Editorial — Facts are friendly when it comes to Ajax

MONDAY MORNING EDITORIAL — Whether you support Ajax, oppose it, or haven’t yet made up your mind, the reluctance by authorities to share information beyond the strict guidelines of existing legislation must seem confusing.

A letter from the B.C. Environmental Assessment office’s Scott Bailey to City council agrees to council’s request for a broad-based public information session — not just a presentation to council — hosted by the EA. That session could be held within a few weeks.

But Bailey hesitates to grant council’s second request — a new official public comment session based on KGHM International’s changes to the proposed site plan for the mine.

Council, while maintaining its neutral stance on the project, made it clear via a letter to Bailey from Mayor Peter Milobar that the public-information process so far hasn’t been up to snuff. “We believe that the EAO needs to do a better job of informing the public of the mine permitting process and stand in front of the room and own that process.”

Thus, it’s a positive sign that the EAO is willing to hold such a meeting in October. A better understand of the process will be valuable.

The City’s other request though, may or may not fly. A second letter from Milobar on behalf of council says that, since the mine proposal has been significantly modified, a new public comment period is in order.

“We feel that due to the close proximity of the mine to Kamloops’ city limits, it would be in the best interest of the Province to offer the citizens of Kamloops and the outlying areas, an opportunity to ensure that the draft Application Information requirements include all of the necessary and pertinent information.”

Then there’s federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq, who replied three and a half months after receiving an invitation from the City to come to town to look at the mine site. She can’t do it “at this time,” she said.

That brushoff is probably based on being afraid to get involved in the formal process, but the minister has nothing to fear — a hands-on approach would provide her with a better understanding of the issues at hand.

It’s too bad there’s such a reluctance by authorities to stray even the slightest bit outside their formal parameters on a project that is unique for its close proximity to a major centre. Pro, con or in between, people need to know as much as possible.