The coal terminals in BC’s Lower Mainland are being enlarged to handle a great deal more cargo. The capacity of Neptune Terminals, in North Vancouver, has doubled. Westshore Terminals, in Delta, has applied to make a $230 million “upgrade.” It has yet to be seen if a new coal terminal will go in at Fraser Surrey Docks. Just before Burnaby’s council passed a resolution showing their opposition to the proposal, Mayor Derek Corrigan commented that BC is turning into a Banana Republic.
“Over and over again we decisions being made by bodies who are not independent,” said Mayor Corrigan. “Port Metro Vancouver is conducting this environmental assessment. The Majority of Directors on Port Metro Vancouver are appointed by the very companies that stand to economically benefit from these decisions. And so here you have a Board of Directors, appointed by the companies that us in charge of the environmental assessment to determine if they are going to make more money.”
While most of us are attempting to do away with fossil fuels, British Columbia is trying to ramp up production. Some plan to make this most beautiful of Canadian provinces a major exporter of American coal and tar sands bitumen. One of the most promising natural gas fields in the world is in the north eastern corner of our province. Some aspects of this have been well publicized in the Canadian media, as every level of government – from our Prime Minister, to the Premier of BC, to individual municipalities – are involved. The Wilderness Committee have provided the best overview, a must-see Climate Change video: “Save the Salish Sea.”
Vancouver — Heavy rain may have caused a 152-car coal train, heading for Neptune Terminals in North Vancouver, to derail in Burnaby this afternoon. Seven cars went off the tracks near Government and Cariboo Roads, near Burnaby Lake. Three of the cars spilled their loads. As you can see from the photo above, at least one of these emptied its load into a protected waterway. No one was injured.
Emily Hamer, a spokeswoman for CN, said she did not know how much of the coal went into the water or whether CP or CN, which owns the tracks, is responsible for the derailment of the 152-car train.
