Letter from Roger Emsley, Executive Director of Against Port Expansion Community Group

I am amazed and disgusted in the decision from the federal government today.

At 1330hrs (PST) today – April 20 – Ministers Wilkinson (Natural Resources) and Alghabra (Transport) announced the approval of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project by way of a virtual announcement on Zoom.

Missing at the announcement were Minister Guillbeault (Environment) and Qualtrough (MP for Delta), which is telling in itself. You may well ask why the minister of Natural Resources would be making this announcement rather than the federal environment minister. It is known that Ministers Guillbeault, Murray and Qualtrough are opposed to RBT2 being approved.

The federal government’s own scientists have stated repeatedly that RBT2 will result in adverse environmental effects to wildlife, especially millions of Western Sandpipers and other shorebirds, that will be immediate, permanent, continuous, irreversible and unmitigable.  Ministers Wilkinson and Alghabra stated that the decision was made following “a robust science-based assessment”. So clearly the federal government has ignored the government scientists in reaching that conclusion.  I wonder how the Environment Canada scientists feel with their science being discarded?

This decision is made despite:

1. Environment Canada scientists
2. Scientists expert in wetlands and wetland ecology
3. Canadian environmental groups
4. International environmental groups
5. Research published in peer-reviewed science journals
6. Scientists studying the already endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales
7. Scientists concerned about declining Fraser River Salmon stocks
8. Thousands of Canadian citizens
9. US indigenous peoples
10. Cities of Delta, Richmond and White Rock
11. Salish Sea Institute Western Washington University
12. Salish Sea Indigenous Guardians 
13. MP for Delta Carla Qualtrough
14. MP Elizabeth May
15. Global Container Terminals

all being firmly opposed to the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project.

The federal government in making this announcement has ignored their own government scientists and every environmental concern:

1. It causes significant adverse environmental effects that cannot be mitigated
2. It negatively impacts the intertidal food web and the salinity trigger resulting in a decline in biofilm quality and quantity, a critical food source for millions of migratory and other shorebirds
3. RBT2 operations and increased vessel traffic will cause further declines in Southern Resident Killer Whales, potentially towards extinction
4. Fraser River Juvenile salmon lose feeding grounds and protection as they transition from rover to ocean
5. Crab fisheries are displaced.

In making the announcement these two ministers ignored, dismissed or glossed over all of the environmental concerns.

Not only that, but:

1. There is no economic justification for a $4 billion plus project that will be the most expensive greenfield terminal development anywhere in the world
2. The claim that Vancouver area ports will run out of container terminal capacity by the late 2020s is false. Canada’s trading needs are well served for decades to come with West Coast BC’s current and already expanding container terminals.
3. Shipping industry stakeholders have been largely silent and are not voicing support for RBT2.

With the Fraser Estuary at an environmental tipping point, having lost over 80 percent of its natural habitat, Federal Cabinet members need to be aware those opposing RBT2 will never accept this decision.

The fight to save the Fraser Estuary and Roberts Bank from environmental degradation is by no means over.

Roger Emsley

Executive Director

Against Port Expansion Community Group
emsley@axion.net

info@againstportexpansion.org

www.againstportexpansion.org