The B.C. government's decision to grant an airline consortium environmental approval of its plan to barge jet fuel up the Fraser River has been branded "pathetic" and "misguided."
Otto Langer, a former federal fisheries biologist and member of protest group VAPOR, didn't mince his words when asked for reaction to Environment Minister Mary Polak's 3 p.m. announcement on Thursday - almost three years into what should have been a 180-day process.
Langer, however, was as unsurprised as he was dismayed by the issuance of a conditional environmental certificate to proponents VAFFC to barge the fuel up the south arm of the Fraser, off-load it at a terminal on the banks of the river and then pipe it up Highway 99 and through north Richmond to YVR.
"There's nothing new here and we could have told you a year ago about these conditions," said Langer, in reference to the 64 conditions placed on VAFFC and of the air of inevitability he and VAPOR felt hung over the decision.
"The writing was on the wall long before today and the only reason they delayed this decision earlier this year was because of the election."
Langer rubbished Polak's claim of the decision-making process being "rigorous," adding there's not even been one public hearing and that alternatives to the approved plan were ignored.
Also ignored, according to Langer and the City of Richmond, were concerns of the public and the city's fire-rescue department, the latter of which has said it can't respond in time to any major incident at or near the proposed fuel off-loading facility.
In a conference call Thursday afternoon involving the News, Minister Polak gave assurances that the onus on responding to a major fire at the facility has been placed on VAFFC, with conditions to match that responsibility.
Polak added there will be "rigorous" follow-up inspections, a "series of reports" and "ongoing monitoring" of the project in the coming months and years.
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