The Editor,
Democracy is broken. Surrey, White Rock, Delta, New Westminster, Langley, Coquitlam and Vancouver councils have all voted to delay the expansion of the Surrey Fraser Dock to accommodate the U.S. coal trains until a proper, independent health study is accomplished. The GVRD voted overwhelmingly against the facility for similar reasons.
A cursory study, undertaken by SNC Lavalin, is accepted by the CEO of FSD, despite the fact that Dr. Paul Van Buynder, head of the Fraser Health Authority, demands further assessment. When the citizens of the Lower Mainland, asked to give feedback, send thousands of submissions asking to halt the project and are then ignored, something is terribly wrong.
In the dog days of August, on the 21st, while many citizens were on vacation or enjoying our sublime weather, the project was given the go-ahead. And now, with few hurdles left, the thermal coal from Wyoming will pass through the Lower Mainland, spewing black dust on its way to China to further pollute the global environment. Well done, Canada!
Harvey Ostroff
Surrey