Green Power? Spiderfication!

After Plutonic, we now have Hawkeye applying for permits to put run-of-river projects all over our immediate backyard. Together these projects, if apporoved, could total in the neighbourhood of 40 sites.

See Peak article Hawkeye gears up for green power call a "green power" application for 12 new run-of-river power generating stations and a second power line right-of-way to run through our region. Subsequent phases could boost this to 34 projects. This is in addition to the handful of Plutonic Power projects already being built and more being planned.

The questions we are asking ourselves are: How many treeless rights-of-way do we want to have crisscrossing our pristine backcountry? This impacts heavily on the logging industry too. Not only does that industry lose the alienated timber harvesting land base that will never again be allowed to grow another tree on the rights-of-way, but also helicopter logging will be prohibited beyond the power lines. How many more creeks will not have their same natural volume of flow ever again? What is an acceptable limit? Is it true this power is really only going to be exported to the states? What is General Electric's involvement with Plutonic? Who is "Upper Toba Hydro Inc." Attend their Open House on Tuesday, October 21, from 4 to 8 pm at the Town Centre Hotel.

What is happening elsewhere in the province with green power projects? Click onto the link below to read the Vancouver Sun article on the Ashlu River facility being built north of Squamish: Streams go to work for green power sector

Should there not be a public discussion on this issue of proliferation of green power projects? Shouldn't we have an opportunity to provide input to government as to how we wish to see the region we live and work in develop in the future?

Over the last two years PR PAWS, other community groups and local governments have called for the provincial government to initiate a Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) on the Sunshine Coast because of growing unregulated development in our region. LNG tankers, power projects, transportation corridors, etc. There should be a moratorium on any further power developments until the public has had an opportunity to educate itself, and to provide input to government through an LRMP. Government refused an LRMP, then initiated a watered-down land use process that included consultations with first nations and the logging industry, but not local governments or local interest groups. We need a government process, an LRMP with teeth, that involves the public, various interest groups, as well as our elected representatives in the Regional District, First Nations and the City.

PR PAWS is now working to find answers to the questions above and to others related to this issue before we take a position. We will keep you informed on these developments. If you have any thoughts or information that can help in our deliberations please contact us.