By Phyllis Farrell, Water & Salmon Committee
At the request of the Friends of San Juans, Sierra Club has joined other members of the Puget Sound Partnership Environmental Caucus in urging the rejection of the proposed Pt. Roberts 2 Terminal Project, which would create a new major container terminal in the heart of the Salish Sea.
The proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project would be approximately one mile from the Canadian-Washington border, constructed on top of critical habitat in the Fraser River Estuary, and would increase container ship traffic by 520 transits per year. The Canadian Federal Review Panel Report for the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project was clear in its findings that this project:
- Threatens critical wildlife habitat and the Salish Sea ecosystem, affecting endangered salmon and Orcas.
- Creates new, serious water quality issues with the proposal including dredging, sedimentation, disturbance of the shoreline and threats from oil spills.
- Negatively impacts recreational activities as well as the cultural heritage and health of Indigenous groups.
- Contributes to additional greenhouse gas emissions, even after the application of mitigation measures.
The project’s potential impacts on Fraser River Chinook salmon, a major food source for the already struggling Southern Resident orca populations of the Salish Sea, are severe. In a February editorial in the Seattle Times, advocates from the Rainforest Conservation Foundation write: ”Between an increase in underwater noise and the declining abundance of Fraser Chinook that are anticipated from Terminal 2, it is probable that these conditions would increase their likelihood of extinction.”
Public comment has concluded, and the ultimate decision rests with the Canadian government. We’re monitoring and will provide updates if there are ways to get involved in stopping this harmful proposal.