comments on Raven Underground's proposed coal mine project, slated for Fanny Bay.

There are still comments coming in that have been post-dated June 30 due to the postal strike, CoalWatch's John Snyder said.

While Compliance Energy's president John Tapics pointed out a few positive comments, Snyder and Port Alberni's Stacey Gaiga said most of the public comments posted online have been negative.

"This comment period wasn't designed to be a referendum on the project," Snyder pointed out. "Clearly, it looks like the public has taken the time to also make this a referendum on the opposition of this project."

On the EAO website to the comments are available for the public to read and review.

"There's been widespread public concern. We're talking huge numbers. We're talking well more than 95%," Gaiga said about the opposition.

The comments posted come from all areas of Vancouver Island from Port Hardy to Victoria and West to Tofino and Ucluelet, and parts of the mainland and across Canada.

The proponent, Raven Underground, has vowed to answer each of the comments, Tapics said on Monday.

First, Gaiga suggested the company should address concerns that were brought to light at the first public comment period. She said many of them haven't been responded to.

"The new comments they have, and there are plenty of them, address the fact that they haven't addressed comments from the first time around," Gaiga said. "If you want to do this correctly, do a thorough job."

The amount of comments given to the EAO could be a record for the most input given for a project of this size, Snyder said, adding that if it isn't, it would be a close second.

Another public comment period will begin after Raven Underground submits its offi-cial application for the project. The proponent will be responsible for fulfilling the requests of the guideline document.

ksculland@avtimes.net

© Alberni Valley Times 2011

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