The Tseshaht First Nation released a statement yesterday, blasting the Port Alberni Port Authority for not consulting them on the CanTimber Project.
Tseshaht Chief Councillor Cynthia Dick said their biggest concern is the effect wastewater has on the marine environment.
Port Authority CEO Zoran Knezevic says the only water discharge, is city water that runs through pipes to cool the product, and is released as hot water.
He says they will be implementing a process to cool the water before it enters the marine environment
Dick said they also want to implement a decision making committee to oversee Port Authority proposals and decisions, as well as have a formal seat on the board
Knezevic says creating a new seat at the board table would be a decision only the federal minister of transportation could make.
As for a new CanTimber oversight group, he said they have been working with Tseshaht and all other community groups throughout the 3-year process surrounding the biocoal project
Knezevic said he plans to work closely with Tseshaht and other groups to ensure the 21 recommendations from the Golder Report are complete before CanTimber is allowed to re-start.