January, 30th, 2009
Sukh Dhaliwal
Dear Sukh,
As you well know, the Canadian taxpayer purchased Burns Bog at
considerable effort and expense to save it in perpetuity for all future
generations. A group of our best wetland scientists were brought
together to form the Burns Bog Scientific Advisory Panel to keep and eye
on the bog, to monitor it and to make recommendations for it’s long term
health, protection and restoration.
A protective covenant was signed by all levels of Government…
A covenant that states…
Section 2.5…
“This agreement shall be perpetual to reflect the public interest in the
protection, preservation, conservation, maintenance and enhancement of
the natural state of the bog
and the amenities for ecological and environmental reasons.”
And Section 4.1 states…
“…the Province, Delta and the GVRD… shall not do anything, or allow
anything to be done, that does or could reasonably be expected to
destroy, impair, diminish, negatively affect, or alter
the bog or the amenities.
The Key words in those sections are….
the amenities.
Section 1.0 Definitions and
Interpretation, 1.1 (a)
“Amenity” includes every natural, scientific, environmental,
wildlife or plant life value relating to the bog;”
The South Fraser Perimeter project will, by the admission of its own
Environmental Assessment, directly impact these amenities and the bog
itself with habitat removal, contamination and the killing of species at
risk.
The Burns Bog Scientific Advisory Panel states…
"It is clear that wherever the SFPR is put, it will have major
consequences to wildlife. A
route within or immediately adjacent to the mixed conifer forest on the
Bog’s western edge will have the greatest impacts on ecological
integrity, through ecosystem conversion and negative edge effects."
They say the ability to apply the guidelines for Bog protection and
restoration recommended by the SAP council will be compromised.
They state that the SFPR will impact the protected lands “without a
doubt”.
And they say that the lands surrounding the protected lands should be
purchased and added to the conservancy lands for the long term health of
the bog.
It is abundantly clear that the intention of the covenant includes and
protects the lands that the SFPR would destroy.
The Scientific Advisory Panel has confirmed this intention and is
calling for the protection of these amenities and wants them to be
formally protected and included in the Partnership lands.
The SAP has also recently told the Metro Vancouver working group that
the berm system that Gateway is planning is inappropriate and will be
ineffective. 5 berms covering only 25% of the bog edge are planned and
only one of those 5 is in the right spot, so the initial concept of a
berm and double ditch mitigation system is not being followed and will
definitely fail.
Now we find out that the preload material that Gateway is using has a
high salt content, some of which is coming from the contaminated area if
front of the old Dow Chemical Plant. The preload is supposed to be clean
material that will not affect the water quality, bog hydrology or plant
species within the Bog.
The Owner’s table of Commitments and Assurances is not being followed.
It lists many vague promises and states that the contractor will be
responsible for developing mitigation plans and ensuring these actions
are carried out. A private contractor has not been selected, and yet the
Provincial Government has started construction. The whole point of a P3
partnership is that the contractor assumes the risks, however no
contractor will take on the responsibility of preloading where experts
are warning that building a highway over unstable ground will be
extremely costly with expectedly poor results.
If the taxpayer is paying for and preparing the roadbed then where are
the risks to the contractor, and who is making sure the one hundred and
forty three commitments and assurances are being properly identified and
followed?
There can be no arguing with the evidence at hand; they are impacting
Burns Bog which is contrary to the covenant that protects it.
As the Opposition
Critic for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, we ask that you call for a
suspension of
construction of this highly damaging project and pressure the Provincial
and Federal Governments into using the alternatives that will accomplish
the real economic realities, while protecting Burns Bog.
The Asia Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative, (APGCI 2007),
is a very thorough document and it’s clear in its recommendations that
further Port infrastructure in the Lower Mainland is a waste of time and
money, and that we need to steer away from truck dependant transport for
our goods, except for local delivery.
The recent downturn in world economics has proven their point even
further.
Tell the Federal and Provincial Governments to take the advice of their
advisors who are telling them to protect the environment and communities
by building the Gateway to
Thanks for your attention in this very important matter,
In anticipation,
Don Hunt
Sunbury Neighbourhood Association