“Freaking idiots!” was the cry from a worker at the jet fuel tank farm in south Richmond, currently under construction, to a group of environmental activists who had gathered with signs just outside the property.
About a dozen activists had gathered in front of the massive tanks that will hold jet fuel – shipped in on tankers up to 950 feet long – to be pumped to the Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
Otto Langer, a retired biologist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), told the group he’s been pushing for protection of the Fraser River Estuary for 51 years, but it seems like it’s things are getting worse.
“We need new blood out there and I think we have to be more political and legal than we’ve been in the past,” he said.
Furthermore, because of COVID-19, local groups like Fraser Voices and VAPOR have been inactive.
Projects that could have a significant impact on the Fraser River estuary include the jet fuel tank farm, the expansion of the Tilbury LNG facility across the river, the proposed replacement of the George Massey Tunnel and further out in Tsawwassen, the expansion of the Roberts Bank Port of Vancouver facility.
Langer noted, in the 1980s, the Vancouver Airport Fuel Facilities Corporation applied to bring tankers up the north arm of the Fraser River to the airport, but with a proper environmental assessment and public hearings, it was eventually rejected.
“Now we’re building this facility which is probably a hundred times the threat and the feds wouldn’t do a review even though it’s on federal property, federal river, federal fish, federal wildlife,” Langer said. Even the provincial assessment was voluntary, he added.
Langer said one challenge is large environmental groups are taking millions of dollars from federal government to build marshes in the river.
The Port of Vancouver is also building marshes in the river.
“Every time (the port builds) a marsh, they have a habitat bank and … that allows them to destroy habitat elsewhere such as Roberts Bank,” Langer said.
Not only did the one worker display his hostility to the activists, a ports security employee was parked close by watching the protesters, joined later by two RCMP cruisers.
Langer had invited a crew of independent documentary makers, Nerv, who are making a film about the Fraser River Estuary.
