Power project is not meeting its commitment to go green and to protect species at risk

An independent power project on Miller Creek near Pemberton is failing to meet its commitments to produce "green power" and to protect species at risk, according to an environmental consulting report.

The 33-megawatt power project, owned by the City of Edmonton's EPCOR Utilities Ltd., had an oil spill on site as well as fish kills resulting from "dewatering" of the creek for four hours during a malfunction last September, reports TRC Biological Consulting Ltd. of Port Coquitlam.

The December 2007 report also notes that harlequin ducks and tailed frogs, both species at risk, have vanished from the creek since construction of the plant in spring 2003.

The report suggests the generating station "does not produce green energy as identified by the BC Hydro power Green Criteria" and "has not fulfilled their commitment, as well as their responsibility respecting the oil spill clean-up and have not protected the species at risk."

The criteria require, in part, that projects "avoid unacceptably high environmental impacts such as damage to fish populations, endangered species or air quality."

The report, obtained by the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, finds that EPCOR lacks an "adequate environmental management system" and recommends "ongoing surveillance to ensure that these deficiencies are fully completed."

It urges removal of all fuel contaminants, re-vegetation of road slopes and annual ditch clean-outs, and compensation for loss of species at risk.

Miller Creek is only the latest in a slew of environmental problems dogging so-called green independent power projects, both run-of-the-river plants and wind turbines, all over the province.

"It's like the Wild West out here," said Gwen Barlee, a campaigner with the Western Canada Wilderness Committee in Vancouver.

Barlee complained the province continues to process scores of applications for similar projects without the ability to monitor them and avoid tragic environmental outcomes.

Tim Bennet, a water-allocation section head with the Ministry of Environment, said the province continues to meet with the company to ensure environmental concerns are addressed. He added the conservation officers' service has an active investigation into the dewatering incident.

Julia Berardinucci, regional manager for water stewardship, added that a lack of solid background data on species at risk in the creek means that further studies are required to better determine the impact of the power plant.

EPCOR spokesman Jay Shukin said that as part of its licence to operate, the company has undergone a five-year environmental monitoring project, ending in 2007.

The company has discussed the latest report with the ministry and is "committed to a second monitoring period using more rigorous methodologies" to ensure "all environmental standards" are met.

The company is already proceeding with road and culvert repairs, slope stability work and a remediation plan for the diesel fuel spill, which he said occurred in 2003 on the plant's access road during the construction phase.Power project is not meeting its commitment to go green and to protect species at risk


Not more than 100 litres leaked from a fuel truck well away from the creek, he said, adding that some clean-up work was done, but further sampling indicated the "presence of hydrocarbons."

Shukin also noted that flood-control work not associated with EPCOR has had negative downstream impacts on fish in the creek.

He added that the consultant's report does not make the case that the Miller Creek facility is failing to meet its "green energy" obligations.


Independent power projects elsewhere in B.C. have generated fears about environmental and visual impacts from transmission lines, roads and other infrastructure.

The province in March refused a developer's request to punch a transmission line through Pinecone Burke Provincial Park as part of a run-of-the-river development in the upper Pitt River.

EPCOR has water and power facilities throughout western Canada and Washington state, including the seven-megawatt Brown Lake run-of-the-river power plant near Prince Rupert and the Britannia mine water-treatment plant on the Sea-to-Sky Highway near Squamish.

lpynn@png.canwest.com

© The Vancouver Sun 2008