Chris Pielou, Comox Valley Echo, October 01, 2010

Copy of a letter to Barry Penner MLA, Minister of the Environment, BC

Dear Mr Penner,

A coal mine in Fanny Bay would probably create an environmental calamity as serious as some of this year's other calamities, both natural (e.g. hurricane Igor) and human-caused (e.g British Petroleum's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico).

Many man-caused disasters result from the activities of semi-competent "experts" who persuade greedy land "developers" that the developers' plans are practicable, achievable, and fool-proof.

Residents of our area need to know details of several (not fewer than 5) examples of mines that were built in environmentally sensitive lands, and where nothing went wrong --- where the land was undamaged, and 90% (or more) of the local residents were satisfied with the outcome.

Work on the Raven mine should be held up until this has been done, and publicly described. What happens next will depend (of course!) on the outcome.

Chris Pielou Ph.D, DSc
Comox

© Comox Valley Echo 2010

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