Cloudworks threatens Statlu, Tretheway, Shovel and Big Silver Creeks
Concerns about this Project
This project involves four creeks: Statlu, Tretheway, Shovel and Big Silver, which are located to the east and the west of Harrison Lake. Three of these creeks are fish-bearing, and the surrounding area has high wildlife values.
Some of our concerns include:
• three of the four creeks are fish-bearing, impacting rainbow trout and Dolly Varden, with downstream impacts on summer run steelhead, coho, sockeye, longnose dace and cutthroat trout
• the projects are in the habitat of western screech owl, tailed frog, harlequin duck, northern goshawk, spotted owl, red legged frog, pacific water shrew, grizzly bear and goat and deer winter ranges, many of which are species at risk
• 36 km of new power lines and associated right of way clear-cuts
• a 1.8 km long tunnel on Big Silver Creek which will create tonnes of waste rock and raises serious concerns about the possibility of toxic acid rock run off
• landslides, erosion and downstream siltation from penstocks, roads, and construction areas which have been a serious problem on other Cloudworks projects
• a network of new roads and road upgrades that will fragment wilderness habitat
Cloudworks Record
Cloudworks has had several projects that have come to the attention of government agencies for low environmental standards, including the Upper Harrison and Rutherford Creek projects which resulted in front page stories in the Province newspaper.
Some past issues of concern include “poor construction practices”, “destruction of fish habitat”, “damaged wetland habitat”, “logging to streambanks”, an “illegally built bridge”, “illegally harvested wood” and “numerous landslides.”
Unfortunately Cloudworks’ record is not the exception to the rule: province-wide, environmental standards for power projects are embarrassingly low. With the budget for the Ministry of Environment cut in half since 2001, the ability for our government to provide oversight is limited. That is why your perspective is so important.
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