2 0 0 1 A n n u a l R e p o r t - SPEC...Energy2 (SE2) gas power plant, a cheer erupted from the...

2 0 0 1 A n n u a l

R e p o r t

E n v i r o n m e n t a l p r o t e c t i o n

s i n c e 1 9 6 9

Society

Promoting

Environmental

Conservation

2 2001 Annual Report

2001 was a watershed year for SPEC. TheGVRD's November 1999 decision to stop log-

ging in the North Shore watersheds is still rever-berating as we monitor the development of a newwatershed management plan. SPEC directors andvolunteers were instrumental in organizing com-munity opposition to the GVRD scheme to priva-tize a new Seymour/Capilano filtration plant. Andour advocating for an effective provincial drink-ing water protection act reflects the importance ofwater quality to all British Columbians.

Though the Board remains committed to thewater campaign, it hasn't relaxed its other cam-paigns. During 2001 SPEC worked to improve airquality in the region, limit liquid waste, eliminatetoxic pesticides and protect public transit. Theenergy campaign focussed on maintaining themoratorium on offshore oil exploration, stoppingthe Sumas Energy 2 power plant and working withthe North Burnaby community on the accident-plagued Chevron Refinery.

In 2002 the nuclear campaign will take onnew importance after our Federal Court success inoverturning Ottawa's expropriation of theNanoose Bay torpedo range. And our efforts tostop industrial pollution will be challenged as wego through the process of appealing Chevron'splan to dump toxic MTBE gas-additive directlyinto Burrard Inlet.

While the campaigns remain at the centre ofthe Board's concerns, we remain mindful of theneed to strengthen the structures that support the

campaign. A modernized website and updatedcomputers give SPEC enhanced effectiveness. A n dongoing maintenance of the building allows theEnvironmental Information Centre to provide serv-ices that include public education and outreach,community venues and organizing communityevents such as Environment Now. Anew feature ofSPEC's communication capacity is our ability toissue Chinese language press releases and publicservice announcements.

It can be difficult to determine our effective-ness. One measure is media presence. In 2001,SPEC was mentioned in almost 400 TV, radio,newspaper and magazine stories. That is a remark-able more than one-a-day average.

SPEC's accomplishments are due to the dedi-cation and efforts of the Board of Directors, staff,volunteers, members and supporters. We thank theEndswell Foundation, Tides Canada Foundation,Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation, MountainEquipment Co-op Environment Fund, VanCity,West Coast Environmental Law EnvironmentalDispute Resolution Fund, Sierra Legal DefenceFund, Environmental Fund of BC, BC CharitableGaming and all the individual members and sup-porters for their generous support.

David CadmanPresident

Board of Directors’ Report

2001 Board of Directors

David Cadman, President Helen Spiegelman, Vice President John Whistler, Treasurer Paul Hundal, Past President Alice Coppard, Hon, PresidentCarole ChristopherTracy Keeling

Loretta WoodcockAlan HerbertRobert Light Scott Nelson Deming Smith Bryan Wagman

2001 Staff

Ivan Bulic, Campaign Coord.Peter Bromley, Comm. CoordShirley Roburn, Admin. Coord.Fae Johnstone, Info. Centre Mgr.

Society Promoting Environmental Conservation 3

Air Quality

Greenhouses and dirty fuel

Protecting air quality in the Lower Mainland isa priority for SPEC. Since the groundbreak-

ing 1990s Clouds of Change report and theGVRD's 1994 Air Quality Management Plan, pub-lic transit, cycling and clean fuel technologieshave been identified as thebest ways of reducing airpollution. Encouragingmanufacturing, agricultureand transportation indus-tries to burn clean fuels iskey to the plan. But no plancan succeed unless applied.

Over the winter of2000-2001, natural gasprices went up. Greenhouseoperators need a lot of ener-gy to heat their huge struc-tures which have mush-roomed in the Lower FraserValley with the availabilityof cheap natural gas. Whengas prices spiked green-houses and other industriesstarted burning diesel, woodchips and other dirty fuelsthat exceed GVRD permit-ted air quality levels.

Under pressure fromgreenhouse operators, theGVRD relaxed permits andlet about 100 operators burndirty fuels with consequent increases in FraserValley air pollution.

In January, SPEC urged the GVRD Board toenforce existing air quality regulations. SPECdirectors Tracy Keeling and David Cadmanargued that environmental regulations should havethe same force as health and safety rules. No busi-ness would be allowed to violate fire or safety reg-ulations when the price of fire extinguishers orhard hats takes a jump.

"It's unfortunate that GVRD directors are sac-

rificing the health and air quality of the region tocompensate some businesses because of variableenergy prices," said Keeling. "Environmental reg-ulations should not be discarded every time ener-gy prices fluctuate." With the return of lower nat-ural gas prices by late spring, most industriesswitched back to cleaner natural gas. The GVRDhas not, however, adjusted its regulations to pre-vent future dirty fuel switching.

TransLink switches to dirty diesel

In February 2001, Tr a n s L i n k reversed adecade-old policy of using the cleanest possiblefuel in buses and switched to dirty, high-sulfurdiesel. TransLink head George Puil claimed thechange would save approximately $45,000 a year.

According to a 2001 Vancouver RichmondHealth Board report, "air pollution is an impor-tant public health problem. About as many deathsin the Lower Mainland may be attributable to air

David Cadman and Tracy Keeling at GVRD air quality meetings


pollution as from HIV, accidental falls or trafficaccidents." Health Board authorities are particu-larly concerned about diesel particulate – themicroscopic airborne particles visible as a blackcloud coming out of exhaust pipes – because theylodge deeply in the lung and contribute to emphy-sema and cancer.

In 1990 TransLink's predecessor, BC Transit,decided to use low-sulfur No.1 Diesel, despiteslightly higher costs, to encourage the bus andtrucking industry to voluntarily switch from No.2Diesel which contains twice as much sulfur and

emits more particulate. BC Transit hoped a greater demand for clean

fuels would eliminate the price difference. Butdespite Transit's example, most trucking compa-nies did not switch to clean fuel.

Vancouver opts for dirty diesel

In 2001 the City of Vancouver renewed a multi-year contract with Chevron to supply the city's

fleet of trucks and machinery with dirty No.2Diesel. SPEC president David Cadman cited localHealth Board concerns when he urged Council'sEnvironment Committee to purchase cleaner No.1 fuel instead. Except for Councillors Tim Louisand Dr. Fred Bass, Vancouver Council decidedthat keeping fuel costs down outweigh health andenvironmental concerns.

Chevron

SPEC continues to work with North Burnabyresidents on problems related to Chevron's

accident-plagued North Burnaby refinery. SPECissued press statements, made presentations atBurnaby City Council, met with the GVRD,Chevron Canada and BC Environment Ministryofficials, and supported the efforts of BRACE(Burnaby Residents Against Chevron Expansion)o rganizers Judi Marshall and S h a n n o nCampbell.

A highlight of the campaign was in earlyApril, when North Burnaby high school studentsMatthew Clive and Kevin Kelln found toxic gas-additive MTBE in groundwater collected outsidethe refinery. The boys were conducting a scienceproject to determine "the effects of the Chevronoil refinery on the surrounding environment andcommunity " and wanted to see if traces of a May2000 spill of 80,000 liters of MTBE from therefinery had migrated into surrounding areas.Minute amounts of MTBE, a carcinogen that willbe banned in California by 2004, can contaminatewater supplies.

Clive and Kelln contacted SPEC when labtests showed MTBE in their samples. Chevron

Judi Marshall and David Cadman at the Chevron refinery


spokesperson Ray Lord,h o w e v e r, claimed Chevron'sown tests have "yet to findanything resembling what wasreported (by the boys)." OnApril 18, Lord said "SPEC isblowing things way out ofproportion" and implied SPECwas using the boys to "toadvance a particular cause."

Despite Chevron denials,City of Burnaby engineerW.C. Sinclair reported onApril 11 that "samples takenfrom the site identified by thestudents showed MTBE to be21 microgram/L(itre) in thepooled surface water." Sinclairalso revealed that as early asApril 04, Chevron told BCEnvironment Ministry off i c i a l sthat groundwater within therefinery contained "concentrations of MTBE on-site (which) are significantly higher than thosefound off-site, including those sampled by theC i t y. "

Following news of the Chevron cover-up,environmental lawyer William A n d re w sappeared before Burnaby Council. Andrews wasacting for SPEC with assistance from West CoastE n v i ronmental Law A s s o c i a t i o n. BurnabyCouncilor Nancy Harris grilled Chevron offi-cials who promised a new "regime of opennessthat will rebuild trust with the community."Chevron's "openness", however, was short-lived.

In July, BC Ministry of Water, Land and AirProtection (WLAP) Manager Ray Robb noted

"Chevron has not disclosed the additional infor-mation on MTBE concentrations. The delay inreporting this information is incongruous with thecommitment of refinery manager Tom Kovar andother Chevron officials to openly communicatethe environmental data for the refinery to theMinistry and the public."

Meanwhile Environment Canada's NationalPollutant Release Inventory listed Chevron as thecountry's top MTBE polluter, ahead of

Newfoundland's notorious Come by Chance refin-ery. And in October an environmental complianceaudit determined that Burnaby releases more pol-lutants than its refineries in California.

The audit was the first of three reviewsordered in 2000 by the BC government followinga series of Chevron accidents that include dump-ing tons of toxic dust over residential neighbour-hoods and an explosion that injured two workers.SPEC was able to review the report despite “a cor-porate decision to not release a copy of the reportto SPEC", according to Lord.

At the end of 2001, Chevron applied for apermit to dump MTBE contaminated wastewaterdirectly into Burrard Inlet. Andrews reviewed theapplication and asked BC WLAP Minister JoyceMurray to declare the refinery a contaminated site.The minister did not respond to Andrew's submis-sion. SPEC will appeal the permit before the BCE n v i ronmental Appeal Board. Hearings areexpected in late spring of 2002.

Meanwhile Burnaby Council recognized thee fforts of the students Clive and Kelln, andBRACE’s Judi Marshall by giving them good cit-izen awards for their efforts in protecting the localenvironment.

The Chevron tank farm, site of the MTBE spill.

Burnaby Council

recognized

Matthew Clive,

Kevin Kelln and

BRACE activist

Judi Marshall

with good

citizen awards.


Energy

Sumas Energy 2

On Feb. 16, the 11-member Washington StateEnergy Facilities Site Evaluation Council

(EFSEC) met in the Whatcom County CourtHouse in Bellingham, Wash. before a packedcrowd from both sides of the border. W h e nEFSEC chair Deborah Ross announced theCouncil was rejecting the 660-megawatt SumasEnergy2 (SE2) gas power plant, a cheer eruptedfrom the jammed courtroom and rippled throughthe overflow crowd in the street.

EFSEC’s decision was the culmination oftwo years of community effort to stop a powerplant that would pump more than three tonnes ofpollutants a day into the Lower Fraser Valley air-shed. The decision was particularly satisfying forSPEC president David Cadman who workedclosely with Sierra Legal Defence Fund (SLDF)s t a ff lawyer Tim Howard, A b b o t t s f o r dCouncillor Patricia Ross , Whatcom County

Councillor Connie Hoag, Abbottsford BusinessAssociation president Mary Reeves, the DavidSuzuki Foundation’s G e r ry Scott and theCouncil of Canadians in raising public aware-ness about SE2. SPEC made presentations toEFSEC and the National Energy Board, organ-ized media events and attended meetings withFederal Environment Minister David Andersonand former BC Minster Joan Sawicki.

SE2 parent corporation NESCO resubmitteda “revised” proposal that is substantially thesame as the rejected plan. The BC Government isnow formally opposed to the revised scheme,which must be reviewed by EFSEC as well as byWhatcom County Council before going toWashington Governor G a ry Locke for approval.On Mar. 29, 2002, Whatcom County voted over-whelmingly against the revised SE2.

GSX

During the debate over SE2, BC Hydroannounced plans to build a Georgia Straight

Councillor Patricia Ross, David Cadman and Connie Hoag celebrating Feb EFSEC decision at

Watcom County Courthouse

On March 29,

2002, Whatcom

County voted

o v e r w h e l m i n g l y

against the

revised SE2.


Crossing (GSX) submarine pipeline to carry nat-ural gas from Sumas, Wash. to Cobble Hill onVancouver Island where GSX will hook up withthe existing grid and supply three new gas powerplants on the Island.

SPEC supported efforts of a growing numberof Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands residentswho cried foul over GSX. They argued thatHydro should develop wind, solar, geothermaland tidal power before committing the provinceto a fossil fuel energy future. If BC is to meet itsKyoto commitments and cut fossil fuel use,Hydro shouldn’t build GSX.Opponents also noted the effect ofan underwater pipeline on marinehabitat of Georgia Strait.

Working with Dermot Foley o fthe David Suzuki Foundation,SLDF's Tim Howard prepared a for-mal submission to National Energ yBoard hearings in Vancouver inJanuary 2002, and on Va n c o u v e rIsland in April. The GSX campaignpromises to continue well into 2002.

Oil Free Coast Alliance

Akeynote of the May 2001 BCLiberal government T h r o n e

Speech was forming a ScientificReview Panel to examine the threedecade old moratorium on off s h o r eoil and gas exploration. BothPremier Gordon Campbell a n dE n e rgy Minister Richard Neufeldsay lifting the moratorium will revive NorthCoast communities.

Oil exploration is an old issue for SPEC. In1971, SPEC’s Gwen Mallard and Alice Coppardhitchhiked to Ottawa with a 60,000-name petitionopposing oil exploration and tanker traffic. The1960s and 70s were marked by disastrous oil spillsincluding one in Vancouver Harbour that washedcrude oil onto West Vancouver beaches.

In September 2001, SPEC met with environ-mental, First Nations, coastal community and pub-lic interest organizations in Victoria and formedthe Oil Free Coast A l l i a n c e to campaign for main-

tenance of the moratorium. With almost 90 mem-ber groups, the Alliance held a press conference inVancouver where J e n n i f e r L a s h and O o n a g hO ' C o n n o r of Living Oceans Society, A r n i eN a rc i s s e of the BC Aboriginal FisheriesC o m m i s s i o n, John Radosevic of the U n i t e dFishermen and Allied Workers Union and D a l eMarshall of the Canadian Centre for P o l i c yA l t e r n a t i v e s ( C C PA) joined SPEC’s DavidCadman outside downtown Va n c o u v e r’s FourSeasons Hotel where petro-corporations andbankers were talking about lifting the moratorium.

Despite Neufeld's claims of massive benefitsfor the North Coast, the Alliance points out thatexploration brings with it the risk of a disastrousspill. A Chevron Canada assessment reports thatfewer than a dozen jobs would be created in thefirst three years of exploration. And no one is evensure if BC waters hold reserves that can be eco-nomically retrieved. Predictions are based onunsubstantiated 1960s estimates .

With Haida First Nations now claiming con-trol of all waters off the Queen Charlottes, thishigh profile issue be a major campaign for SPECand the Oil Free Coast Alliance.

David Cadman speaks at October press conference for Oil Free Coast Alliance

Fewer than a

dozen jobs

would be created

in the first three

years of oil

exploration.


GMOs

Food Fight at the Rage

On April 11, 2001, more than 400 young peo-ple crammed the dance floor of downtown

Vancouver's Rage nightclub and boogied to themelodious vibes of JeetK DaTripmaster andS t rong Like Tr a c t o r. They were celebratingFood Fight, a GMO awareness night organized bySPEC staffers Saraid Wilson and Sarah Blyth.

The April event was co-sponsored by 21businesses and community organizations and fea-tured entertainers and speakers who urg e dVancouver youth to support mandatory labeling ofgenetically modified (GMO) food. The eventcoincided with former BC NDPAttorney GeneralGraeme Bowbrick's introduction of Bill 18; anact for mandatory labeling of GMOfoods.

GMO Labeling

Bowbrick set July 31 as deadlinefor public feedback on Bill 18.

SPEC activists Scott Nelson andPeter Bromley produced and dis-tributed hundreds of GMO informa-tion cards on Bill 18. In August over500 filled-out cards were forwardedto Victoria.

Government officials said theyhad already received 890 letters,emails and faxes of which a star-tling 99.1 per cent supportedmandatory labeling. BC numbersmatch Canada-wide polls on GMOlabeling

Despite the massive outpouringof support, BC's new Liberal gov-ernment quietly killed Bill 18 claim-ing food labeling is a federal respon-s i b i l i t y. And besides, they said, fed-eral Bill C-287 on mandatory label-ing was up for debate in the Houseof Commons. C-287 was defeated inO c t o b e r. The BC government has noplans to resurrect Bill 18.

Patenting Human Body Parts

Another aspect of genetic technology arose inMay when the Canadian Biotechnology

A d v i s o ry Committee met secretly atVancouver's posh Wall Centre Hotel to discusspatenting of human body parts. The taxpayerfunded committee supports biotech research con-ducted by multi-national corporations, patentlawyers and academics. In 1998, the most recentyear for which statistics are available, theCanadian government gave $314 million tobiotech research.

Holding invitations to the meeting, SPEC'sScott Nelson and Capilano College instructorNandita Sharma attempted to speak to theCommittee. They didn’t much beyond a line ofbiotech security staff. A SPEC press release didsucceed in informing the public of theCommittee's secret agenda.

Scott Nelson, Peter Bromley, David Cadman and Nandita Sharma outside secret

biotech meetings in Vancouver.


Liquid Waste

In 2001 the GVRD submitted a draft LiquidWaste Management Plan (LWMP) to the BC

government for approval. Unfortunately the Planfails to meet federal fisheries laws by allowing thecontinued dumping of raw sewage into BurrardInlet and Georgia Strait from the Lions Gate andIona sewage treatment plants. Nor does the Plan

outline a specific timeline for upgrading the 100-year-old combined storm sewer outfalls (CSO)that pump millions of litres of raw sewage intoFalse Creek and English Bay during winter rain-

falls. The GVRD hoped to fast track the Plan andget provincial approval by the autumn of 2001.

Together with David Lane of the T. BuckSuzuki Environmental Foundation and withassistance from the Sierra Legal Defence Fund ,SPEC made submissions to the GVRD andVancouver City Council calling for upgrades tomeet federal laws. SPEC also commissioned apoll showing 70 per cent of Lower Mainlandhouseholds would pay up to $150 a year toupgrade the sewage system. GVRD claims it istoo costly to convert CSOs earlier than 2050.

SPEC wrote to BC Water Land and A i rProtection Minister Joyce Murray u rging her towithhold approval of the draft LW M P until itmeets minimum standards. "Fifty years is too longto continue pumping sewage into our surroundingwaters and beaches," said SPEC president DavidCadman. Murray approved the Plan in April 2002.

Meanwhile SLDF staff scientist J o h nWerring released data indicating that GVRD"raw sewage is know to be acutely toxic to fishand aquatic life. It is laced with hundreds of dead-ly toxins including PCBs, dioxins, furans, pesti-cide residues and heavy metals such as mercury,lead copper and cadmium."

David Cadman holding biosolids sample with GVRD staffer Nancy Grenier. Ivan Bulic, on right, holds

sample during SPEC visit to GVRD Annacis Island sewage treatment plant.

A SPEC poll

showed 70 per

cent of Lower

Mainland

households

would pay up to

$150 a year to

upgrade sewage

system.

SPEC staffers Ivan Bulic and Peter Bromley at

Annacis Island.


TransportationTransportation issues occupied considerableattention in 2001. A summer-long transit dispute,bus fare hikes, privatized subways to the airportand a resurrected scheme for a North Shore tunnelwere among the key issues that SPEC activistsworked on.

Pedestrian Safety

Polls repeatedly indicate that traffic conges-tion, transit and pedestrian safety top the list

of public concerns in the Lower Mainland. In anaverage year 20 pedestrians are killed and morethan 600 injured on Vancouver streets. In lateFebruary 2001, SPEC organized a public forum onpedestrian safety with Vancouver City CouncillorsTim Louis and Dr. Fred Bass, Vancouver SchoolTrustee Allan Wong and community organizerAnne Roberts. Close to 100 people packed aVancouver Public Library meeting room to dis-cuss ways of making Vancouver streets safer.

Anne Roberts compiled areport on the forum,Pedestrian Safety, w h i c hwas submitted to bothVancouver City Counciland the School Board.

SkyTrain

Also in February, SPECdirector Deming Smith

asked the BC A u d i t o r-General to review theS k y Train Millenium Lineproject. Smith's request fol-lowed three independentreports, including one byUBC transportation expertP e t e r B o o t h royd that indi-cated the new line wouldadd up to $1.7 billion to thecosts of building rapid tran-sit in the GVRD. The need

for a financial review was reinforced in A p r i l ,when Gordon Campbell advisor Ken Dobell f l o a t-ed a scheme for a privatized subway from down-town to the airport. Dobell proposed the airportline just three weeks after TransLink voted to cut160,000 hours from inner city routes that morethan 80 percent of transit users rely on.

"It is astounding that TransLink would evencontemplate another mega-project when theyhaven't figured out how to keep existing buses onthe road," said Smith. "While fares are going upand buses are disappearing, Dobell and TransLinkboss George Puil want to build yet another mega-project. We need an audit now."

Transit Labour Dispute

The big transportation story of 2001 was thelabour dispute that kept buses off Vancouver

streets for over four months. SPEC was concernedthat prolonged service disruption could destroypublic confidence in transit, decrease ridership,and take years to rebuild the system.

Soon after buses stopped running, labourmediator Vince Ready proposed a solution to get

Seniors, students, disabled and workers demonstrate outside Vancouver City Hall for end to

the four-month long transit dispute.


the system up. Ready's report was supported bydrivers as well as seniors, students, business asso-ciations, the disabled and community groups.TransLink, however, ignored the report and thepublic. Vancouver City Council also refused tohear public delegations and barred the doors toCity Hall after a stormy Council session.

SPEC contacted seniors organizations, theCanadian Federation of Students , disabledgroups, BEST and business associations. After110 days without buses, SPEC organized a Julybreakfast meeting of approximately 40 businessowners from Gastown, Robson Street, Chinatownand Lonsdale Quay. Local media covered themeeting which sent a message to TransLink that acontinued disruption in service was not onlyharming air quality, but also damaging the econ-omy.

SPEC volunteers distributed 100,000 leafletsacross Greater Vancouver calling for adoption ofthe Ready report. Buses started rolling a weeklater when TransLink finally used Ready's reportto resolve the dispute.

Water Quality

SP E C ’s efforts to protect drinking waterabsorbed considerable resources during 2001.

Drinking water was a major issue for both thepublic and decision makers at all levels of govern-ment.

The efforts of SPEC directors, volunteers andstaff focussed on three areas: participating in theprocess around the development of the ProvincialGovernment’s new Drinking Water ProtectionAct (DWPA), working with communities acrossBC to protect local drinking watersheds andSPEC’s ongoing activities regarding the GreaterVancouver water system.

BC Drinking Water Protection Plan

In Late 1999 the BC government, jolted by theWalkerton tragedy and a critical report by the

BC Auditor-General, held province-wide publicconsultations on a proposed Drinking Wa t e rProtection Act that culminated in February hear-ings in downtown Va n c o u v e r. In March BCprovincial health officer Dr. Shaun Peck rein-forced the call for tougher drinking water protec-tion. Peck cited at least 28 outbreaks of water-borne illnesses in BC, and noted the provinceleads the country with the number of communitiesunder boil-water advisories.

SPEC volunteers hand out flyers on the corner of

Granville and Broadway.

Third Crossing

Meanwhile the issue of a Third Crossing ofBurrard Inlet resurfaced. SPEC was instru-

mental in squashing 1970s plans for a grandiosenetwork of bridges, tunnels and freeways thatwould have transformed Vancouver into LAnorth.This time West Va n c o u v e r C o u n c i l l o r J o h nClark and Vancouver Park CommissionerAlanDeGenova are promoting a tunnel from MainStreet to Lonsdale Quay so Olympic 2010 visitorscan get to Whistler. SPEC issued press releasesopposing the scheme. North Vancouver andVancouver City Councils subsequently squashedthe proposal; for now at least.

After 110 days

without buses,

SPEC organized

a breakfast

meeting of

a p p r o x i m a t e l y

40 business

owners from

G a s t o w n ,

Robson Street,

Chinatown and

Lonsdale Quay.


SPEC organized community participation atthe public DWPA consultations and prepared asubmission calling for a halt to logging, mining,cattle grazing and other industrial activities indrinking watersheds, thecreation of a single agencyto regulate water protec-tion, and the creation ofdedicated drinking water-shed preserves.

SPEC watershed re-searcher Will Koop organ-ized a press conferencewith Paul George of theWestern Canada Wilder-ness Committee a n dKootenay environmentalistColleen McCro ry at theVancouver hearings. T h edraft DWPA introduced by

BC Environment Minister Ian Waddell failed toestablish a single water agency nor meaningful re-strictions on industrial activities.

Following the May provincial election, newMinister of Water Land and Air Protection, J o y c eMurray rescinded the DWPA and appointed apanel to review the DWPA. The panel submittedrecommendations that include strengtheningsource protection, creating a lead agency to man-age drinking water from source to tap and ensuringthat protecting water be given precedence overindustrial activity. Murray indicated that amendeddrinking water legislation would be introduced inthe Spring 2002 legislative session.

Community Watershed Protection

SPEC, meanwhile, continues to work withcommunities on the Sunshine Coast, the East

Kootenays and First Nations on watershed protec-tion. Particular focus was applied on A r ro wCreek where Will Koop prepared a comprehen-sive case study (at www.spec.bc.ca/spec/drinkwa-ter/arrowmain.htm) on their community water-shed campaign. SPEC’s work was supported byVancouver’s Mountain Equipment Coop.

Through the autumn, SPEC contracted withD r. Susan Germain to research province-widecommunity watershed protection. A member ofCanadian Association of Physicians for t h eE n v i ronment and trained in environmental sci-ence as well as medicine, Germain consulted with

Will Koop makes presentation for SPEC at Drinking Water Protection

Act hearings in Vancouver.

David Cadman, Susan Germain, Shirley Roburn discuss community

watershed protection project.


First Nations, provincial health authorities andUBC watershed researcher D r. Hans Schrier.Germain worked with the Sierra Club and theE n v i ronmental Mining Council of BC to devel-op an interactive mapping project identifying ingraphic form the stresses on every watershed in theprovince. The mapping project is expected to becomplete by August 2002.

Privatization of GVRD waterfiltration plant

In April 2001, the GVRD announced plans to pri-vatize construction and operation of a new $430

million water filtration plant for theSeymour/Capilano reservoir. The GVRD watercommittee had been planning a new filtrationplant since the early 1990s. Foreign multi-nation-al corporations, experienced in privatizing publicutilities in the US and Europe, lobbied the GVRDfor a public private partnership (P3) which wouldlet them design, build and operate the plant, andpocket the profits. In Canada public facilities aredesigned and built under contract, with daily oper-ations remaining in public control.

GVRD head George Puil and Wa t e rCommittee chair, Surrey Councillor Marvin Hunt,claimed a P3 deal would save money and bring inexperts unavailable locally. Four international cor-

porations - US Filter/Vivendi, Earthtech, Bechtela n d CH2M Hill- were short listed. Hunt said thepublic would not loose control of its water systembecause a P3 deal would not invoke NAFTA c l a u s-es that have let corporations overrule elected off i-cials elsewhere. The Vancouver Sun weighed inwith editorials touting P3s. And since it was such agood deal, Hunt said, there was no need for publicc o n s u l t a t i o n .

SPEC, other public interest organizations andthousands of outraged citizens thought other-

wise. Canadian Union of Public Employees(CUPE) researcher Kathy Corrigan r e l e a s e dGVRD documents showing a P3 deal would real-ize few savings. Local GVRD engineering staffsaid they didn’t need foreign experts to operate afiltration plant. In May, Ottawa international lawexpert Steven Shrybman produced a legal opin-ion that under NAFTA “this proposed undertak-ing puts at risk the capacity of government tomaintain the highest standards of water quality.”According to Shrybman a P3 deal could leavetaxpayers “liable to the company for the loss offuture profits that would run well into the tens ofmillions of dollars.”

SPEC, the Council of Canadians and CUPEorganized public meetings and submitted motionsfor public consultation at municipal councils. The

Public pack June 14 meeting in Burnaby to oppose privatization of GVRD water filtration plant.

“I am

particularly

concerned,”

said Svend

Robinson, “that

the federal

government is

attempting to

influence

decisions made

by local

politicians.”


GVRD relented and held a June 14 “information”meeting in Burnaby that was packed by an over-flow crowd of 700 citizens.

Speaker after speaker told Hunt and GVRDexecutive Johnny Carline to keep the water sys-tem public. At a second meeting on the NorthShore 500 people said the same.

On June 29, in a dramatic reversal, the WaterCommittee backed out of the P3 scheme. Huntcited public opposition as reason for the aboutface. But the multi-nationals tried to move theWater Committee back into the P3 camp.

On September 07, seniors officials of the fed-eral D e p a rt. of Foreign A ffairs and InternationalTr a d e ( D FAIT) met behind closed doors with Huntand Carline. The meeting was organized by the

Canadian Council for Public PrivateP a rt n e r s h i p s, a branch of the Washington, DC-based National Council for Public PrivateP a rtnerships (NCPPP). The NCPPP lobbies onbehalf of US Filter, Earthtech and Bechtel.

Learning of the DFA I T meeting, SPEC presi-dent David Cadman and others went to the GVRDwhere a surprised Marvin Hunt indicated theD FA I T meeting was open. Moments later Hunt leftthe room without explanation. When Cadman fol-lowed, GVRD security said the meeting was closedand ordered him out of the building.

The secret meeting raised alarms that theGVRD might revert to a P3 deal after all. BurnabyMPSvend Robinson raised the issue in the Houseof Commons. “I am particularly concerned,” saidRobinson, “that the federal government, acting onbehalf of a lobby group and perhaps foreign cor-porations, is attempting to influence decisionsmade by local politicians.” SPEC access to infor-mation requests were rejected by DFAIT becauseof “the events of September 11 as well as thepolitical situation that has evolved since then.”

At an Oct. 18 meeting of the GVRD WaterCommittee, Hunt claimed the DFAITmeeting wasa “private briefing” closed to the public. Whendozens of speakers urged Hunt and Carline tostand by their June decision, the Committeepassed a motion to not privatize the water plant.A subsequent motion calling for open GVRDmeetings was defeated.

Turbidity

SPEC efforts to monitor water quality in theGVRD got a big boost in November when the

GVRD had developed a daily water quality indexto measure turbidity levels in the watersheds. TheGVRD has said turbidity – silty organic materialsuspended in water – was not a health concern,despite numerous studies (Health Canada 2002)linking turbidity to gastrointestinal diseases.Turbidity also necessitates increased chlorine dis-infectant which can combine with organic materi-al in the water to produce cancer-causing tri-halomethanes.

Warnings are now posted on the SPEC web-site when turbidity exceeds safe levels.


Arbutus Corridor

When the last CPR freight train completed its11-kilometer run from False Creek to

Marpole along the Arbutus Corridor on May 31,2001, a century of rail history ended. It alsomarked the start of what could become an equal-ly long debate on the future of the Corridor.

In June SPEC director Alan Herbert hosted acommunity meeting on the Corridor at SPEC.“The Arbutus Corridor is a tremendous opportuni-ty where transit can be compatible with greenways,pedestrians, bikes, gardens and with usable publicopen spaces,” said Herbert. In 2000, Herbert wasinstrumental in organizing the Save A r b u t u sC o r r i d o r C o m m i t t e e when the CPR floated plansfor condos and commercial development along therail spur.

The June meeting attracted local residents,community gardeners and transit activists as wellas Vancouver Quadra MP Steven Owen.Participants proposed options ranging from high-speed passenger rail to a mixed-use bikeway andlinear park

The CPR still owns the Corridor, but says it isprepared to sell for $100 million. The land is cur-rently valued at under $500,000 for tax purposes,a figure the CPR has never challenged. The rail-road went to court after massive public oppositionpersuaded City Council to quash CPR’s develop-ment plan. Currently neither the railway nor theCity are actively pursuing legal action.

Pesticides

The Supreme Court of Canada’s groundbreak-ing 2001 ruling upholding the right of

Hudson, Quebec to limit pesticide use, was a vic-tory for everyone concerned about pesticides. Thecourt decision and a House of CommonsEnvironment Committee report raising ques-tions about the health hazards of cosmetic pesti-cides, reinforced SPEC’s efforts to limit the pro-liferation of toxic pesticides.

Following the Supreme Court decision, SPECactivists commented on TV, in newspapers and on

province-wide radio programs. During a live seg-ment on a Victoria radio station, a MonsantoCorporation executive said “government con-trol” could erode a consumer’s right to choosewhat chemicals they purchase.

In BC commercial users apply pesticidesunder permits that require reporting on location,

amount used and reasons for application. Butover-the counter cosmetic pesticides need no per-mits. There are no regulations to prevent house-holders from buying, storing and misusing anyamount of toxic pesticide. Nor are there statisticson how the 6000 registered Canadian pesticides,most of them cosmetic, are used.

A 1996 Quebec study found that 80 percentof accidental poisonings involved childre nunder five who got into household pesticides. It isprecisely to prevent these tragedies that SPECinvited Marlene Jennings, MP for Notre –Dame-de-Grace/Lachine to Vancouver in October.

Hudson, Quebec falls in Jennings’ r i d i n gwhere she is sponsoring Bill C-267; a federal actto limit cosmetic pesticides. While in Vancouver,Jennings addressed a public meeting at theVancouver Public Library, conducted media inter-views, and held a workshop for municipal engi-

Councillor Fred Bass (centre) speaks to children from Kitsilano

Daycare after the CPR sprayed Roundup on the adjacent Arbutus

Corridor.

In 1996,

80% of

accidental

poisonings

involved

children under

five.


neers on the Hudson Decision. Jennings stressedthe need to limit cosmetic pesticides and outlinedhow local municipalities and communities can beproactive in setting limits within municipal juris-dictions.

Green Communities

Wal-Mart

In the autumn of 2001, Wal-Mart, the biggestcorporation on the planet, unveiled plans for a

huge 24-hour big-box store surrounded by acres ofpaved parking on SE Marine Drive in SouthVancouver. If built, Wal-Mart would generate upto 7,000 additional car and heavy truck trips a dayinto the area.

“A Wal-Mart at this site would create air andnoise pollution all day and all night,” said SPECdirector Deming Smith. Working with local com-munity organizer Anne Roberts to form BuildingBetter Neighbourhoods, a coalition of local resi-dents and organizations, SPEC launched a cam-paign to inform Vancouverites of the impact aWal-Mart would have on local neighbourhoods.The campaign has gained national attention asthousands of South Vancouver residents sign peti-tions, attend meetings and send letters to City

Hall. Approval for the development will go beforeVancouver City Council on June 27, 2002.

Jericho volleyball courts

Over the summer and fall, the VancouverPark Board floated a plan to spend $90,000

on 12 sand volleyball courts in Jericho Park for asingle user group. Besides contravening the origi-nal plan for Jericho, the courts would impact oncritical greenspace and increase noise pollutionand car traffic in the park.

SPEC director L o retta Wo o d c o c k s u p p o r t e dlocal community groups opposed to the scheme andspoke at Park Board meetings. The Board eventual-ly bowed to public opinion and shelved the plan.

SPEC website

Beginning in April, the SPEC websitewww.spec.bc.ca was upgraded and expand-

ed. Major structural changes were made whilemaintaining the site’s functionality.

For purposes of clarity and ease of use, thesite was divided into two main sections. TheVancouver Environmental Information Centresection is now aimed at the general public andprovides reliable and up-to-date resource informa-tion on a wide range of topics. There are listingsfor “green” community events, jobs, communi-ty resources, links to environmental groupsthroughout the Lower Mainland and BC in gener-al, and information on meeting rooms and officespace for community groups. A direct link remainsto the website managed by City Farmer locatedin the SPEC building.

The SPEC section focuses on campaign issuesand presents those issues from the specialized, in-depth perspective of the Society. It is aimed atthose who want detailed information about envi-ronmental issues that concern Vancouver and theLower Mainland. It provides press releases, arti-cles, event listings, notices and links that aredirectly related to SPEC’s campaigns.

Visits to the SPEC website are increasingwith each press release and event alert issued.

Enthusiastic defenders of community values


Media Coverage

Much of SPEC's efforts are aimed sat educat-ing and informing the public about environ-

mental issues. SPEC's policy is to use existingelectronic and print media to reach as many peo-ple as possible.

In 2001 SPEC issued 65 press re l e a s e s a n dpublic service announcements, and was mentionedi n 397 media stories, articles and re p o rts. T h e s einclude front page articles in major dailies such asthe Globe & Mail, Vancouver Sun and P ro v i n c e ,T V and radio news reports, as well as independentcommunity and regional weeklies and local stu-dent media. 2001 saw an increase in media cover-age from 3 8 0 in 2000 and 281 in 1999.

Most media coverage was the direct result ofSPEC activities. SPEC also organized press con-ferences and issued media advisories related toongoing campaigns and scheduled events. A sec-ondary source of media coverage is when re-porters contact the Environmental InformationCentre with specific questions or to seek com-ment on current issues. Only in a very few cases,were SPEC staff or directors unable to respond tothese queries.

Although SPEC staff attempt to monitormedia coverage, not all articles and stories arereflected in these records. The media coverage canbe broken down as follows:

DETAILS

These are mostly TV news reports. Though some are extended pub-lic affairs programs.

Again these are mostly news stories. A significant number are alsolive interviews on public affairs programs or call-ins where SPECspokespeople are guests answering questions about specific issues.

News stories in the Vancouver Sun, Province, Globe & Mail,National Post, Victoria Times-Colonist, international and regionaldailies as well as major community papers such as the VancouverCourier and Georgia Straight.

This is an area that has been difficult for SPEC to adequately accessand monitor. In 2001 Dr.Yaming Chen and Yanhua Yin have beentranslating news releases and PSAs into Chinese for distribution tothe Chinese language media. Vancouver has three Chinese languagedaily newspapers, two radio stations and a TV station with mixedMandarin and Cantonese language programming. There are a num-ber of Chinese language weeklies and magazines, and Chinese lan-guage programming on Cable networks. CO-OPradio and other sta-tions also carry Chinese language programming. On a per capitabasis, Chinese speakers lead the region as consumers of media.

Magazines, student press and local community newspapersacross BC.

CONTACTS

80

176

80

25

36

MEDIA

TV

Radio

MajorNewspaper

coverage

Chineselanguage

media

Local

In 2001, SPEC

was mentioned

in 397 media

stories, articles

and reports,

including front

page articles in

major dailies.


Sponsored Events

Environment Now

In October, SPEC held its fourth annualEnvironment Now series at the Va n c o u v e r

Public Library. The series was co-sponsored byVanCity Credit Union and the Va n c o u v e rPublic Library. The theme focused on what indi-

viduals and groups can do to affect change. SPECdirectors, staff and volunteers managed the eventsand provided information tables. At different lec-tures community groups set up display tables: theRaincoast Conservation Society, C a n a d i a nC e n t re for Policy Alternatives, the DavidSuzuki Foundation, The Land Conservancy ofBC and Farm Folk City Folk. The Series wascovered in newspapers, on radio and the internet.Approximately 600 people attended this year’spresentations.

On October 3, U Vic law professor and authorDavid Boyd tackled environmental policy inCanada. Introduced by VanCity President G re gM c D a d e , David pointed to our failure to incorpo-rate environmental limits, values, and costs into oureconomic system, and government’s continuingbias toward economic growth over environmentalprotection. He said despite Canada’s poor perform-ance, there have been recent reductions in air pollu-

tion and municipal waste, improved sewage treat-ment and energy eff i c i e n c y, and increases in recy-cling and park creation.

On October 10, Mayor Joe Trasolini of PortMoody introduced Quebec Liberal MP MarleneJennings who described her efforts to introduce afederal private members bill banning the use ofpesticides for cosmetic purposes. Marlene said therecent Supreme Court of Canada decision touphold a ban of cosmetic pesticides in Hudson,Quebec was a significant legal event.

On October 17, SPEC Director L o re t t aWo o d c o c k introduced Abbotsford CityCouncillor Patricia Ross who demonstrated howpersistence and public political support is crucialin addressing environmental issues at the com-munity level. In 2001, aware of how it wouldimpact the Lower Fraser Valley, Ross led citizensand local government in opposition to the SumasEnergy 2 (SE2) gas fired power plant.

The closing Environment Now event onOctober 24 drew a capacity crowd to for a mul-timedia presentation by activist and photogra-pher Ian McAllister, introduced by BC GreenParty leader Adrian Carr. Using slides, music,video and live commentary, Ian painted a vividpicture of how grizzlies have become a merepawn in a political and economic board game.Actual population of grizzlies remain in dispute,and the lack of solid numbers disturbs many,including federal Environment Minister DavidAnderson.

Think City

In December 2001 and January 2002, SPEChelped organize the Think City conference at

the Roundhouse Community Centre in Vancouver.Together with Better Environmentally SoundTransportation (BEST), the Coalition of Pro-gressive Electors (COPE), Council of Canadi-ans, Headlines Theatre, Vancouver Indepen-dent Media Centre, Momentum Magazine, theSeniors Network, Tenants’Rights Action Coali-tion, and the Vancouver and District LabourCouncil, the conference explored how communi-ty initiative can make a difference in BC commu-nities. Five main themes of the one-and-a-half day

The crowd at Ian McAllister’s Environment Now presentation.


conference were strengthening neighbourhoods,developing the local economy, improving trans-portation, strengthening public services and nur-turing cultural communities.

The SPEC Building

Shared Accommodations

As of December 31, 2002, the SPEC buildingand its facilities were shared by City Farmer,

the BC Office of the National Action Committeeon the Status of Women (NAC), The LandConservancy of BC (TLC), and the AnimalDefence and Anti-Vivisection Society. Sharedaccommodation rates remain fixed at 2000 levelsand cover building maintenance, and the cost ofsharing the fax machine, the meeting room and theboard room.

Meeting Room Rentals

The upstairs meeting hall and board roomwere in steady use throughout the year, with book-ings ranging from 20 to 50 per month. Most book-ings were for evening events. In December, meet-ing room rates increased to reflect higher utilityand maintenance costs.

Maintenance

There were significant maintenance expendi-tures in 2001. A water heater element was

replaced and the furnace air filters were cleaned toimprove heating efficiency. On the building exte-rior, the wooden sun valences on the south wallwere removed due to their poor condition, and thewall was refinished with recycled paint obtainedthrough the Recycling Council of BC’s MaterialsExchange Program. A start was made in replacingthe deteriorated window casings on the south andeast sides of the building. Approximately 20 win-dows will have to be replaced over the spring andsummer of 2002.

The Vancouver EnvironmentalInformation Centre

Phone calls and personal visits to theInformation Centre averaged between 15 and 20

per day, and variedaccording to the season.Inquiries range from sim-ple referrals, to requestsfor information anddetailed information onissues such as toxic spillsand environmentallyfriendly building materi-als. In the last quarter,there appeared to be aslight trend away fromtelephone calls andtoward visits to the VEICwebsite (see SPEC web-site above). In November,meanwhile, volunteersbegan a more comprehen-sive cataloguing of thecontents of the reference

l i b r a r y. The library contains newsletters,brochures, clipping files, government documentsand periodicals touching on a wide variety ofenvironmental issues. When complete, moredetailed list of publications will be posted on theVEIC website. SPEC also has an archive that isopen to the public.

Exterior walls

were refinished

with recycled

paint obtained

through the

Recycling

Council of BC’s

Materials

Exchange

Program.


Volunteers & staff

SPEC campaigns depend on the efforts of oursupporters and volunteers. They include

Cecile Helten, Jennifer Borden, Kirby John-stone, Tapio Leiva, Norman A b b e y, DavidWright, Andrew Gage, Judi Marshall, Shan-non Campbell, Dr. Susan Germain, Tim Louis,

Anne Roberts, Dr. Fred Bass,HeatherMcGregor,Yaming Chen,G reg McDade, Joe Tr a s o l i n i ,David Boyd, Yanhua Yin, EricChan, Patricia Ross, Nancy Gre-nier, Laurel McGregor, NaseemGulamhusein, Eileen Seto, AnneFerries, Elaine Johnston, KarenCampbell, Tim Howard, BillAndrews, Dave Buchanan, ColinStark, John Irwin, Carrie Walk-e r, Sikee Liu, Annelise Sorg,Libby Davies, Svend Robinson,Nancy Harris, Harold Steeves,and many others too numerous tolist. Volunteers, supporters andmembers are the heart and soul ofSPEC.

In 2001 SPEC said goodbye toadministrative coordinator SaraidWi l s o n and welcomed S h i r l e y

Roburn. After a whirlwind of activity organizingFood Fight and working on funding proposals,Saraid found herself drawn to life as an artist inMontreal. Shirley brings energy, enthusiasm and asocial activist background to her new position.She will be handling day-to-day administration,fundraising, and membership development.

Environmental Information Centre coordina-tor and building manager Fae Johnstone contin-ues to handle the many questions and details need-ed to keep SPEC running smoothly. Communica-tions coordinator Peter Bromley was instrumen-tal in developing SPEC's new website and super-vised the design and production of numerousinformation materials.

Early in 2001, SPEC was fortunate in havingair and water quality campaigner Tracy Keeling.Her talents, however, didn't go unnoticed by TheLand Conservancy who offered her an opportuni-ty to manage their Pit Meadows programs. Tracyremains with SPEC as a member of the Board.SPEC also lost youth outreach worker SarahBlyth after her contract ended in October. Sarah isnow working on community development pro-grams in Ecuador. Meanwhile campaign coordi-nator Ivan Bulic continues to assist SPEC direc-tors, staff and volunteers.

SPEC volunteers Jennifer Borden and Laurel McGregor preparing mailouts with staffer

Sarah Blyth.

Shirley Roburn, SPEC’s new administrative

coordinator.


In Memorium

SPEC mourns long-time activists

In 2001 SPEC and the environmental community of BClost three outspoken and irreplaceable voices.

Will Paulik

Long-time crusader and original SPEC director,Will Paulik, died on Jan. 02, 2001. Will

joined SPEC in 1970 and represented the organi-zation on numerous boards and commissions.

Will was passionate about protecting FraserValley wetlands and was instrumental in creatingGarry Point Park in Steveston. As early as the1960s, Will called for action to preserve the FraserDelta from industrial development, pollution andloss of wetlands. In 1992, Will received the BCEnvironment Award for his work as "a tenaciousenvironmentalist long before it was fashionable.His unfaltering perseverance has helped protectthe Fraser River."

Derrick Mallard

SPEC founder Derrick Mallard died onJune 01, 2001. Together with his wife

Gwen, Derrick founded SPEC in theirCoquitlam, BC home in late 1969. As a lecturerat SFU, Derrick was able to enlist like-mindedacademics and students in acampaign to stop localrefineries and chemicalplants from dumping eff l u-ent into Burrard Inlet. T h eMallards soon expanded intocampaigns to stop BC Hydrofrom spraying pesticides,and organized a BC wide60,000-name petition callingfor a moratorium on off s h o r eoil exploration. Derrick andGwen moved to Va n c o u v e rIsland in 1972 where theycontinued to work on con-servation issues.

David Davies

This year also saw the loss of long-time SPECvolunteer David Davies. A native of Wales,

David traveled and worked in Australia, India andIran where he was impressed by how peoplerepaired, reused and recycled virtually everything.Arriving in Vancouver in 1956, David applied thatconservation ethic locally. In 1969 he joinedSPEC's West Vancouver branch where, as a mem-ber of the Municipal Recycling Task Force , heinitiated a Waste Audit of North Shore businesses.In his later years David worked on models for sus-tainable transportation systems in the LowerMainland. David Davies died on Oct. 17, 2001.

Will Paulik

Dave Davies examines early recycling depot.


Join SPEC, or renew your membership!

This year, consider shifting your member contributions to automatic debit. As a small, mem-ber-driven organization, SPEC strives to keep overhead costs low, and concentrate resourceson campaigns. Switching to an automatic debit membership/donation lowers administrative

costs and regularizes your contribution over the year. It also provides a stable source of funding toSPEC, and allows us to plan more reliably. Please consider becoming a monthly or quarterly donor.

❏ Yes! Please sign me up as a sustaining donor. I have filled out the back of this form and avoided cheque is attached. Please debit my account:

❏ Monthly ❏ Quarterly

❏ $10 ❏ $25 ❏ $50 ❏ $100 ❏ other (please specify) $

Signature

name

address

code

phone (h) (w) fax

email

organization /affiliation

Additional information:Please include me on a ❏ phone tree fax tree ❏ email tree

Please tell us if you have an interest in a specific campaign areas such as Toxics / Pesticides,

Nuclear Issues, Sustainable Transportation or Water Quality:

❏ Please do not share my contact information.

Thank you for your support! All donations are tax deductable.

I prefer to renew my membershipyearly. Enclosed is a cheques formy membership as:

❏ Student/Senior ($10)

❏ Low Income ($10)

❏ Individual ($20)

❏ Family ($30)

❏ Friend of SPEC ($50)

❏ Patron ($100)

❏ Corporation ($250)

❏ Benefactor ($500)


2001 FinancialHighlights

Income

Foundation Grants 94,153Casino 48,400Building Shared Maintenance 14,934Individual Donations 14,529Corporate Grants 8,093Government Grants 3,093Interest Income 1,927Memberships 1,530Other 4,472

Total 191,132

Expenses

Wages & Benefits 79,931Subcontractors 31,390Office Equipment and Supplies 8,070Advertising & Promotion 8,020Telephone & Utilities 6,658Building Repairs & Maintenance 3,858Fundraising 3,070Other Expenses 12,289

Total 153,286

The above figures are SPEC’s financial high-lights only. Official financial statements areavailable upon request.

S P E C ’s 2001 financial statements wereprepared by Mahmoud Virani, CA. This is thefirst time in over 10 years that SPEC hasengaged an accountant.

SPEC gratefully acknowledges the follow-ing Foundations that provided support in 2001:Endswell Foundation; Tides Canada Founda-tion; the Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation,Mountain Equipment Co-op EnvironmentFund, VanCity, BC Charitable Gaming funds,West Coast Environmental Law EnvironmentalDispute Resolution Fund.

Expenditures by Project

Expenses

Income

Society Promoting Environmental Conservation 2001 Annual Report

SPEC2150 Maple St. Vancouver BC Canada V6J 3T3

tel: 604-736-7732fax: [email protected]

text, editing & inside photos:

Ivan Bulic

text, design & cover photos:

Peter Bromley

Society Promoting Environmental Conservation2150 Maple Street, Vancouver, BC V6J 3T3

Deliver to:

SPEC Annual General Meeting

7pmThursday, May 16, 20022150 Maple Street, VancouverFor information on the nominating committee or general

meeting, please contact us at 604-736-7732

Established in 1969, the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation is a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental research, advocacy and education.SPEC operates the Vancouver Environmental Information Centre.

Paper: 100 % post-consumer, process chlorine free (cover) and 80% recycled 60% post-consumer, process chlorine free (inside).

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