Compliance Energy Corp CPYCF

Petition on Raven using the Railway

[chrisale]

FYI:

Here is what people signed when they signed the "No Rail? No Coal!" petition:

You can see all the information archived here:

https://www.vifreightbyrail.ca/no-rail-no-coal/contact/

The Petition:

ONLY RAIL! – No Rail? No Coal!

We, the Undersigned, believe coal from the proposed Raven Coal Mine must be transported by no other means than railroad to its point of export.

We, the Undersigned, encourage consultations to be held between the Compliance Coal Corporation (the Proponent), the Island Corridor Foundation, Southern Rail of Vancouver Island, the Government of BC and other affected parties to rehabilitate and exclusively use the Island Railway to transport coal from the mine production facility to its point of export.

We, the Undersigned, require the Proponent submit a modified Project Description to the BC EAO specifying rail as the sole transportation method for the project.

We, the Undersigned, call on the BC and Federal Environmental Assessment Offices to consider this project unacceptable if exported product is moved by truck due to increased highway congestion, public safety concerns, CO2 and smog emissions, and cost to taxpayers for maintenance of provincial and municipal roadways and to consider the extended environmental, social and economic benefits a revitalized Island Railway would bring to residents and businesses on Vancouver Island.

[chrisale]

And also FYI: You can read the response I received from Mr. Tapics. He sent it on behalf of the Premier, and the CEOs of Itochu and LG who I also personally sent copies of the completed petitions to. https://www.vifreightbyrail.ca/no-rail-no-coal/petition-response/

[turbo221]

i just found out thats its only predicted 1 train every ~20 minutes, on that website, that is hardly any increase in traffic at all.   I have performed traffic studies on a different road, of which we were closing it to the public, and trying to figure out how much traffic would be rerouted to a local road, and it was more then this.  And the road we were closing was for gravel trucks

[chrisale]

Turbo: (You meant to type 1 TRUCK every 20 minutes). However, you are wrong that it is hardly any increase in traffic. You have to consider: a) the existing truck traffic b) the geometry and circumstance on the road. The MoT in its most recent study confirms this estimates current truck traffic at 300 trucks a day. They estimate 40-60 more trucks a day from Raven. That'

[2guys]

It's the railway, or no way?   I don't think this is a particularly reasonable stance to take Chris.    In the response letter to you, Mr. Tapics said that they were consulting with the owners of the railway and the Island Corridor Foundation for feasible use of the rail.   Remember, a transportation route has to be economically feasible, it cannot be demanded of

[chrisale]

  It's the railway, or no way? I don't think this is a particularly reasonable stance to take Chris.    Wat should the stance be then 2guys?  "Please Mr. Tapics if it is not too much trouble please use the railway so that us poor working folk don't have to pay more taxes to fund your trucks ripping up our city streets and clogging our highway."  

[2guys]

So in essence it's ok to spend tax payer dollars on the railway, but not on the roads and highways?    Chris, just admit you don't want the Raven Coal Mine to open, period.  It's either the railway or no way right.  There can be no compromise with that kind of thinking.   If the railway is in disrepair, then it cannot be used until it is repaired. 

[chrisale]

So in essence it's ok to spend tax payer dollars on the railway, but not on the roads and highways? When the difference is double the cost? Ya. I'd say so. ALL sides here recognize that adding the coal trucks to the existing highway would be a major economic, social and safety risk. There is no argument on that fact. None. In fact... consider this news report in

[2guys]

"Or... we could rebuild the railway for $30-$40 million"   That is interesting Chrisale.  Could you provide a link where the study suggests the cost to rebuild the railway would be around that estimate?   I'm not sure what variables are used to come to conclusions for costs and benefits.   I would guess that operating costs would be less by train, but I'm not

[chrisale]

It is included in the E&N evaluation done by the BC Government in 2010. https://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/reports_and_studies/Evaluation_ENRailway/publications.htm Table 3.1 of the "Development Strategies" document lists the cost of 'corridor improvements' to the Port Alberni line to be $25.6 million. Throw in possible bridge repairs that need to be done and a spur to the

[2guys]

Don't know why Chris, but I couldn't get that government link to open.    Anyway, why not lobby the government to build the new roads/highway, and to rebuild the railway too?   It's a way of getting some progressive spending from our government.  At least taxpayers can see where the money is going.   I've seen the government spend more money than both the

[chrisale]

Sorry... looks like something went wrong when I pasted in the link in the last message. Here is the link to the E&N evaluation again. "Anyway, why not lobby the government to build the new roads/highway, and to rebuild the railway too?" There is already a strong lobby for the highway... it's been on peoples wish list for 20 years. Unfortunately, it's a

[2guys]

"I've chosen to ask for the thing that is the most economical, the most environmentally sound, the most efficient, and the one with the most upside in the future, the rail."   Chris, your intentions are good I'm sure, but unfortunately, our government, actually all governments in the world don't work that way I'm afraid.   The recent global downturn has 

[chrisale]

Without going into too many specifics.  There are other highways that could be built that would do far more good in this region and that have been shown to be of net benefit.  The highway that has been pushed is being pushed by people directly connected to local trucking companies.  So it's no wonder they have no interest in anything other than a highway. I believe in basing