VANCOUVER – The Narrows Inlet independent power project (IPP) proposal has ground to a halt in the BC Environmental Assessment process due to severe informational deficiencies and potential “show stoppers”, which include fish habitat loss. The proponent, Narrows Inlet Hydro Holding Corporation (NIHHC), requested that the 180-day government review be halted to address the information gaps, after receiving notice from regulators about their concerns.

Numerous information deficiencies were identified by the BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO), which included:

• “Lack of adequate baseline data for Tailed Frogs.”
• “No mitigation or compensation commitment from Proponent to offset Project-related habitat loss for Northern Goshawk.”
• “Fish bearing status of several reaches has not been determined.”
• “There is uncertainty regarding the feasibility of the Project adhering to the standard DFO ramping rates.”
• “Estimates of total riparian losses are not accurate and no consideration has been given to baseline riparian values/conditions at impact sites.”

In an unusual step, the EAO also identified project “show stoppers” which included sedimentation risks associated with lake drawdown* and fish habitat losses that “exceed those typically allowed by regulatory agencies.” The EAO also described the proposed level of lake drawdown as “not mitigable”.

“This proposal had so many obvious problems that even the BC EAO couldn’t ignore the issues,” said Gwen Barlee, Policy Director with the Wilderness Committee.

“IPPs are under increased scrutiny because of their environmental impacts and the enormous financial hit to BC Hydro,” said Barlee. “In the past the EAO just rubber-stamped projects that came before them; I must say I was astounded that they actually identified such serious problems in the proponent’s application. I guess the increased public scrutiny is starting to pay off.”

The 45 MW Narrows Inlet project—which consists of five inter-related hydroelectric projects on four creeks and three lakes—is located 50 km north of the town of Sechelt. The proposal has an energy purchase agreement with BC Hydro, and was in the very final stages of the EAO process before requesting the clock be stopped on day 157 of the 180-day review.

Due to their considerable environmental and financial impacts, the Wilderness Committee is calling for an immediate moratorium on run-of-river IPPs in BC.

*“Lake drawdown” means using lakes as storage, then drawing them down to produce extra power when it’s needed. The Narrows Inlet application proposed the drawdown of three high-elevation lakes, in one case drawing the lake down by up to 45 metres.