A citizens’ group campaigning against G3’s proposal for a new grain terminal on the North Vancouver waterfront is warning the project may become substantially bigger than it was initially planned to be.
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is due to make a decision in “early June” on whether to approve the Manitoba-based firm’s application for 48 silos capable of holding 180,000 tonnes of grain at the foot of Brooksbank Avenue.
But a geotechnical report filed with the application indicates it could grow significantly.
“There is provision for a future 8 pack (4 wide by 2 long) and future 20 pack (4 wide by 5 long) to the south of the 3-16 packs that extend into the ‘south portion’ of the site,” the report’s executive summary reads.
“We were just glancing through it and saw that it was there,” said Holly Cole, spokeswoman for the Stop G3 in North Vancouver group.
The potential 58 per cent increase in size from the original proposal brings with it new concerns about the impact on the surrounding neighbourhoods, Cole said. And it is troubling, given 48 silos was the understanding upon which the public consultation was done, Cole added.
“I’m not an environmental assessor. I don’t know the impacts of what that would be as far as air emissions and noise and construction and lighting and more trains. We don’t have the answer to that and until we have the answers to those questions from the port, we can speculate 28 would mean a lot more,” Cole said. “It’s a substantial number of more silos. That’s for sure.”
No one from G3 was available for an interview but a statement from the company indicated the application currently being vetted by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is for the original 48 silos and any expansion would require a new application.
The Port could not provide comment by press deadline Thursday.
