Dear Editor:
Port Metro Vancouver's director of environment, Darrell Desjardin, and Fraser Surrey Docks' CEO, Jeff Scott, have decided that SNC Lavalin is an appropriate choice to assess the health and environmental impacts of a new coal terminal in Surrey.
SNC Lavalin's former CEO has been charged with fraud, and the company's close ties to former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi are well documented.
Macquarie, the owner of Fraser Surrey Docks, and SNC Lavalin are close business associates. SNC acquired the remaining stake in Alberta power transmission company Altalink in September 2011 from one of Macquarie's many subsidiaries.
SNC is deeply involved in the coal business. According to SNC's website, they "have worked on coal projects around the world, including the ongoing expansion of one of the largest mining operations in the world. A strong and capable worldwide team of project management and engineering professionals support our clients in the delivery of coal mining projects from the ROM pad to the port, including all mine area related infrastructure and rail."
SNC is not an unbiased third party. They should not be deciding the merits of a project in a short two-week timeframe based on data fed to them by Fraser Surrey Docks.
In effect, Port Metro Vancouver's Darrell Desjardin and Fraser Surrey Docks' Jeff Scott are insulting the intelligence of our medial health officers, community organizations and Metro Vancouver politicians.
Grant Rice, Surrey
