Dear Editor,
Re: “Candidates ‘bridge’ gaps in platforms,” News, April 28.
In the recent campaign debates about replacing the George Massey Tunnel, Liberal candidate Ms. Teresa Wat reportedly said that “no tunnels were built in earthquake zones”.
As with many other issues that Ms. Wat has represented us on in the past four years her research and understanding of the issues has been less than acceptable. Candidates for public office must be better informed.
In the many countries located on the geologically active Pacific Rim, tunnels are a common construction technique including those through mountains and under the sea for distances of a few to more than 54 kilometers in length.
Some of the most extreme examples of safe tunnels can be found in the Columbia and Chilean Andes and especially in the mountains and under the seabeds of Japan and China.
One very long tunnel is located in difficult geologic conditions and actually crosses four fault zones. The tunnel joining the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido is 54 km long with 23 km under the sea. As anyone should know, Japan is often the victim of massive earthquakes.
It would be good if Ms. Wat actually did some research on such issues and did not blindly manufacture non-scientific excuses of why she had to defend the building of the questionable “Christy Clark and Todd Stone Vanity Bridge.” A new tunnel is the best alternative.
It would take less than one “Wat” of energy for this candidate to do some basic research on an issue that is the most significant political issue in Richmond.
Otto Langer
Richmond
