From the Times-Colonist – Feb 9, 2011

by Judith Lavoie

Opponents to new coal mines on central Vancouver Island will hold
their own version of a public hearing at the University of Victoria
tonight.

“This is the first major meeting in Victoria on this issue,” said Calvin Sandborn, Environmental Law Centre legal director.

The
centre, on behalf of CoalWatch Comox Valley, has asked the federal and
provincial governments for a joint independent expert review panel and
public hearings into the proposed Raven Underground Coal Project near
Buckley Bay.

But instead, government has decided to do much of the
decision-making behind closed doors, said John Snyder, CoalWatch
president.

“This meeting will not be as good a process as a full
public hearing by an independent panel of experts, but it may be the
best remaining chance for Islanders to express their concerns,” he said.

The
Raven application is likely the thin end of a wedge as the rich coal
seam, that stretches from Fanny Bay to near Campbell River, is already
sparking other applications, including plans for two open-pit mines,
Sandborn said.

“It could be the first step to turning the
mid-Island into a mini-Appalachia, and is that really what the people of
Vancouver Island want?” he asked.

The shellfish industry around Fanny Bay and groundwater could also be put at risk, Snyder said.

The meeting is at 7 p.m. in Room 159 of the Murray Fraser Building at UVic.

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