Editor:
Re: More coal trains unacceptable: mayor, March 12.
Finally, something to be proud about from government.
British Columbians should be outraged over the lack of accountability of the Fraser Port Authority, which does what they want, under a quasi-federal auspices.
However, it is not good enough for local politicians who, for years, have thrown their hands up and said they had no power to do anything.
When it comes to a U.S. company trying to dump their coal on us, to enable them to make millions by exporting it out of Canada – all the while environmental reviews in the U.S. make it likely untenable they will have access to coal ports at Cherry Point for years, if ever – it requires us to be ever vigilant in this attempt to use Canada for American gains.
The health issues, alone, make one cringe. The tons of coal that will blow from the coal cars is a reality. Their claim that they spray it to stop the blowing, mere talk.
Get off your hind end and show support for stopping this environmental boondoggle, which will not, if it comes to pass, even create many jobs here.
The U.S. has environmental reviews for this kind of thing. Canadians should be demanding this from every level of government.
If those trains go through, eight per day and then 16 or more per day the next year, the route they would take would go near more than 30 schools and our hospitals.
This is about our health and our kids’ health. What can be more important than that?
Steven Faraher-Amidon, Surrey
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Re: Cross-party opposition over coal trains, March 19.
When the idea to protest the planned increase in coal trains along the shore of ‘the City By The Sea’ by council, I followed up with a few suggestions and facts:
This is not a matter between the city and Fraser Surrey Docks. That facility is a marine terminal, they don’t care how the cargo gets there.
Fraser Surrey Docks is owned by a multi-billion-dollar Australian corporation; why should they listen to White Rock? Here we have U.S.-mined coal, on a U.S-owned railway, transporting coal to an Australian-owned terminal to be loaded on a Panama- or Monrovia-flagged vessel through our country.
Hello, Canada! I suggested the affected municipalities should get together and immediately travel to Ottawa to inform the prime minister about these developments.
It would also help our cause if the city would arrange, with the permission of the BNSF, to have an independent geometry study carried out. The roadbed and rails were constructed 100 years ago for 100-metre passenger trains, not 14,000-metre-plus freight trains.
Surely, our government can step up to the plate and say no! It requires a high-powered and concentrated effort of all people south of the Fraser River.
Wolfgang Schmitz, White Rock
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Once again, some folks are ranting at BNSF for hauling coal through White Rock.
To the best of my knowledge, the railway has been here since 1902. I think anyone living here before 1902 may have a legitimate right to complain, but for everyone else, didn’t you know there was a railroad here before you moved to the Peninsula?
Railroads carry freight all across Canada. If you don’t like it, perhaps you should move to someplace with no railroad. But this time, do your due diligence first.
And watch out for airports.
Doug Scott, Surrey
