Editor:
Re: Premier Eby supports Delta port expansion (Optimist, May 11)
The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) expansion approved by Ottawa has now been publicly endorsed by Premier David Eby before the provincial stage of the assessment process has even started, and prior to the invitation for public input.
Eby’s unequivocal confidence in the economic benefits and environmental safety of RBT2 indicates that B.C.’s assessment process may well be decided by his foregone conclusions.
The federal review panel chose to ignore scientifically sound arguments from impartial sources arguing that the Port could never mitigate the environmental damage. Instead, they accepted economic and scientific reports from companies on contract to the Vancouver Port Authority. Almost all information in support of the project was from these companies, who had future business incentives to make the project look benign. When I expressed my concern about this conflict of interest to the assessment panel, their response was that federal reviews are always done this way.
Virtually all of the impartial science came from concerned citizens or scientists at Environment Canada, who have more than once been silenced by political interference.
The assessment panel did what they planned from the start, which was to set aside proven science and economic sense so that a few jobs are created and a few people will be wealthier. Those of us living in this region - including the salmon, sandpipers and whales - will all pay the price.
Larry Colero
