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[Rodney]

FYI, some maybe very interested in attending these. Are you concerned about the fate of Pitt River dolly varden and bull trout? I am curious how they are able to address the public's concerns at the second meeting, which is less than 24 hours after the first meeting.

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Northwest Cascade Power Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Run of River Power Inc. (ROR) is planning to develop seven “run-of-the-river” hydro-electric power projects in the Upper Pitt River watershed. ROR has begun the regulatory review process to obtain the necessary permits and approvals for the projects.

The proposed projects will have a combined capacity of 140 MW, providing an important source of clean, ‘green’ renewable energy. The electricity will be connected to the power grid through one of two transmission routes: one traveling west to connect with the Cheekeye sub-station in Squamish, or the other traveling south to connect with the Port Coquitlam sub-station, in Port Coquitlam. The seven streams are tributaries to the Upper Pitt River, and include Bucklin Creek, Pinecone Creek, Homer Creek, Shale Creek, Steve Creek, Corbold Creek and Boise Creek. The components of each of the projects include a high elevation weir and water intake, penstock, powerhouse and transformer.

The Public is invited to attend two public information sessions to review the proposed projects.

The meetings will be held at the following locations:

In Squamish
Totem Hall Pitt Meadows Public Library
102 - 38551 Loggers Lane
Squamish BC, V8B 0B8
Phone (604) 689-3119
December 6, 2006, 4pm-9pm

In Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge
12047 Harris Road
Pitt Meadows BC, V3Y 2B5
Phone (604) 465-4113
December 7, 2006, 4pm-9pm

Representatives of ROR will be in attendance to answer questions regarding the project. Public comment sheets will be provided to record issues of concern regarding the project. An electronic comment sheet is provided on the ROR web site at.

To promote public involvement in the process ROR intends to undertake two public information sessions to obtain comments.

The First Public Information Session (the currently advertised meetings) is intended to provide the Public with an understanding of the project and provide the opportunity for the Public to identify and discuss issues of concern.

The Second Public Information Session is intended to illustrate how Public comments have been considered in the design of the project, and will be undertaken in early 2007.

Additional information about the project is available online or by calling Run of River Power Inc. at 604-946-9232.

Download PDF file of this news release

[CustomRetrieval]

If done properly I think that this could be a good source of power generation. Even though it is only 20MW, it is a relitively clean 20MW. I would prefer to see this than Sumas2 or Duke Point, or the proposed coal fired plants in Princeton and Tumbler Ridge. I just wonder about the roads required for construction.

Also, I think the "addressing public concern" is a second set of public meetings planned for 2007 as a response to these first two meetings

[Rodney]

No there are only two meetings, one after another one. First one is used to gather public concerns. Second one, the day after, used to address those concerns.

To promote public involvement in the process ROR intends to undertake two public information sessions to obtain comments.

The First Public Information Session (the currently advertised meetings) is intended to provide the Public with an understanding of the project and provide the opportunity for the Public to identify and discuss issues of concern.

The Second Public Information Session is intended to illustrate how Public comments have been considered in the design of the project, and will be undertaken in early 2007.

It is indeed clean energy, however one has to be concerned about the impact on the development along the path that is used to access that energy, ie. roads, power line, etc. We're talking about development at headwater tributaries of the Pitt River, within the range of bull trout and tributary spawning species such as coho salmon and cutthroat trout.

[BwiBwi]

Hydro power can be environmentally damaging. Though have to admit it is the less devil of other options.
Upper Pitt River and it's tributaries are home to all pacific salmon with the exception of pink (howerver there has been record that pinks at one point did came back to Pitt).
It's has been a C&R River for a long time it's to show how fragile these river systems are.

[CustomRetrieval]

Rodney, did you read what you quoted??

No there are only two meetings, one after another one. First one is used to gather public concerns. Second one, the day after, used to address those concerns.

To promote public involvement in the process ROR intends to undertake two public information sessions to obtain comments.

The First Public Information Session (the currently advertised meetings) is intended to provide the Public with an understanding of the project and provide the opportunity for the Public to identify and discuss issues of concern.

The Second Public Information Session is intended to illustrate how Public comments have been considered in the design of the project, and will be undertaken in early 2007.

It is indeed clean energy, however one has to be concerned about the impact on the development along the path that is used to access that energy, ie. roads, power line, etc. We're talking about development at headwater tributaries of the Pitt River, within the range of bull trout and tributary spawning species such as coho salmon and cutthroat trout.

[troutbreath]

"The Second Public Information Session is intended to illustrate how Public comments have been considered in the design of the project, and will be undertaken in early 2007."

Probably reviews how well the snow job went on selling this small scale environmental disaster to the public. Or how cleverly misconstrued the publics concerned comments can be manipulated. Add some power lines and access road cheaply thrown in for final damage (but good for stockholders). Were the hell are the power lines going to go? I guess to there other proposed project on Mamquam river.

Could be good thing but after the BC government didn't allow BC Hydro from doing anymore projects the whole thing smells of BC Rail etc.

[Rodney]

Thanks CustomRetrieval for the correction, need new glasses.

[BwiBwi]

Glasses!!  What you need is sleep.

[Rodney]

http://commonground.ca/iss/0610183/stolen_rivers.pdf

http://www.hydrofactsbc.ca/documents/The_Legacy_of_Private_Power.pdf

[troutbreath]

Good articles on a subject that goes over most peoples heads. Until they see the Hydro bill coming there way. Once again BC Liberals look after their own. Too bad for us.

[blueback]

I can't quite recall the name of the creek but during the 90's, I helped WCWC and a number of "stakeholders" undertake a catalogueing of 'natural values' in the upper Pitt area (Dan Gerrack was also part of this undertaking). It seemed that the reason (or at least one of the main reasons) the logging was stopped in that area, was that a sub species of Bull Trout unique to a tributary of the upper Pitt was discovered. I beleive that UBC biologists were the one's who actually did the field work. Maybe that these fish are a unique sub-species in the world will be reason enough to question the wisdom of this kind of development? I will try to dig up the document that was produced as a result of the study.