Nexwlélexm / Bowen Island – The is the LAST OFFICIAL OPPORTUNITY for public comments in this project’s Environmental Assessment review before of the Environmental Assessment Office will send its recommendations to the Minister of the Environment for a decision.
After the last opportunity to comment to the Environmental Assessment Office, we have another opportunity to comment the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency until January 26, 2018.
You can find the details here: CEAA – BURNCO Aggregate Mine Project
Please let the CEAA know what you think of this proposed project to build an 70 acre (30 Hectare) gravel mine at Kw’ech’ténm / McNab Creek, one of the very few remaining natural productive estuaries in Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound.
The proposed project also includes an onsite crushing and processing plant, and a conveyor bridge to a barge dock terminal. The project would produce 20+ million tonnes of aggregate over 16+ years.
The last public comment project saw 95% of the respondents commenting against the project.
Why is a gravelmine in this location a bad idea?
McNab Creek is one of the very last remaining natural estuaries in Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound. Estuaries are massively important for aquatic life. And Estuaries are naturally rare, comprising only 2.3 percent of British Columbia’s rugged coastline.
Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems on earth and this 2006 Ecosystems at Risk ‘Estuaries in British Columbia’ published by the BC Ministry of Environment explains why.
Furthermore:
- McNab Creek is a salmon bearing stream with higher salmon returns than the company admitted. Wild salmon stocks in BC are not doing well, due to decennia of over-fishing due to poor fisheries management, destruction of spawning habitat, presence of open net salmon farms located in Wild salmon migration routs, etc. The protection and rehabilitation of of existing wild salmon stocks is therefore crucial.
- The Depart of Fisheries and Oceans has rejected plans for a gravel mine at this location twice, due to concerns for wild salmon spawning habitat and the presence of Killer whales in the area.
- Yet Burnco wants to continue with this ludicrous idea to dig a gravel pit in one of the few remaining natural estuaries in a recovering Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound.
- The Environmental Assessment report from the Environmental Assessment office suggests that digging a 70 acre gravel mine in an natural estuary, processing the gravel on site, building and operating a loading wharf for gravel barges, all of this would ‘not have significant adverse effects.’ Would you believe it?
Why we must stop this proposal
- Estuaries are massively important for aquatic life. Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems on earth and this 2006 Ecosystems at Risk ‘Estuaries in British Columbia’ published by the BC Ministry of Environment explains why.
- Estuaries are naturally rare, comprising only 2.3 percent of British Columbia’s rugged coastline.
- McNab Creek is a salmon bearing stream with higher salmon returns than the company admitted.
- The Depart of Fisheries and Oceans has rejected plans for a gravel mine at this location twice, due to concerns for wild salmon spawning habitat.
- Yet Burnco wants to continue with this ludicrous idea to dig a gravel pit in one of the few remaining natural estuaries in a recovering Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound.
- The Environmental Assessment report from the Environmental Assessment office suggests that digging a 70 acre gravel mine in an natural estuary, processing the gravel on site, building and operating a loading wharf for gravel barges, all of this would ‘not have significant adverse effects.’ The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency came to the same conclusions. Would you believe it?
It is best to write your own original letter. Please use the information above, or from our website, and make it your letter, that way it will have most effect!
You can also use the My Sea to Sky letter sender
For more on this proposal go to our dedicated Kw’ech’ténm / McNab Creek page.
