A number of British Columbia health organizations, including the BC Lung Association, the Public Health Association of BC and the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, last week objected to coal terminal works at the facility through a letter to the port authority.

The groups cited the dangers of increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with coal transport in residential areas.

Port Metro Vancouver, which is overseeing the approval process for the proposed infrastructure expansions, answered that its only authority was over the safe transport of goods, not the environmental footprint of coal in general.

“Port Metro Vancouver recognizes that some citizens or groups may have concerns about the types of commodities that are traded through the port,” PMV president and chief executive Robin Silvester said in a formal response.

“This dialogue should take place between the people of Canada and senior levels of government, as it falls outside the scope of Port Metro Vancouver’s jurisdiction.”

Local media has reported frustration on both sides of the issue as protestors organize demonstrations at the port authority’s head offices and port representatives say they’re being unfairly targeted.

“These expansions will make [PMV] the biggest exporter of coal in North America,” protest organizer Kevin Washbrook said in the Vancouver Sun.

“This comes at a time when international climate talks are failing, scientists are saying that greenhouse gas emissions are rising faster than ever and that we are running out of time to deal with this problem.

“You can’t reconcile exporting more and more fossil fuels with the message that we need to burn less fossil fuels.”

The port, however, contends that macro-environmental concerns are out of its hands and it has complied with all the appropriate consultation and community notification procedures.

PMV said it distributed 3200 notification letters for the expansion project at Fraser Surrey Docks and 1000 brochures for the Neptune Terminals project.

Work at Fraser Surrey would have potential to increase volumes up to 8 million tons per annum of coal over the long term.

Neptune proposes to increase the terminal’s coal handling capacity to 18Mtpa through one additional train per day and one additional ship per week.