CoalWatch Comox Valley is releasing a report entitled Does the Comox Valley need the Raven Underground Coal Mine?Prepared by Dr. Joan Kuyek, the document is a socio-economic review of the costs and benefits to  communities near the proposed project.“The proponents of the Raven project have only jobs and local economic impacts to offer as benefits to the Comox Valley for this proposed coal mine,” said CoalWatch president John Snyder. “Dr. Kuyek’s report calls both of those into serious question.”Some of the issues discussed in the seven-page report include jobs, local government revenues and costs, and likely impacts of the Raven project on specific components of the region’s economic development plan.“We are very fortunate in having someone with Dr. Kuyek’s expertise in preparing this report,” Snyder said. “Joan’s past work with MiningWatch Canada gives her the qualifications to review mining projects and their socio-economic impacts on communities.”Dr. Kuyek has also been retained by CoalWatch and the Alberni Environmental Coalition to review the mine proponents’ socio-economic impact study when it is made public as part of the environmental assessment review process.“With the limited amount of socio-economic impact information available in the environmental review process, this report is a good start in beginning a public dialogue on the socio-economic impacts of this massive coal mine project in our communities,” Snyder said.The report is at www.coalwatch.ca.

Comox Valley Record