Editor:
Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) talks up a good story on sustainability, but they do not walk the talk.
A good example of this is how they are dismissive of the concept of inland terminals being promoted by the mayors of Delta and Ashcroft.
In terms of sustainable development, inland terminals - whereby containers are moved directly by rail to/from an interior terminal for transfer to truck or
transshipment - makes good economic and responsible sense.
Inland terminals help to protect valuable agricultural land, increase the productivity of ports, reduce pollution, lessen road traffic and for communities that have to host container ports, they improve the quality of life.
PMV dismisses them outright because it would disrupt their ego-driven need for bigger and larger container ports, such as Roberts Bank Terminal 2.
This is going on despite the fact a federal government study recommended that inland terminals were one of the solutions to improving port operations by increasing productivity of existing ports.
The same study also recommended that no further port development take place in Vancouver until Prince Rupert's port had been maximized. Prince Rupert can more than double its container port, is two sailing days closer to Asia and provides a better/faster way to move goods to Eastern Canada.
It is time that Port Metro Vancouver stopped paying lip service to community consultation and started to listen by looking for ways lessen the impact of their operations on host communities, protect our environment, improve quality of life for these communities and lessen traffic congestion around the Lower Mainland.
Roger Emsley
