September 1, 2015, Courtenay, BC – In a letter responding to the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) request for Compliance Coal Corporation’s (Compliance) plans regarding the proposed Raven Coal Mine Project, Compliance COO Stephen Ellis stated, “I see little merit in sitting down with the EAO to review Environmental Assessment (EA) options for the Raven Project.”
In addition, the Compliance letter goes on to imply that the EAO is not treating the Raven Coal Mine Project in a fair and transparent manner given
the built-in biases in the review process. The letter calls into question the very commitment of the EAO in working towards an effective and efficient
EA on the Raven Coal Mine Project.
“The Compliance letter to the EAO sounds to me like sour grapes,” stated CoalWatch president John Snyder. “CoalWatch’s view continues to be that
Compliance Coal has been afforded due process during the EA process, and Compliance has nobody to blame but themselves for the position they’re in.”
“Compliance has had over three years to provide the required information in an Application, and thus far their efforts in providing that information
have been far from adequate,” added Snyder. “CoalWatch still contends that our request for the EAO to terminate the Raven Coal EA is a reasonable one.”
“It appears that the ball is now in the EAO’s court, on how to assess the appropriate next steps for the Raven Coal EA,” said Snyder. ” You can bet
there are a great many people who will be closely watching the next steps and any decision by the EAO on the Raven Mine Project.”
For more detailed information go to: www.coalwatch.ca