VICTORIA – The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) has unanimously passed a motion to oppose further processing of the application for the Raven Underground Coal Mine until comprehensive aquifer mapping is done and an independent provincial baseline study and independent federal joint review panel are undertaken.

The controversial mine would be located near Vancouver Island’s Fanny Bay, and 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 this week’s motion to oppose the mine until the provincial and federal governments recognize the legitimate apprehension of regional stakeholders.

“The proposed Raven Underground Coal Mine makes absolutely no sense for Vancouver Island, given the inherent risks it poses to water quality and the surrounding riparian ecosystems,” said Torrance Coste, Vancouver Island Campaigner with the Wilderness Committee. “And further, this project would be a massive step back into the boom-bust finite resource cycle that always led to environmental and socio-economic damage on this coast.”

“The Wilderness Committee would like to publicly congratulate the CVRD for showing real leadership and voicing the legitimate concerns of Comox Valley residents,” Coste added.

In addition to impacts in the Comox Valley, the Raven project would affect a larger part of the Island. From Fanny Bay, the coal would be trucked over public highways in 52,000 heavy B-train coal trucks per year, 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.

The Raven Mine would have a lifespan of 16 years, and could threaten the more sustainable 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.