Powell River Regional District (PRRD) board will not be offering the province comment on an escalation of run-of-the-river power projects in the Toba River watershed.
In December, the provincial government asked the regional district to comment on four applications for five-year Crown land licences submitted by a Vancouver-based hydropower engineering consulting company.
“We’re not the approving authority on these,” said Sandy McCormick, Texada Island director and chair of PRRD’s planning committee. “We’re being given the opportunity as the local government to comment, but comments go back to the province for their approval.”
The provincial government notifies the regional district when it has received an application for a Crown land licence. The first step is for PRRD staff to prepare a report on what, if any, zoning or bylaws the regional district has that would interfere with the project going ahead.
Sigma Engineering Ltd., a subsidiary of Synex International Inc., has asked the province to allow it five years to investigate a number of projects that would add to the already significant run-of-the-river developments in the watershed.
In the case of the Sigma applications, the PRRD planning committee, comprised of four members, was split evenly, making a decision one way or the other impossible.
“With an even number on the committee, a tie is possible,” said McCormick, who explained the regional district will not send comments to the province on the matter.
Director Patrick Brabazon, representing Electoral Area A, which includes the area in question, made a motion at the December 8 meeting to reply to the province’s request, citing objections to the development application. That motion was defeated with directors Colin Palmer and McCormick voting against.
Another motion was made, but this time the committee reported to the board it had no objections to the applications. That motion was defeated when Brabazon and interim director Alan Rebane opposed.
“It’s a gold rush,” said Brabazon of the increasing number of potential run-of-the-river hydro projects. “BC Hydro will pay a premium for that power, over and above what they are paying for the power of their own dams.”
Part of the appeal of these projects is the province views this type of electrical generation as “green” and promotes them, said Brabazon.
But, he explained, “that totally ignores the environmental impact of the construction site and of the power lines, the economic damage done through the primary industry in our neck of the woods, which is forestry.”
Brabazon added he is not convinced diverting water from streams, even if it is temporary, doesn’t have an impact on stream ecology.
Brabazon explained the province passed legislation long ago that removed any power that regional districts had to stop
independent power project developments.
Even if regional district directors made the argument a project did not meet environmental standards put forward in the Sustainability Charter for the Powell River Region, that, in and of itself, would not be enough to stop a project if the province decided to allow it to proceed.
The provincial government is not under any statutory obligation to adhere to the charter, said Brabazon.
“Remember, this is simply a referral from the provincial government,” he said. “Frankly, they don’t care what we think.”
