...Continued from Part One

Once sub-segment 6.3 is settled, we can move on to detailed route hearings for all of segment 6, from Rosedale to Abbotsford. That will be another full hearing, and a more complex one than theealignment hearing we just went through.Fishing Vedder River pipeline crossing The City wells will remain an issue, as will residential neighbourhoods and schools--both Watson Elementary and Vedder Middle School. Other key issues are Yarrow Waterworks wells, the exceptional habitat around the salmon enhancement areas at Peach Creek and Browne Creek Wetlands, and the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve, all of which are put at risk by the Trans Mountain Expansion Project Route. WaterWealth will argue that the Trans Mountain route should be changed to run alongside Highway 1 where it need cross no schools or residential areas, the ecological risk is less, access for construction and maintenance is easier, emergency response would be quicker and easier, and no community drinking water sources would be put at risk.

WaterWealth's position is that the twinning of the Trans Mountain system presents a unique opportunity to make the Trans Mountain system safer. The new route should be alongside Highway 1. Rather than inevitable repairs that amount to basically bandaids to keep the 65-year old pipeline that runs through so many sensitive areas of our community operating, it should be decommissioned and replaced with new pipe alongside Highway 1 as well. The added cost of putting two pipes in a new trench that they're digging anyway would be small within a $7.4-billion project. That cost would be offset by not having to go through the difficult areas of the old route, and by not having to do repairs on the old pipe it would be replacing. To do less would be to irresponsibly place this city at risk.

Our Wealth is in Our Water, Let's Protect It!

http://www.waterwealthproject.com/chilliwack_realignment_report?utm_campaign=post_hearing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=waterwealthproject