Open letter to Surrey-North MP Jasbir Sandhu:
As a voter in your Surrey-North riding, I am interested in your and your NDP party’s position on the proposed creation of a new coal terminal at the Fraser Surrey Docks (FSD). I have sent the wording below to FSD, Port Metro Vancouver and the federal minister of transportation. What have you done on this issue?
As a Fraser Surrey Docks neighbour there are no words to express how strongly I oppose the creation of a new coal port at the FSD.
The air pollution from unloading coal in train cars and loading that coal onto ships and/or barges poses a significant health concern.
The noise and light pollution from the added train traffic and coal operations will make the area unlivable for the people living within miles of the FSD.
For these reasons, Westshore Terminals are located at Roberts Bank, miles away from any residential development. That is not the case with the Fraser Surrey Docks, which has homes within feet, not miles, of their location.
Ports from California to Washington State have refused to ship this U.S.-produced thermal coal for good reason, so why is FSD getting involved?
If FSD needs to increase its port traffic, it should do so with containers, not coal.
K. Thomson, Surrey