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Plea to CVRD to reject Cowichan Bay estuary rezoning

I am completely opposed to the rezoning application for several reasons.
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Plea to CVRD to reject Cowichan Bay estuary rezoning

Re: Cowichan Bay estuary rezoning

I have followed this closely for several years now. I am completely opposed to the rezoning application for several reasons.

1. There has been no environmental check on what has been going on in secrecy, by PIM, actions that are contrary to the bylaws.

2. The mandate, as specified in the Ceemp, an environmental assessment, has been ignored by the committee that is supposed to oversee such an assessment. That committee is the Cowichan Estuary Environmental Management Committee.

3. According to one of the top staff people at CVRD, speaking to a group of us, the committee is totally dysfunctional.

4. Pacific Marine Industries (PIM) has consistently ignored all permitting on the area until they were caught by bylaw officers. Their credibility is in great question, at least by me.

5. If this bylaw is amended as per the application, there will be no check on industry on this highly sensitive area.

6. The rising water in the bay will submerge the area, in places it has already done this in places. What will be washed into the bay, killing the sea life there? Nobody knows as there has been no assessment of the kinds of possible toxic materials that may be present from the illegal work that has gone on there for years.

I implore the CVRD board to reject this application by Western Stevedoring on behalf of PIM. Please do think of the incremental degradation of the Cowichan Estuary and of your grandchildren and mine who will pay for the careless use of our precious environment.

Jock Hildebrand

Cowichan Valley