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Implications are dire

RE: The NEWS article January 31, 2013 “Moving coal by conveyors”

RE: The NEWS article January 31, 2013 “Moving coal by conveyors”

The recent rticle by editor John Harding “Moving coal by conveyors”  was interesting to say the least.

While Sid Mennie’s expertise makes a convincing argument that the technology exists to build such a conveyor system, my guess is the chances of Compliance Coal Corporation (CCC) ever adopting this method of transportation are between slim and none.

Over the past three years, Compliance has shown no discernible interest in funding the needed railway infrastructure for alternative methods of coal transportation, nor have they shown any interest in funding an additional commercial vehicle inspection station to monitor the significant increase in truck traffic along the proposed transportation corridor.

In my opinion, the $120 million price tag attached to this conveyor system proposal makes this proposal a non-starter.

I would like to mention that comments from  the “couple of people” who were quoted in the article as saying their opposition to the Raven mine is about the mine itself and not the method of delivery of the coal, aren’t indicative of the thousands of people who have expressed concern or opposition to the Raven Coal Mine project.

Speaking for CoalWatch Comox Valley, I can assure you that we’re concerned about all aspects of the proposed project, be it issues about the mine site, which by the way is west of Buckley Bay and not east as indicated in the article; the transportation issues, or issues surrounding the proposed port in Port Alberni.

Finally, I totally agree with Mennie’s comments that the negative impacts on public safety from the proposed Raven Coal Mine Project are, to say the least, dire.

John Snyder

president, CoalWatch Comox Valley Society

Fanny Bay