Happy Thanksgiving!
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT AND ACTION BEFORE SATURDAY 14TH OCTOBER
You may be receiving this because you signed the petition opposing the proposed biofuel plant on Semiahmoo First Nation lands at the junction of Hwy 99 and Beach Road or have expressed an interest in learning more about the issue.
As the deadline for comments is fast approaching on the 14th October we want to give those of you who have not yet submitted a email or letter an easy way of doing so.
Please copy and paste the following into an email or write a letter and send it to:
District Director at Metro Vancouver at andioncomments@metrovancouver.org
Indigenous Services Canada / Government of Canada Lee-Ann.Hamilton@sac-isc.gc.ca
Federal MP Hon. Kerry Lynn Findlay kerry-lynne.findlay@parl.gc.ca
For more information go to https://nobiofuel.wixsite.com/learnmore and if you have not signed the petition please do so at
https://www.change.org/p/say-no-to-a-biofuel-plant-in-our-neighbourhood And do visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/332579209427910 to be kept updated on developments.
Dear …
I am writing to you to voice my concerns about the proposed biogas facility on Semiahmoo First Nation lands at the junction of Hwy 99 and Beach Road. I would be most grateful if you could address my concerns and answer the following questions.
Why is Metro Vancouver trucking their waste to White Rock/South Surrey in the first place? Wouldn’t a better site for it be next to the already existing landfill site that does not impact a thriving residential community and also reduce the carbon footprint by reducing the the necessary trucking.
There will be an increase in noise and pollution on a stretch of highway where trucks are currently prohibited.
Andion, who will build and operate this plant, first approached the Semiahmoo First Nation in 2018 - 5 years ago! Why have the local community only just found out about it and been given a relatively short time frame to comment on it, never mind interpret a very lengthy, only recently released scientific report?
Did Andion think that by placing the facility on First Nation lands that the permitting process would be much easier and expedited?
The Peace Arch crossing is already very congested with non truck traffic much of the time, adding thirty trucks a day 24/7 (waste in and waste out) will surely only add to the congestion? Also they apparently have permission to use the Nexus lanes so slowing the border process for those of us who have paid for the privilege of using Nexus!
The 37 air dispersion maps are difficult to interpret - is this designed to confuse on purpose?
This report was complied by Tetra Tech, a company paid for by Andion. This is hardly independent? This is currently the only report readily available to the community and just focuses on air emissions.
If their air dispersion models are wrong then our tourist business on the White Rock waterfront could be ruined forever?
Almost 5,000 cars pass through the Peace Arch crossing per day. Do we really want visitors to Canada to see and smell a 45ft high biogas waste facility as their first experience of our country?
What about the long term health effects of such facilities on nearby communities, have there been any studies? Andion have been asked about this and referred us to Health Canada.
According to Andion apparently the SFN have further commercial and residential development plans for the site. Isn’t this counterintuitive? Who is going to want to live right next to a gas plant? We certainly don’t!
Why do Andion still have information that they are refusing to release to our community. Are they waiting until after the comment deadline?
The Port Kells biofuel facility is apparently only at 60% capacity - why not increase the use of that?
Is this process entirely safe? There have been about 6 explosions at similar facilities around the world, the last one very recently in the UK. https://youtu.be/IGAdT-S5g0E?si=4kdYKfEGFBLz5vLa
The current proposed facility is five acres, could this be increased over time meaning increased traffic, increased pollution, increased risk to our community?
We, the local community are suspicious of the process and are energized to protest in the strongest terms against this proposal.
Our Federal tax dollars are being used to help fund this facility that we the taxpayer do not want and which will potentially negatively impact the health of the local community and the environment.