The proponent of a jet fuel storage facility at Riverport, along the Fraser River, hopes to break ground this summer, according to a spokesperson for the Vancouver Airport Fuel Facilities Corporation (VAFFC).
But project opponents say the public should have serious concerns that while initial permits are soon to be submitted to the City of Richmond to begin construction on the facility, a safety and environmental risk assessment is not complete.
Otto Langer, of VAPOR, a group of citizens opposed to the facility and attached pipeline to the airport, said the public is now effectively shut out from the process.
He has called on the City of Richmond to be “the last line of defense” to address legitimate environmental and safety concerns by requiring VAFFC to provide a publicly scrutinized risk analysis of worst case scenarios, such as a fuel spill into the river and a “fireball” explosion.
Langer said a proper risk analysis and hazard footprint have not been done, although Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) and the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office promised them during the permit process.
A memo from the city’s engineering department to city council last month indicates the city has “no opportunity to approve or reject” the storage facility as it’s on port-owned land.
Furthermore, the memo notes the pipeline falls under the BC Oil and Gas Commission and “there is no formal requirement for public notification or input.”
As for the development permit, the memo notes, “The City of Richmond has limited authority for discretionary approval of the permit.”
Langer said he was disappointed the memo “does not seem to clearly state any urgency or higher level concern for this overall project hazard risks,” but that it merely raises concerns about the pipeline’s proposed location along Bridgeport Road.
Langer said the risk of a high-impact explosion and fuel spill “was simply avoided” in the initial environmental assessment by the provincial government.
He is hoping the municipal permit application phase will be an opportunity for greater public consultation, but given the multi-jurisdictional nature of the project, he’s skeptical an overall impact study will be done.
“Such grave public concerns should have been fully addressed in a properly done environmental assessment, but it appears it was simply avoided,” said Langer.
Langer noted a judicial review of the procedural fairness of VAFFC’s public consultation is ongoing, with a decision by B.C. Supreme Court, on whether to throw out the environmental certificate, expected this spring.
The review, however, does not stop VAFFC from proceeding at the moment.
No one from PMV was available for comment.
