January 2009
The
B.C. Government is bringing in fill to dump on unique Burns Bog habitat
after sending a landfill operator to jail for the same offence.
During the 1990s, the B.C. Government charged a Delta landfill owner
with placing waste on 7 acres of Burns Bog. In 2004, the landfill
owner was fined $715,000 and sentenced to jail for 21 days.
Subsequently, the landfill owner lost land and business worth several
million dollars. The court erroneously claimed the area of
landfill was the location where the rare and endangered
sub-species of the Southern
Red-backed Vole was found in B.C. for the first time since 1948.
In fact, the endangered voles were found in the area where the B.C.
Government is now dumping fill for construction of the
In
1999, the endangered voles were found near the
“… He told me how it was home to at least three endangered mammal
species, including one species (the red-backed vole) that was thought to
be extinct until it was found in this area.”
While the landfill owner has been denied justice, the B.C. Government
feels free to dump on several unprotected parcels of Burns Bog despite
warnings from government and independent scientists. The
Scientific Advisory Panel to Burns Bog has advised that the
“The Southern Red-backed Vole, occidentalis subspecies is
provincially red-listed and is a candidate for listing as Endangered or
Threatened under the BC Wildlife Act. Five individuals of this
red-listed sub-species have been captured at three locations….
Impacts from habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation will likely be
significant given the sub-species’ limited range.”
During the Environmental Assessment of the new freeway, Environment
Canada wrote:
“ Environment Canada concludes that the management objectives for
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, are likely not
attainable should the project proceed as proposed.”
(EC Technical Appendix, Nov.19, 2007, page 33)
“EC advises that the effects associated with building a road adjacent to
Burns Bog will result in certain, permanent, irreversible impacts of a
high magnitude that EC considers to be significant.”(Nov.19,
page 27)
Delta owns environmentally-sensitive properties on both sides of
Ironically, the $1-billion freeway is not needed as the container
business is not growing as predicted. Supporters of the freeway
are deluded into believing the propaganda that the freeway will help
local traffic issues while research proves that freeways bring more
traffic congestion over time.
Sources of Information
1.
Delta Optimist: Highway Work Near Animals, January 14, 2009
http://www.canada.com/deltaoptimist/news/story.html?id=fba96cde-f456-442b-ae54-d2fb31e8026a
2.
Court Case: Provincial Court of B.C., Reasons for Sentence;
Miller, R.D. June 2, 2004 AB. Vol. 12. p.p. 2366-2388:
Page 15: “Clearly the subject property here (Burns Bog) is a unique
ecological area supporting rare flora and fauna as well as an essential
wildlife habitat, and therefore this offence should be severely
condemned…
‘If the damage is irreparable, extensive, persistent, or has numerous
consequential adverse effects, the penalty must be severe.’
This description of damage again clearly fits the case before me, and
therefore I must consider a severe penalty.”
Pages 21-22: sentence of 21 days and 2 fines totaling $715,000
Quote in text above:
“…
He told me how it was home to at least three endangered mammal species,
including one species (the red-backed vole) that was thought to be
extinct until it was found in this area.”
Pages 6 & 7, Statement (20)
3.
Burns Bog Ecosystem Review: Small Mammals, December, 1999, Mark Fraker,
Claudio Bianchini, and
4.
Reference to voles at
5.
Burns Bog Ecosystem Review Study: Status of Wildlife in Burns Bog, Delta
– 1999, Martin Gebauer
6.
Letter from B.C. Ministry of Environment, Environmental Stewardship to
Environmental Assessment Office, Re: The
7.
Technical Appendix, Environment Canada Comments on
8.
Will
More Freeways Bring More Traffic?
http://articles.latimes.com/2002/apr/10/local/me-freeway10
9.
Common Myths: Freeways Relieve Traffic Congestion
http://www.ptua.org.au/myths/congestion.shtml