Editor: Port Metro Vancouver is paving paradise and putting up a parking lot - a massive parking lot consuming farmland, destroying bird habitat, degrading marshland and foreshore, and further affecting the fragile estuary of the Fraser River, impacting our salmon stocks.
Terminal 2 is huge and it is coming to your back yard. Vancouver, you should be concerned, very concerned.
We have already lost the rich farmland of Lulu Island to the development of Richmond; how much of South Delta will we allow to be swallowed up in a quest for money and a blatant disregard for the environment? As families and communities striving to reduce our carbon footprint and buy local, this massive port expansion is a huge, misguided step in the wrong direction. It must be stopped.
Our roads are congested with huge diesel-burning container trucks spewing their exhaust as they idle in long lines of traffic moving slowly up and down Highway 99. Panamax ships are now capable of carrying 13,000 containers, yes, 13,000 per ship. The numbers are staggering, as is the negative impact on the quality of our lives in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
Port Metro Vancouver is causing the loss of irreplaceable farmland, desecrating the foreshore and destroying wildlife habitat. It is causing noise and air pollution and increased traffic congestion.
South Delta has already done its part in terms of accommodating Deltaport to allow for the movement of goods in and out of B.C., however, enough is enough. The huge expansion that is already underway must be stopped.
I understand Prince Rupert has the room for port expansion and the community supports growth of the existing facility. We should redirect container shipping there. Is this a possible solution?
Katherine Hammond
