I watched the Port of Vancouver meeting conducted on June 13.
The agenda began with an open forum. The first speakers were primarily in support of Vancouver Energy’s oil terminal project and, for the most part, they presented good reasons for investment in development at the port.
Development will provide good construction jobs for those companies that will build it and maintain it. But not this development! The union members that will be asked to deal with the everyday handling, the longshoremen, understand that this particular project only provides short-term benefits in exchange for long-term detriment to the community and jobs.
The idea of development is good; oil is just the wrong product to develop around. If this terminal is built it will dramatically increase the train traffic though our communities carrying rolling bombs by homes, schools, and businesses. This will degrade our environment, air quality, health and quality of life and turn our town into an “oil town” primarily for short-term jobs and big-oil profits.
