Quayside resident Don Northup has some burning questions about coal in New Westminster.
QUESTION:
“I have seen on a couple of occasions rail cars heading east across Begbie carrying what looks like coal. I am not as well informed as I should be on such things and I just wondered if anybody knew what is going on?” he asked. “I don’t know if they are doing coal across the river like they were going to do at Fraser Surrey Docks.”
ANSWER:
The Record checked in with Mark Allison, the city’s manager of strategic initiatives and sustainability, about whether coal is passing through the city.
“The railways have main lines and shunting yards running through Quayside, so there can be loaded and empty coal cars moving through the area, but to the best of my knowledge there is no trans-shipment of coal to any port facility through this part of New Westminster,” he said in an email to the Record. “Trains run at very slow speed in this area and loaded coal cars would have a topping agent applied to minimize dust emissions. Coal is currently being shipped from the port’s Neptune facility in North Vancouver and Roberts Bank facility in Delta.”
In 2014, Ecojustice lawyers filed a case aimed at quashing the Vancouver Port Authority’s decision to allow a coal transfer facility to be built at Fraser Surrey Docks, stating that the port’s decision-making process was unlawful and biased because the project’s impacts on climate change weren’t considered. The cities of New Westminster and Surrey were granted intervenor status in the case, which went to court in May 2017.
“With respect to the court case, this was heard in the Federal Court trial division from May 17 to 19, during which the parties, including the city’s solicitors, provided submissions that outlined concerns regarding the issuance of a permit to operate a coal transfer facility at Fraser Surrey Docks,” Allison said. “The judge is currently reviewing the evidence and submissions and a decision is not expected for several months.”
