These pages were dedicated to convincing the proponents of the Raven Coal project to use the E&N railway for transport of the coal from the mine site near Buckley Bay, to the port at Port Alberni.
Due to strong opposition and concerns raised from the communities and First Nations, the Raven Coal project was never given an Environmental Assessment Certificate.
The Board of Compliance Energy Corporation resigned en-masse in early 2016.
Its application was officially terminated by the BC Government in April 2016.
In March 2015, Compliance Energy announced it would no longer pursue the Raven Coal project due to soft market conditions and lack of environmental approval as well as ‘misinformation’. In reality it failed because it failed to show the public that it was serious about addressing any of the concerns they raised, and that includes trucking and the benefit of using rail instead. I don’t think rail was the defining factor at all, however, had John Tapics lived up to his original commitment to use the railway “if the public desired it” and actually done so, then it would have signalled a level of cooperation and listening that clearly was never there. Instead, concerns like the ones raised on this website and articulated by the petition were never taken seriously.
Formerly the No Rail No Coal petition — the Petition has ended but (response from Company here)….
the mine has still not committed to rail. There is still time and the effort continues to force Government and the Company to have the rail line used.
Follow the Ruts… why Raven should go by Rail….
Why not Trucks? >>
Chris – July 2012
———-
Adding Insult to Injury:
As if the misinformation that Mr. Tapics has spread about the railways ability to handle coal isn’t bad enough already… Now we have a further insult. Listen to the short radio report here and note my comments in the Youtube Video.
Write to your local Alberni newspaper editor, Councillor, and MLA.
Editor Avtimes: HThompson@avtimes.net
Alberni City Council
MLA: scott.fraser@leg.bc.ca
It seems to be becoming more clear that Mr. Tapics does not want his company to have to pay for any infrastructure for transportation. And of course, if he were to go by rail he would likely be paying for both a rail spur and ongoing maintenance of the railway through his fees to Southern Rail of Vancouver Island and the Island Corridor Foundation.
But it gets even worse. Now he seems to be advocating for a new highway to built similar to the proposed (and mentioned here under Why Not Trucks?) Haggard’s Highway going around Horne Lake. Not only that, he seems to have the support of local political and business leaders.
The cost of this new route? $60-$100 Million!
The cost of rehabilitating the Alberni rail line $15-$30 Million.
Which do you think is the more reasonable approach?