By Fred Davies, Parksville Qualicum Beach News, January 28, 2010

A representative for a proposed underground coal mine, six kilometres west of Buckley Bay ferry terminal, received a rough ride from Regional District of Nanaimo board members Tuesday.

John Tapics appeared as a delegation from Compliance Coal Corporation. It’s the majority stakeholder in a joint venture involving two Asian subsidiary companies that seeks to mine 3,100 hectares of mostly private land for steel-making coal that would then be exported to over sea markets including Japan and South Korea.

“My objective is to bring the RDN up to speed on a project proposed immediately north of electoral Area H. The simple message I would like to leave is that we’re very early in the process.”

He said an environmental review process is underway.

Area H director Dave Bartram asked Tapics if an assessment application report looking at various parameters for the project had already been submitted to the province.

“I want to ensure there is scientific proof there will be no detrimental effects to the water supply that provides for 2,500 people in my area,” Bartram said. “Leaching of chemicals into Baynes Sound has the potential to destroy our local shellfish industry.”

He followed up with concerns about truck traffic and the potential for a connector road from Port Alberni — the likely port destination for the project’s coal — to Highway 19. Tapics said a scoping document was submitted in December, on which the province will seek public comment, and that Batram’s concerns are included in the report, with one exception.

“Impacts on Baynes Sound will be included ... the connector, if you think it should be included, that opportunity will exist when it comes out for public review.”

Qualicum Beach representative Teunis Westbroek said the presence of as many as three, 42 tonne, trucks per hour lumbering to Port Alberni and through Cathedral Grove park is not something to be relished.

“The connector, in our opinion, is the better option,” Westbroek said.

In response to traffic concerns brought up by several members of the board Tapics said, “It will be no different than the number of forestry trucks I’m told were on the road when that industry was still strong.”

Board chair Joe Stanhope had the last word during statements made after the delegate’s presentation.

“This is a 20 year project but we have to make sure to protect the shellfish industry first and foremost. That is the key to our long range survival,” said Stanhope, adding, “it does rain up there. There will be arsenic, mercury and all the rest of it.”

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