Raven Underground Coal Mine Project
Revised
Public Notice
Environmental Assessment of the Proposed Raven Underground Coal Mine Project – Invitation to Comment and Public Meetings
Compliance Coal Corporation, doing business as Comox Joint Venture (the Proponent), is proposing to develop the Raven Underground Coal Mine Project (the proposed Project) approximately 20 kilometres south of Courtenay on eastern Vancouver Island, in British Columbia (BC). The Proponent proposes to transport coal from the mine by truck on existing highways 80 kilometres to the port of Port Alberni. Port upgrading work at Port Alberni is proposed by the Proponent to enable shipment of coal offshore.
The proposed Project is subject to review under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and BC's Environmental Assessment Act.
The proposed Project is in the early stages of the cooperative environmental assessment process. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEA Agency) and the BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) are inviting public comments on the draft Application Information Requirements/Environmental Impact Statement Guidelines document (draft AIR/EIS Guidelines document). The draft AIR/EIS Guidelines document will specify the studies to be conducted and information to be provided by the Proponent in its Environmental Impact Statement and application for a provincial Environmental Assessment Certificate.
Public Comment Period
The public has 40 days to submit comments on the draft AIR/EIS Guidelines document, from May 18, 2011 until June 27, 2011. All comments received during the comment period will be considered. Submissions sent by mail must be postmarked no later than June 27, 2011.
The CEA Agency and EAO accept public comments submitted by any of the following means:
- By Online Form: www.eao.gov.bc.ca
- By Email: raven@ceaa-acee.gc.ca
- By Fax: 250-356-6448
- By Mail:
- Rachel Shaw, Project Assessment Manager
Environmental Assessment Office
PO Box 9426 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria BC V8W 9V1
Or - Andrew Rollo, Project Manager
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
320 - 757 West Hastings Street
Vancouver BC V6C 1A1
- Rachel Shaw, Project Assessment Manager
An electronic copy of the draft AIR/EIS Guidelines document and information regarding the environmental assessment process are available at www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca and at www.eao.gov.bc.ca .
Copies of the draft AIR/EIS Guidelines document are also available for viewing at these locations:
- Bowser Public Library
#111-6996 Island Highway
West Magnolia Court
Bowser, BC - Campbell River Public Library
1240 Shopper's Row
Campbell River, BC - Comox Public Library
101-1720 Beaufort Avenue
Comox, BC - Courtenay Public Library
300-6th Street
Courtenay, BC - Cumberland Public Library
2724 Dunsmuir Avenue
Cumberland, BC - Dora Drinkwater Library
1196 Northwest Road
Denman Island, BC - Hornby Island Public Library
1765 Sollans Road
Hornby Island, BC - Nanaimo Harbourfront Public Library
90 Commercial Street
Nanaimo, BC - Nanaimo Wellington Public Library
3032 Barons Road
Nanaimo, BC - Parksville Public Library
100 Jensen Avenue East
Parksville, BC - Port Alberni Public Library
4255 Wallace Street, Unit B
Port Alberni, BC - Qualicum Beach Public Library
101-660 Primrose Street
Qualicum Beach, BC - Union Bay Public Library
5527 Island Highway
Union Bay, BC
Public Meetings
Public meetings will also be conducted during this comment period:
- Monday May 30, 2011 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Florence Filberg Centre
411 Anderton Avenue, Courtenay - Thursday June 2, 2011 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Port Alberni Athletic Hall
3727 Roger Street, Port Alberni - Friday June 3, 2011 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Union Bay Community Club
5401 South Island Highway, Union Bay
Displays containing information on the proposed Project and the draft AIR/EIS Guidelines will be available for public viewing from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. At 6 p.m. there will be presentations by the CEA Agency and EAO on the cooperative environmental assessment process, followed by a presentation by the Proponent on the proposed Project. At 7 p.m., there will be a formal question and answer period.
Next Steps
After taking all public comments into consideration, and ensuring that the Proponent's responses are adequate, the CEA Agency and EAO will finalize the AIR/EIS Guidelines document and issue it to the Proponent.
The cooperative environmental assessment for the proposed Project will also include future comment periods. These will be advertised in advance.
For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions document on the CEA Agency or EAO Web sites.
All submissions received by the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency during the comment period in relation to the proposed Project are considered public. They will be posted to the EAO Web site and will become part of the CEA Agency project file.
Document reference number: 14