Gateway waiting on decision
Sandor Gyarmati
Special to Surrey Now
Friday, February 08, 2008
The provincial Gateway Program needs a little more time to respond to
concerns raised by Environment Canada about South Fraser Perimeter Road.
In a highly critical report, Environment Canada expressed "serious"
concerns over the environmental impact the new highway would have on
Burns Bog.
The federal agency's report to the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and
Highways, which was made public last fall, concluded the project would
have "permanent negative impacts that cannot be mitigated or
compensated" and "would impact rare and unique habitats and wildlife."
Environment Canada noted it had serious concerns with the alignment
along the northern and southwestern margins of the bog. For instance,
any mitigation measures proposed by the province to offset environmental
impacts, especially in the western portion, would be "extremely
challenging" and "most likely impossible."
In response to those concerns, Gateway proposed a series of measures,
including a double ditch system to aid hydrology and elevating the road
in certain sections so wildlife would be able to pass under.
However, those measures weren't enough, according to Environment Canada,
which responded to the proposals with another subsequent report issued
to Gateway last November. That report, made public only this month, was
critical of the proposed measures to address wildlife and wildlife
habitat, hydrology and aerial dispersion effects related to Burns Bog
and cumulative effects.
It concluded: "The management objections for the restoration of Burns
Bog, to which the Province of BC, GVRD and Corporation of Delta
committed to Canada in the Conservation Covenant, and further
articulated in the Burns Bog Management Plan, will not be attainable
should the project proceed as proposed."
Geoff Freer, project director for the South Fraser Perimeter Road, said
Gateway has been working with Environment Canada and other ministries to
make further adjustments.
The much-talked about South Fraser Perimeter Road is to accommodate an
increase in truck traffic that will come as a result of port expansion
in Delta. Carrying an estimated $1 billion price tag, the 40-kilometre,
four-lane highway will connect Roberts Bank with Highway 1.
Gateway has submitted the project to the province's Environmental
Assessment Office, which must decide whether to recommend granting an
environmental certificate. The EAO's report is go to the ministers of
the environment and community services, who will then have 45 days to
decide whether to grant the certificate.
Noting issues regarding wildlife and vegetation are being addressed,
Freer said Gateway asked the EAO to "stop the clock" in order to delay
the project assessment for a couple of weeks.
"We should be able to wrap that up over the next several weeks. Once
they (EAO) get our finalized table of commitments and assurances, I
don't expect them to take too long to finalize their report," said
Freer, adding he expects the ministers will get a report from the EAO in
March.
Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon said the request for an extension
is all part of a normal process to address environmental concerns raised
by agencies such as Environment Canada.
Falcon said independent environmental experts as well as those from
various government agencies are working to address the concerns.
"What we have made sure on the South Fraser Perimeter Road is that we do
not impact the protected areas of the bog. So the issue becomes, since
we are not going to impact any of the protected areas of the bog, we
have to make sure any other impacts can be minimized as much as humanly
possible.
"We're not going to rush it and get it wrong; we're going to take our
time and get it right. So I'm comfortable taking whatever time is
necessary to do that."
© Surrey Now 2008
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