Saturday, January 30, 2016

The George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project

This is a letter sent to a number of people that could be essential to the decisions process of this project.

January 27, 2016

The Hourable Amerjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and communities
The Honourable Marc Garneau MP, Minister of Transport
The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, MP Delta
Alice Wong, MP Richmond Center

House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

cc:

Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau
Cabinet Ministers, Government of Canada
Port Metro Vancouver Board of Directors

Re: Infrastructure spending, Real Change, Smart Growth and protection of the Fraser River
 

In a recent contact with Mr. Garneau about the flawed environmental processes for Port Metro Vancouver undertakings, the following response was received:
Canada Port Authorities must comply with the Canada Marine Act, other laws and regulations, and their individual letters patent.  The Act does not allow the government to direct Port Metro Vancouver; rather, section 20 of the Act makes the Board of Directors responsible for the management of the activities of Port Metro Vancouver.  

I would therefore encourage you to make your views known directly to Port Metro Vancouver at http://www.portmetrovancouver.com/contact-us/.”
Mr. Garneau’s statement appears to contravene the doctrine of “nondelegation” which directs that a branch of government must not authorize another entity to exercise the power or function to which it is constitutionally authorized to exercise itself.  As stated in the guidelines for “Open and Accountable Government” declared by the new Liberal Government on November 27, 2015:

However, Ministers remain accountable to Parliament for the organizations in their portfolio, and are responsible for taking appropriate corrective action to address any problems that may arise, consistent with the Minister’s role with respect to the organization in question. This applies regardless of whether the problem has been brought to the attention of the Minister by the representations of a constituent, or any other source.”
The Port Metro Board is made up largely of Industry Professionals only one of whom is chosen by the communities affected. Eight of the 11 board members are Federal Government appointees, seven of which are chosen in consultation with the Port user advisory committee. As you can see the board is heavily weighted to favour Port activity with really only one member ostensibly concerned with community issues. As such it is easy to see how community input is marginalized.

For years many people including professionals have expressed their views to CEO Robin Sylvester and the Port Authority with little response. A recent comment made by Mr. Sylvester stated that: “As a federal body here at Port Metro Vancouver, we have supremacy.”

There are a number of Infrastructure projects being planned by Port Metro Vancouver. Several of these will be applying for Federal Infrastructure funding, the biggest of which is a bridge across the Fraser River ostensibly planned by the British Columbia Government. The driver for this traffic and transit project appears to be Port Metro Vancouver. Mr. Sylvester has stated for years that he wants to see the existing tunnel moved in order to allow deeper hull vessels to travel up the South Fraser River.
This project is in almost every possible way in direct conflict with the REAL CHANGE directives the Liberal government espouses. It does nothing for public transit, and fails as a ‘green infrastructure’ or ‘social infrastructure’. As such it does nothing to achieve any of the “Smart Growth Communitiesto ensure that growth is fiscally, environmentally and socially responsible. Nor does it recognize the connections between development and quality of life. A number of the Metro Mayors are not supportive of this project probably because:

-          Only bus lanes are added, no transit infrastructure is considered or budgeted
-      More fuel will be consumed accessing this long tall bridge than any tunnel access
            -          A perfectly functional tunnel will be dismantled creating unnecessary waste
            -          $20 Million recently spent on Seismic upgrading for the tunnel will have been wasted
            -          More farmland will be taken over for the additional roadways and access points
            -          Overall roadway infrastructure for the Metro region will not be improved
            -          Urban sprawl will result from this 10 lane bridge putting more traffic on the roads
            -          This urban sprawl will take over some of the best farmland in Canada
            -          This farmland easily supplies a lot of local produce to the nearby Vancouver market

The consultation for this project was minimal and all options presented led to the bridge being the best option. Appropriate (non-political) planning would show that much better solutions are possible. Using the existing tunnel as a base, LESS traffic would be directed towards the existing corridors. All this could be achieved with a much lower budget. This would allow money for actual public transit to the region taking vehicles off the road rather than putting more vehicles on the road.

The plan for the bridge is in almost every possible way in direct conflict with the REAL CHANGE
initiative. It does very little for public transit and fails as 'green infrastructure' or 'social infrastructure'. Neither does the plan fulfill the Port's vision or mission statement: 


"Inspiring support ….from communities locally and across the nation,"

 
“To lead the growth of Canada's Pacific Gateway in a manner that enhances the well-being of Canadians and inspires national pride”.
 

Please insure that no Infrastructure funding be allocated to any projects on the Fraser until they meet the goals you have set forth both in Paris and with your REAL CHANGE initiative

 REAL CHANGE
 
      PROTECTING OUR FRESHWATER AND OCEANS

 RESTORING CREDIBILITY TO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS

 “We will work with the provinces …..creating incentives for investments that lead to cleaner air, healthier communities, and better quality of life for all Canadians.

 

REAL CHANGE initiatives can protect the Fraser River. It can do this while offering economic opportunities that enhance quality of life through 'Smart Growth' principles.

 

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Federal pre-budget feedback


In an effort to engage the Canadian public the honourable Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance, has invited feedback for the budget. The following letter was sent along with regards to the REAL CHANGE directive and how it can affect Delta and the Fraser Estuary as well as Metro Vancouver.
 
There are a number of projects planned for the Delta area that will negatively affect the local area and the environment of the Fraser River Delta. They are;

-Adding a second container terminal to the Roberts Bank

-Replacing the Massey Tunnel with a 10 lane bridge

-Bringing deeper hull ships up the Fraser River to the Fraser Surrey Docks

-Shipping larger quantities of (American) thermal coal from the Fraser Surrey Docks

-Adding facilities for the handling and shipping of LNG gas

 

It is clear that the Port Metro Vancouver impetus is from an economic development and jobs based perspective. We are constantly reminded that we need “more industrial land” and “greater container capacity” and that when these needs are fulfilled everyone will benefit.

 

A lot of the information that PMV has made available in these regards has been questioned.  Environmental concerns have been marginalized and container traffic growth has not been accurately presented. Any public consultation has left the local people feeling less than satisfied and unheard for ALL of the planned undertakings. This includes the planned bridge. The Provincial Government has not been forthright in the business case for removing the tunnel and building the bridge. The only apparent reason for removing a tunnel (that by all accounts will be functional for decades to come) is to allow deeper hull vessels up the Fraser River.

 

Two American ports have refused to handle thermal coal for environmental reasons. It is not clear why PMV has chosen to let this coal be shipped from the Fraser Surrey docks without any real environmental impact studies. The Fraser Surrey Docks do not have a stellar environmental record and PMV has done nothing to ensure that they improve.

 

At this moment a state of emergency has been declared in California from a methane gas leak. The leak has been spewing the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide from 7 million cars DAILY into the atmosphere since October. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/methane-leak-california-1.3385262  According to SoCalGas it will be 4 months before the storage facility can be capped to stop the leak. This is exactly the type of scenario depicted by research from the Pembina institute http://www.pembina.org/, which states that 30% of gas losses in the production chain will be at a terminal or handling facility. According to Pembina figures this could amount to 4 million tonnes of carbon pollution ANNUALLY for Delta.

 

It is for the following reasons that we hope that the Liberal government will review all of the Port Metro Vancouver undertakings from the REAL CHANGE perspective.

 
Terminal 2 expansion

-Is the second container terminal necessary

-why is it being considered when studies have chosen other port developments

-do the economic benefits outweigh the;

            -loss of farmland

            -the environmental consequences to the Fraser estuary

            -the increased strain on Vancouver roadway infrastructure

And, lastly; if this development is to go ahead why are we not making more stringent environmental requirements of PMV in the construction and operation of this facility. Why are we not asking PMV to live up to their vision:

 
"Inspiring support from our customers and from communities locally and across the nation,"

 
or their mission statement:

 
 "To lead the growth of Canada's Pacific Gateway in a manner that enhances the well-being of Canadians and inspires national pride

 

In a recent article PMV claimed to be concerned about it’s investors. PMV is a Federal Crown Corporation, making the Canadian public its sole stakeholders. This corporation should be held to a higher standard. It is doubtful that they inspire “support” or “national pride” at any public level, especially in Delta.

 
Replacing the Massey Tunnel
 
            -why is this even being considered; this tunnel will remain viable for decades to come

            -the tunnel is much more effective at vehicle fuel use than the bridge

            -how does the additional dredging affect the Fraser River and why has this not been studied in depth before making this decision

            -why is the need for deeper hull ships the deciding factor behind a Metro traffic infrastructure decision

  Building the 10 lane bridge

-the bridge will NOT improve traffic infrastructure for Metro Vancouver. It only enhances traffic from South Surrey and Delta as far as Richmond

-the bridge will actually add to traffic difficulties into Vancouver at both the Oak Street and Knight Street corridors.

-it is a known planning fact that this bridge will add to urban sprawl. This will take away prime farmland from an area with Canada’s best climatic conditions

- importing more food products will make Canada more dependent on products it can now produce and for which a LOCAL market exists with limited transportation requirements

-the additional stress for residential development will put more (not less) strain on the Oak Street and Knight Street corridors into Vancouver

-massive amounts of additional carbon pollution will be created daily to climb the grade to the bridge and to navigate the ramps to and from Steveston and Ladner

 Thermal Coal and LNG

            -the Fraser Surrey docks have a less than stellar environmental record and have created an adversarial relationship with Metro Vancouver over regulations. PMV has done nothing to control this tenant, allowing them to go to court rather than regulate them. With this corporate attitude it is hard to believe that no government agency can/will step in and take control.

            -without an appropriate protection structure PMV appears content to show little concern over these locally expressed issues

            -is LNG the way of the future? If so why are we not making the necessary requirements for a safe and protective industry?

 
“If LNG development proceeds as the B.C. government hopes, we will face a climate challenge nearly as big as the Alberta oilsands, and all the risks and reputational issues that go with it.”  Alison Bailie of the Pembina Institute


How are the people of Delta protected? Only the Federal Government appears to be capable or interested if we can believe Canada’s stance at Paris and the Real Change incentive.  This will present new opportunities to develop new sustainable economic proposals and a chance to correct old ones.
 

It is hard to believe that the economy cannot be developed in a more sustainable way. As Prime Minister Trudeau has expressed, “It is 2015!” Please, let’s get serious about REAL CHANGE; put a halt to all of the PMV proposals on the Fraser River. Stop all funding to these projects and let’s do some serious planning for the future!