A damning document from Environment Canada that warned of disastrous environmental impacts was withheld from a key stage of an environmental assessment for a proposed Metro Vancouver shipping terminal.
Scientists who authored the report say the project threatens local wildlife, particularly the western sandpiper — a species of shorebird unique to the West Coast of North America that feeds in the nutrient-rich Fraser Delta during migration.
According to Port Metro Vancouver, building a second Robert’s Bank terminal “would play a vital strategic role in Canada’s trade through the Asia-Pacific Gateway.” When it reaches full capacity, the terminal will received up to 260 container ship calls per year. There has been much opposition to this project but, in its’ Addendum To the Environmental Statement, Port Metro Vancouver dismissed criticisms.
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.
