West Coast grants protect fish habitat, challenge glyphosate and oppose urban sprawl

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West Coast’s Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund is proud to announce the following grants:

• The Tsilhqot’in First Nation has received a grant of $5000 to fight Taseko Mine’s proposal to turn Fish Lake into a tailings pond. This grant will allow lawyers, Sean Nixon and Jay Nelson of Woodward and Company, to prepare final submissions for the federal government’s environmental assessment of the proposed mine. The EDRF has previously contributed towards an expert study being used by the Tsilhqot’in in the environmental assessment.
• The Sierra Club Comox Valley has received a further $2,688 towards their challenge to a development permit allowing the construction of a gas station in the environmentally sensitive Courtenay River Estuary. After an initial loss at the BC Supreme Court, the current funding is to allow SCCV, represented by Jennifer Millbank, to appeal the issue to the BC Court of Appeal.
• Concerned Citizens of Central and North Saanich has received a grant of $2,513.70 to obtain legal advice from lawyer, Carly Chunick, on how best to oppose proposals for urban development beyond the Capital Regional District urban containment boundary.
• Vancouver Island Community Forest Action Network (VIC FAN) has received a further grant of $5,666 towards their legal challenge, brought by lawyers Irene Faulkner and Robin Gage, of bylaws that would allow the development of Skirt Mountain, in Langford.
•  A grant of $8,341.20 will allow Smithers-based pesticide activist, Josette Wier, and her lawyer, Jason Gratl, to attempt to force Health Canada to conduct a special review of Glyphosate pesticides which contain Polyethoxylated tallow amines ( POEA ) due to increasing evidence that POEAs are toxic to amphibians and may raise health concerns.

Congratulations to all recipients, and to the Law Foundation of British Columbia for providing funds for the EDRF.