The British Columbia Department of Highways now has a provincial gross veh-
icle weight restriction of 110,000 pounds. The proposed vehicle design will
require that these limits be modified to accept a gross vehicle weight of
128,000 pounds on 7-axle tractor-trailers. In other highway jurisdictions
such as Ontario, Quebec and the Yukon Territory, these heavier loads are
permitted. Appendix B provides documentation as to the Yukon Territory's
gross vehicle weight allowance. The Government of British Columbia can
directly recover some of the additional costs for bridge strengthening and
marginal road maintenance expenditures from fuel taxes, licenses and permits
over the operational life of the proposed route concept.

2.5) Highway Transport

Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. proposes to operate specially designed
tractor-trailers manufactured in British Columbia to transport the containers
of asbestos fibre from Cassiar to Stewart. Exhibit 2.3 is a diagram of the
proposed vehicle design. The diagram, in addition to showing the tractor-
trailer and container construction, also indicates the axle loading to support
the 128,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. Each unit is designed to carry two
standard I.S.0. containers (8' x 20') each loaded with some 20 tons of fibre.
In order to transport some 80,000 tons of fibre annually, through Stewart,
nearly 1,540 tons in 80 containers would have to be moved weekly (2,000 annual
round trips). In order to'move this volume, about 15 tractors and 22 trailers
would be required at an initial capital cost of approximately $1.6 million.

It is expected that the empty containers returning northbound to Cassiar will
be used to carry about 10,000 tons per year of general freight required by the

company and townsite.

In addition to the container trucks and trailers required to transport the
fibre, truck trailers will also be needed to haul fuel northbound from Stewart
to Cassiar to supply the requirements of the mine and townsite. The annual
fuel requirements are some 6 million gallons. This will require 3 tank
trucks, each with a fuel capacity of 12,500 gallons, to transport the fuel.
The initial capital cost of the fuel trucks including tractors and trailers