Surrey may spend $20M yearly to fight coastal flooding, sparking debate over taxpayer burden and potential climate lawsuit against oil companies.
Surrey Braces for Rising Climate Costs
The City of Surrey could spend $20 million per year through 2030 to manage coastal flooding and rising sea levels, according to a new report from West Coast Environmental Law (WCEL). The report questions whether taxpayers should shoulder the entire financial burden or if other funding avenues, such as legal action against fossil fuel companies, are viable.
Projected Expenses and Strategy
The report, Surrey’s Rising Climate Costs & Legal Options to Recover Those Costs, draws on Surrey’s Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy, which outlines 46 measures to protect approximately 20% of the city’s floodplain. While the current decade’s cost is estimated at $20 million annually, cumulative expenses over the coming decades could exceed $1.5 billion.
Andrew Gage, the report’s author, notes the city initially considered abandoning Crescent Beach to reduce costs but removed the option after public backlash. “The city plans to defend Crescent Beach to 2100, but costs will rise exponentially beyond that,” Gage said, raising concerns about taxpayers subsidizing the protection of high-value properties.
Legal Action as a Funding Option
WCEL suggests Surrey could join a class-action lawsuit against major oil companies to recover climate adaptation costs. Over 1,000 Surrey residents and 15,000 across the province have signed declarations supporting this approach. The report emphasizes that municipalities have limited revenue options beyond taxes, making litigation a potentially critical tool for funding flood mitigation.
City Officials’ Response
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke stressed that addressing rising sea levels requires coordinated federal and provincial efforts. “Even if Surrey upgrades all its dyking, spillover from neighbouring communities could still cause flooding,” she said.
Councillors Linda Annis and Pardeep Kooner, along with General Manager of Engineering Scott Neuman, acknowledged limited awareness of the $20 million figure or the WCEL report. Kooner noted that the city has requested $30 million from provincial and federal governments for dyke upgrades and is coordinating with nearby municipalities to prevent regional flooding.
Public Concerns and Transparency
The report highlights a broader question: who should pay for climate adaptation? While city staff continue to implement protective measures, the report argues that taxpayers alone may face disproportionate costs unless alternative funding streams, such as lawsuits targeting fossil fuel companies, are pursued.
The Path Forward
Surrey’s efforts underscore the complexity of climate adaptation in rapidly growing cities. Rising sea levels, extreme weather, and aging infrastructure require not only local action but also regional and provincial collaboration. As costs mount, Surrey faces a critical debate over financial responsibility, environmental justice, and sustainable urban planning.
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