The City of Burnaby wants boom topped with razor-wire fencing removed from Burrard Inlet.
The municipality’s lawyer has written to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, asking it to cancel its August 2017 permit allowing Trans Mountain to install the boom as part of the expansion pipeline’s now-halted expansion project.
Burnaby argues VFPA’s approval of the boom’s installation hinged on the federal government’s approval of the Trans Mountain expansion project and since that approval was quashed by the Federal Court of Appeal on Aug. 30, the permit too should be nullified.
Now that construction authorization has been withdrawn by the court, we ask that you immediately notify
“Trans Mountain that the fence must be removed as an obstacle to public access,” lawyer Gregory McDade wrote.
According to Trans Mountain’s website, “The construction safety boom (CSB) defines the active construction area for the Westridge Marine Terminal (WMT) expansion.”
The boom marks the construction area with navigation lighting, according to the company.
A spokesperson said construction is safely winding down at the marine terminal.
“The construction safety boom and a defined construction safety zone are required in order to protect workers and marine waterway users in the area,” the spokesperson, who did not provide a name, wrote in an email.
“In addition, once safe shutdown operations have concluded, some marine vessels and partially-built structures will remain along the shoreline and in the water. These structures could represent a hazard to marine vessel traffic and the public if not properly fenced off.”
The VFPA sent a short statement in reponse to questions from the NOW: "We are reviewing the latest developments, including the letter received from the City of Burnaby, with regard to the Trans Mountain Expansion project, and are assessing our next steps."
The NOW has reached out to Mayor Derek Corrigan for comment.
