Global Courant 2023-04-21 03:02:18
The federal government has approved a major new container terminal on Canada’s west coast.
It says Roberts Bank Terminal 2 in Delta will open Canada’s throttled maritime supply chain, and promises environmental concerns will be addressed.
Federal Secretary of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson says the expanded terminal will increase capacity by up to 60 percent.
The project has been in the works for more than a decade and will kick off with 370 legally binding terms, including protecting fish’s habitat and creating pathways for them to navigate the environment.
Requirements also include noise monitoring and no net new noise that could affect killer whales. The West Sandpiper, a coastal bird, also needs to be protected.
Resistance came from environmental groups and the longshore workers’ union.
Wilkinson says the terms should reduce some existing shipping impacts on the environment.
He highlighted the Musqueam First Nation’s “active support” and Tsawwassen First Nations’ “satisfaction” with mitigation measures.
The Port of Vancouver says construction of the terminal could take six years.
More to come.
