'Green' claims disputed.

Tom Rankin, president of Save Our Rivers Society, used to have to pester
people to get his message out. Now he has plenty of citizens eager to listen.
A keystone of B.C.'s low-emissions energy strategy is power generated by
private "run of river" plants driven by rushing water. But what's good for
fighting global warming has raised various other fears for Rankin and a
diverse range of groups opposed to the projects.
Rankin turned activist when he caught wind of a private hydro development
planned for Ashlu creek, just north of Squamish where the rancher calls
home. He went to meetings, got on the phone and formed the society to stop
what he sees as the "theft of B.C.'s rivers."
One of his converts was Gwen Barlee of the Wilderness Committee, who
says Rankin's persistent calls prompted her to look more closely at private
hydro projects.
Barlee admits she was initially pleased about BC Hydro's first call for green
power proposals in 2003, the year the contract for Ashlu creek was granted.
That changed when she actually saw the project construction site.
"I thought of a little turbine in a stream," she says. "They're called
run-of-river projects . . . they should be called river diversion projects."
While environmental and conservation activists have criticized the touting of
these projects as "green," a number of other interest groups are mobilizing
against private power for other reasons.

"We're seeing a really diverse group of people," says Barlee. "It's indicative
of the depth and breadth of private power producers across the province."

Too much, too fast?

Right now there are 35 private power projects up and running, another 45
have been granted contracts and more than 500 water licenses -- obtaining
one of these is the first step for hydro project development -- have been
bought.
This is too much, too quickly with too little consultation with stakeholders,
say opponents. There have been four requests for moratoriums on private
hydro development in the province.
In 2005, the Squamish-Lillooet regional district requested a moratorium on
"high value" streams in the Sea-to-Sky corridor "until a consensus-based
regional strategy is developed to predetermine which rivers are suitable for
IPP [independent power producer] development . . ."
Last June, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs called for a moratorium on private
hydro development until there was assurance of "transparent" consultation
with First Nations and a review of the terms of existing water licenses.

Unions oppose privatization

The NDP, Wilderness Committee, Council of Canadians and Canadian Office
and Professional Employees Union have also jointly called for moratoriums.
David Black, president of COPE local 378, says members have been rallying
against BC Hydro privatization since 2002 when it launched BC Citizens for
Public Power.
In 2003, one-third of BC Hydro jobs were outsourced to Accenture, an
international management consulting, technology and outsourcing company.
Carleen Pickard, regional organizer for the Council of Canadians, says there
is "widespread support" to stop the proliferation of privately owned hydro
projects.
"This is the time for [a moratorium]," says Pickard. "The rubber is hitting the
road. The call for a moratorium is not unachievable and it's entirely within
the rights of citizens."

Power line would slice park

The latest battleground in this fight to halt private hydro development is a
proposed project site approximately 100 kilometres from Vancouver,
sandwiched between three provincial parks: Pinecone Burke to the north,
Garibaldi to the east and Golden Ears the south.
Northwest Cascade Power Ltd., a subsidiary of Run of River Power Inc., is
proposing a 161 MW hydro facility on eight tributaries of the Upper Pitt
river.

The project proposal includes building a 43-kilometre transmission line that
would cross the northern and southern tips of Pinecone Burke Provincial
Park.
The park is designated class A, which allows for the least amount of
disruption within its borders. Under the B.C. Parks Act, it's possible to move
the borders of a park with a Park Boundary Adjustment Amendment. Run of
River has requested such an amendment to allow for the transmission line.
"I anticipate that an amendment will come in some form in the spring session
. . . and be debated in the legislature between Feb. 12 and the end of May,"
says Shane Simpson, Vancouver-Hastings MLA and the NDP critic for the
environment and sustainable communities.
Run of River has scheduled the first of three open houses on Upper Pitt and
the proposed park boundary adjustment for next Monday in Squamish.
Anyone can fill out a public comment application on the company's website.

Company: 'No feasible route alternative'

Jako Krushnisky, the president of Run of River Power Inc., didn't return calls
from The Tyee.
The company's website states that if the amendment is approved, 52 acres
would be removed from the park and designated a protected area, managed
under a park-use permit.
The website also states that two transmission routes were considered, and
"due to the project location and available BC Hydro interconnection points,
there is no feasible route alternative that would avoid the need for crossing
Pinecone Burke Provincial Park."
Both Simpson and Gwen Barlee of the Wildnerness Committee said they feel
government will be watching public response to this project closely.
"We're hearing behind the scenes the government is getting nervous," says
Barlee.

Minister: Citizens still own rivers

When asked for comment about public opposition to private hydro
development, public affairs for the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum
stated the government is not considering a moratorium and e-mailed The
Tyee an opinion editorial from Minister Richard Neufeld about private
electricity generation in B.C.
"IPPs may own their generating infrastructure but they do not own the rivers
and streams. The people of British Columbia continue to own these water
resources," states the letter.

"BC Hydro is currently looking at building and expanding electricity
generation. It is moving to Stage 2 of reviewing the feasibility of the new Site
C project on the Peace River. As well, BC Hydro has undertaken capital
investments on several dam sites."

Irrigation worries

Stage two of Site C, which will consist of stakeholder consultation and
project definition, will take two years. Construction -- if the project reaches
that stage -- wouldn't begin for another seven, according the BC Hydro's
website.
Harold Steves, a former NDP MLA who was integral in the creation of the
Agricultural Land Reserve, lamented what he sees as the loss of the "best
publicly-owned power system in North America."
Steves says he hears from farmers who are concerned about not having
enough water to irrigate crops.
"I've got farmers contacting me saying that they're losing water rights," he
says.
"They don't know how this could happen."

Water level concerns

Last September, a power project on Miller creek near Pemberton shut down
and reduced the creek to a trickle. Alarm signals were re-routed to an office
in Edmonton, but the incident went unchecked until local farmers alerted BC
Hydro.
Andrea Barnett, communications coordinator for the B.C. Cattlemen's
Association, said that although she receives many complaints about low
water levels, none have been directly attributed to hydro projects.
People in the tourism and outdoor recreation sector are also worried about
transmission lines, cleared construction sites and large pipes diverting water
and spoiling wilderness destinations.
Chris Laustrup, a photographer, owns 120 acres on the Pitt River near Olsen
creek. He, his wife Dianna and their young son moved there to "get away
from society" and are currently building a wilderness retreat that will cater to
other people looking for escape.
"I'm not an environmentalist, I'm a conservationist. I'm talking about a wise
use of natural resources," he says.

Plea for land use plan

"My drive has always been to getting people up there, getting tourism up
there," says Laustrop, who was the president of Tourism Pitt Meadows when
the organization was in its infancy.

He says the area has the same natural attributes of Whistler and Squamish,
but is worried the eco-tourism potential will be spoiled when private power
producers move in without a land use plan in effect.
Laustrop says such a plan is necessary to ensure the area is developed
appropriately -- and with no infringement on park land.
Jeremy McCall, executive director of the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C.
says he imagines public input on the Pinecone Burke proposal will be
"deafening."

'Parks are supposed to be sacred'

The ORC represents about 100,000 direct and indirect members, says
McCall. He says the organization is trying to be an "expert" source of
information on the public consultation process for the Upper Pitt and other
hydro projects.
"Really, parks are supposed to be sacred," he says.
"We're not trying to act politically, we're trying to make sure people know
what's going . . . and do what they think they should do," says McCall.

First Nations see costs, benefits

There are certainly differing opinions among aboriginal leaders about what
private hydro development means for their people.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip says First Nations communities already in "dire
straits" are particularly vulnerable to power companies that promise jobs,
skills training and revenue sharing in exchange for land and water rights.
Last April, a 119 MW project on the East Toba river, north of Powell River,
was approved after consultation with Klahoose Chief Ken Brown.
Brown said when the project proponent, Plutonic Power Corporation,
expressed interest in developing Klahoose territory, it was like "the stars had
aligned."
Plutonic is spending $34 million on an initiative to rebuild old logging roads
and bridges that have been decommissioned for 20 years, something the
Klahoose could never have afforded, says Brown.
"You sit around waiting for a treaty settlement or you step up to the plate,"
says Brown. "You interface with private business and create economic
opportunities for people. I try not to focus on the divisiveness of it."

'Election issue' says grand chief

Phillip says private hydro development on rivers, streams and waterways
"flies in the face of everything we consider important" and urged activist
groups to reach "beyond the usual suspects" and let ordinary people know
how privately owned power will affect them.
"We're 15 months out from the next election," says Phillip. "This issue has to
become part of everyone's kitchen table talk."