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B.C. container terminal operator calls its emissions data a ‘trade secret’

Apr 8, 2024 | 2:37 PM

VANCOUVER — The B.C. company that operates Canada’s largest container terminal is going to court against the federal government to keep five years of greenhouse-gas emissions data secret. 

GCT Canada Limited Partnership says the Minister of Environment and Climate Change wants to publish emissions data from the Deltaport facility south of Vancouver under the federal Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. 

The company says in a Federal Court application that the information is a “trade secret,” and publicly releasing it would cause both financial loss and harm to the firm’s “competitive position.” 

GCT Canada says in the judicial review application that the ministry is wrongfully singling out Deltaport and that no facilities run by competitors are required to report emissions numbers. 

The company says its emissions data could be used by competitors, customers and others to cause the company losses.

GCT’s lawyers and president Eric Waltz didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment, and the environment ministry deferred comment to Transport Canada, which isn’t named in the judicial review application. 

GCT Canada also operates the Vanterm container terminal in Vancouver.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press