At its November 27 meeting of the board of directors, the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) unanimously passed a motion to oppose further processing of the application for the Raven Underground Coal Mine project until comprehensive aquifer mapping, an independent provincial baseline study, and an independent federal joint review are undertaken. The motion was proposed by Electoral Area ‘A’ Director Bruce Joliffe (Baynes Sound-Denman/Hornby Islands).

The mine would be located near Vancouver Island’s Fanny Bay, 20km south of Courtenay, potentially producing 1.88 million tonnes of coal per year. The controversial project is strongly opposed by the Wilderness Committee, local grassroots citizen and environmental groups, the BC Shellfish Growers Association, and the Council of Canadians. The K’ómoks First Nation has also expressed concerns about the potential environmental impact of the project.

Based on concerns over the mine’s impact on regional water quality, the CVRD previously requested that independent watershed mapping be included in the environmental review requirements. This request was not met, prompting the motion to oppose the mine until the provincial and federal governments recognize the legitimate apprehension of regional stakeholders.

‘The Wilderness Committee would like to publicly congratulate the CVRD for showing real leadership and voicing the legitimate concerns of Comox Valley residents,’ said Torrance Coste, Vancouver Island Campaigner with the Wilderness Committee. ‘The proposed Raven mine makes absolutely no sense for Vancouver Island, given the inherent risks it poses to water quality and the surrounding riparian ecosystems,’ Coste continued.

‘Further, this project would be a massive step back into the boom-bust finite resource cycle that always led to environmental and socioeconomic damage on this coast.’

In addition to impacts in the Comox Valley, the Raven project would affect a larger part of Vancouver Island during its projected 17-year lifespan. From Fanny Bay, the coal would be trucked over public highways in 52,000 heavy B-train coal trucks annually, to the proposed port site at Port Alberni. The port would be serviced by large ocean-going freighters, possibly requiring dredging in the Alberni Inlet, which is a migration corridor for BC’s third most productive sockeye salmon run. It is also feared that the mine could threaten the shellfish, tourism and farming industries on central Vancouver Island.

The pre-application phase for the project is drawing to a close and the proponent, Compliance Coal Corporation, is expected to submit their final application to the provincial and federal review bodies in the near future. Public comment periods will be part of the final
review process.