Raven Underground Coal Project

Synopsis

Compliance Energy, majority owner of the Comox Joint Venture, is proposing a new underground coal mine in the Tsable River watershed south of Courtenay on Vancouver Island. The Raven mine will produce 1.9 million tonnes of raw coal per year (approx 0.8 mt of "clean coal"), or 30 million tonnes over 16 years. A project description was filed with the BC EAO in August 2009. Concerns include local habitat disruption, trucking, water, watershed and salmon, and additional global carbon emissions.

Category Mining

Type Coal

Prov BC

Region Vancouver Island

Posted 18Sep09

Updated 01Feb12

Status Proposed

Contacts

LOCAL
COMMUNITY

CoalWatch Comox Valley Society, www.coalwatch.ca, info(at)coalwatch.ca, John Snyder, President

Alberni Environmental Coalition (AEC), www.portaec.net, 250-723-4666, aec(at)portaec.net (10-2, M-F)

Coal Free Alberni, www.coalfreealberni.ca, Stacey Gaiga, nocoal@shaw.ca, 250-723-1243

www.nocoalmine.net for signs and buttons

PROVINCIAL
REGIONAL

Wilderness Committee, www.wildernesscommittee.org/victoria, Tria Donaldson, tria@wildernesscommittee.org, 250-388-9292

Sierra Club of BC, www.sierraclub.bc.ca, Sarah Cox, sarah@sierraclub.bc.ca, 250-386-5255 ext 257

GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES

BC Environmental Assessment Office project site, Ward Trotter, Project Assessment Manager, 250-952-6501, Ward.Trotter@gov.bc.ca

Canadian Environmental Assessment Office project registry, Ref: 10-03-55529, Chris Barlow, Project Manager, 604-666-2431, Chris.Barlow@ceaa-acee.gc.ca, Raven@ceaa-acee.gc.ca

ABORIGINAL
GROUPS

K'ómox First Nation, info(at)comoxband.ca, www.comoxband.ca, 250-339-4545

PROPONENT

Compliance Coal Corporation DBA Comox Joint Venture is 60% owned by Compliance Energy Corp., 20% each by Itochu Corporation and LG International Investments (Canada) Ltd.

Compliance Energy, John A. Tapics, President & CEO, john(at)complianceenergy.com, www.complianceenergy.com, 604-689-0489

More information

Locations

The mine is estimated to produce 1.8 million tonnes of coal per year (reduced to approx 0.8 million tonnes of "clean coal" per year), or 30 million tonnes over the 16 year expected life of the mine.

The preferred options for shipping the coal to Asia is to truck it to Port Alberni. Other shipping options are not likely.

The project triggers both a provincial and federal environmental review.

A project description has been filed with the BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) and the project is in Pre-Application status with the EAO. An Application Information Requirements (AIR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a project review will be published. The proponent will then take an open-ended period of time to prepare its formal application and environmental impact statement.

Two of the biggest issues with the Raven project are water and carbon:

Water - impacts on groundwater and the Tsable River drainage, water used for washing the coal, water produced in the mining operation, impacts on salmon - these are perhaps the biggest environmental impacts and concerns with the project. The project description says nothing of any substance about water - that will have to wait for the project application.

Carbon - greenhouse gas emissions when this coal is burned - this is an issue the government will eventually have to address, given how much coal BC mines and exports. So far, it has not been an issue government is willing to confront, neither with the existing mines (virtually all them owned by TeckCominco), nor with applications for new coal mines (Raven is one of a number, not unique).

There is no indication that the company will require any zoning or permits from the Comox Valley Regional District. Many authorizations are required from the province - including a mine permit and a lease for surface lands from Ministry of Natural Resource Operations. (which includes the former Integrated Lands Management Bureau [ILMB]) - and from federal agencies (section 7.2 of the pre-application)

Project home at the BC Environmental Assessment Office:
http://a100.gov.bc.ca/appsdata/epic/html/deploy/epic_project_home_351.html

Project Description, May 2011
http://a100.gov.bc.ca/appsdata/epic/html/deploy/epic_document_351_33356.html