More scrutiny by local government It seems the three local politicians responsible for the areas affected by the mine are hearing some concerns from their constituents and are taking some steps to make sure what the Company says is accurate:
https://www.comoxvalleyecho.com/article/20121211/COMOX0101/312119993/-1/comox/improvement-districts-unite-to-probe-mines-impact-on-water
DECEMBER 11, 2012
BY PHILIP ROUND
ECHO STAFF
Trustees of three improvement districts are banding together to commission expert advice on whether local water supplies could be impacted by the proposed Raven underground coal mine.
Union Bay, Fanny Bay and Ships Point Improvement Districts are all concerned about the issue, so are planning to share the cost of engaging a specialist hydrologist.
An appointment has not yet been made, but when it is, he or she will be asked to review all the relevant documentation and studies that will be presented by the mine's promoters during the environmental assessment process.
Union Bay trustee Alan Webb said the study would be a desktop-type exercise in analyzing the details.
"We can't afford to go out drilling holes, but do see real value to our residents of having an expert assess what the applicants have to say in their reports."
The concerns arise because Fanny Bay and Ships Point get their drinking water from communal wells and Union Bay draws on Langley Lake - which previous studies have shown is substantially fed from water bubbling up from underground aquifers, especially in the summer months.
If the mine eventually gets the go-ahead, it will have to pump out water from its underground workings, and Webb said the fear among Union Bay trustees is that it could be like "pulling the bath plug out of Langley Lake."
At Fanny Bay and Ships Point, concerns focus on the potential for cross-contamination of water supplies as underground mine workings impacted aquifers, or even the drying up of water supplies to existing wells.
Webb said once a consultant was appointed, there would be much preliminary work to do, including site visits and them getting a full understanding of the issues and concerns so they would be well prepared prior to reading through all the submissions from Compliance Coal and its advisors.
"One the submissions are published, there will be only 50 days to respond, so we need the consultant to be full prepared," he added.
The expected cost of the exercise is likely to be between $12,000 and $15,000, so the three improvement districts are also investigating whether any grants might be available to help offset the cost to their limited number of taxpayers.
Last month, concerns over the potential negative impact of the proposed mine were also expressed by the board of Comox Valley Regional District.
The board agreed with rural Area A director Bruce Jolliffe that both the federal and provincial governments should be advised that the CVRD is "opposed to the further processing of this application (for the mine) until the Province of B.C. conducts comprehensive aquifer mapping of aquifers that could be affected by the mine project."
Webb said they were encouraged by that stand, but the three improvement districts believed they needed to take practical steps of their own to protect the interests of their citizens.
pround@comoxvalleyecho.com