Bamberton quarry expansion will forgo EA despite Indigenous community request

VICTORIA — An enhanced permitting review will replace an environmental assessment (EA) for a proposed expansion of the Bamberton quarry despite the request of Indigenous people that it be required.

The Saanich Inlet Protection Society asked the environmental assessment officer (EAO) to require an EA for the proposed expansion but the project does not meet the two necessary criteria to warrant an automatic assessment.

The Bamberton quarry is owned by Malahat Investment Corporation, according to a news release.

These criteria are a 50 per cent increase of the permitted area for work to take place and an annual production rate exceeding 250,000 tonnes.

The enhanced permit review will include ongoing consultation with the EAO, technical review by geotechnical, geoscience and reclamation specialists and further engagement with First Nations and the public.

In a statement released on Jan. 17, the Saanich Inlet Protection Society disagreed with the EAO’s plan to forgo an EA for the project.

“Both the remarkable beauty and the quality of this unique body of water may be put at risk – and the many jobs that depend upon the beauty of the inlet may also be put at risk,” reads the statement.

“An environmental assessment would facilitate reconciliation by providing a venue for First Nations participation. An environmental assessment would address the concerns of communities around Saanich Inlet, communities which are overwhelmingly asking for an environmental assessment.”