[coalalert] COALWATCH PRESS RELEASE 8/11/2015

August 11, 2015 PRESS RELEASE COALWATCH APPLAUDS EAO ACTION REQUESTING RAVEN COAL MINE PROJECT PLANS On June 4, 2015 CoalWatch Comox Valley Society submitted a written request to the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) asking that the environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed Raven Coal Mine Project be terminated by the EAO. Under the Environmental Assessment Act (the Act) and the Prescribed Time Limits Regulation, the Executive Director under the Act may suspend or terminate an EA if the information required by the Application Information Requirement Guidelines (AIR) has not been provided within three years. CoalWatch’s June 4th letter to the EAO outlined the fact that the AIR for the Raven Coal Mine Project was issued on June 7, 2012 and that three years following that date, Compliance Coal has not submitted the required information in their Application for Environmental Certificate (Application). CoalWatch’s view is Compliance Coal has been afforded ample due process during... the EA process and that any decision by the EAO to either extend the 3 year timeline or suspend the EA, would NOT be in the best interest of the public and our community. In response to CoalWatch’s request to terminate the Raven Coal Mine Project EA, the EAO has notified CoalWatch that in order for the EAO to be able to assess the appropriate next steps for the Raven Coal EA, the EAO requested Compliance Coal provide information on Compliance’s project plans and its perspective on the continuation of the EA. The EAO requires this information by August 28, 2015. “CoalWatch is pleased with the actions taken by the EAO on our request,” said CoalWatch president John Snyder. “With the last remaining joint venture partner (LG) recently indicating they plan on withdrawing from the Raven Coal Mine Project, it’ll be interesting to see what Compliance Coal has to say in its response to the EAO request, and what their plans are going forward with the Raven Coal Mine Project.” “ While I realize any decision by the EAO is discretionary, CoalWatch believes our request to terminate the Raven Coal EA is a reasonable one, and either a decision by Compliance to withdraw from the EA process or the EAO to terminate the Raven Coal EA would be an appropriate outcome,” added Snyder. “With this Raven Coal EA dragging on for nearly 6 years, it’s clearly time for Compliance Coal to fish or cut bait.” For more detailed information visit: www.coalwatch.ca -30-

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