Expect to see a lot more barge traffic in Howe Sound if a proposal to start a gravel mine at McNab Creek gets the go-ahead, warns Squamish Streamkeepers co-chair Jack Cooley.
The proposal to establish a sand and gravel mine in West Howe Sound is currently making its way through a federal environmental assessment process, having recently reached the first public comment period.
Begun April 27, 2010, the Burnco Rock Products Ltd. draft places the development approximately 22 kilometres southwest of Squamish along the sound. The mine, which could produce as much as 1.6 million tonnes of yearly aggregate, has a life expectancy of 20 to 30 years.
The mine presents several environmental problems, such as noise, dust and an ugly strip mine scar, Cooley said. As a member of the Squamish-Lillooet Sports Fishery Advisory Committee and the Streamkeepers, Cooley said he is primarily concerned with the effects the mining will have on fish in the sound.
"[McNab Creek] is a salmon run," he said. "We don't want it wrecked."
If approved, a 77-hectare mine would be dug 45 metres below the water table, which could cause groundwater to flow into the pit rather than adjacent streams and McNab Creek, Cooley said.
Howe Sound is just recovering from pollution from the area's historical industrial uses, such as the FMC chemical plant and the Britannia Mine. The herring and Pacific white-sided dolphins are starting to return, Cooley noted.
"More Howe Sound sources of pollution now are highly unwelcome," he said.
McNab Creek is located 10 kilometres from Port Mellon, an area under the jurisdiction of the Sunshine Coast Regional District. The SCRD planning committee was taken by surprise to hear that the proposal had reached the public comment period.
"We've got a huge thing going on and we find out about it in the newspaper, when we have already registered quite a strong degree of concern," SCRD West Howe Sound director Lee Turnbull at the Jan. 19 committee meeting.
"This is going to be bigger than Sechelt. I'm not kidding. This is bigger than the construction aggregate and it's going to be running out of Howe Sound."
Regional district directors discussed the idea of issuing a request to Burnco to begin a rezoning process with the SCRD, a move staff and directors felt might increase the regional district's involvement in the proposal's assessment.
Town of Gibsons director LeeAnn Johnson also suggested that the SCRD's concerns be taken up with John Weston, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky.
"I think perhaps it would be appropriate to question him... as to why local government doesn't even get the courtesy of a heads-up notice, so that locally elected people are not sandbagged by an ad in the newspaper," she said.
The proposal has been on the radar of local governments since it was first presented to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in 2009, but four lengthy pauses have occurred since the assessment process began.
In addition to the actual mine, Burnco is proposing construction of a marine loading facility and on-site processing plant.
When the company first brought forward the plan to DFO, immediate concern was raised over the impact such a development might have on fish habitat.
McNab Creek is considered by DFO to be high-quality salmon habitat that includes spawning streams for coho and chum. The area also supports Chinook and pink salmon.
The public comment period ran until Feb. 3. Two more opportunities for public comment are set to occur during future phases of the assessment process.
- With files from Ben Ingram, Coast Reporter
