For immediate release Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Wilderness Committee condemns lack of public meetings regarding Bute Inlet private power project
Councilors from Lower Mainland communities call for more public meetings

Vancouver, BC The Wilderness Committee is criticizing the provincial and federal Environmental Assessment offices for failing to schedule public meetings in Vancouver, Victoria and other communities around BC regarding the "draft terms of reference" for the massive Bute Inlet private hydropower project, located 150 kilometers north of Powell River.

"This is the biggest private hydropower project in BC," explained Wilderness Committee national campaign director Joe Foy. "It is on par with BC Hydros highly controversial Site C power project proposal. However, it would appear that because Site C is not a private project, it is undergoing province-wide public meetings, while the Environmental Assessment offices are providing scant opportunity for the public to learn about and comment on the draft terms of reference which will guide the Bute Inlet private project review."

The Bute Inlet project would involve the damming and diversion of rivers in 17 locations, 445 kilometers of transmission lines, 314 km of road and 104 bridges all located in important mountain goat, grizzly bear and salmon habitat in the Bute Inlet watershed.

"We can now see that private power projects provide far less opportunity for public comment than public power projects such as Site C. That is undemocratic and a recipe for disaster given the huge environmental impacts this type of river diversion project can have," said Gwen Barlee, policy director with the Wilderness Committee. "It appalls people that Plutonic Power and their U.S. partner General Electric appear to be calling the shots."

To date only three public meetings, in Powell River, Sechelt and Campbell River, have been held to allow public comment on the draft terms of reference for the environmental assessment process. The public comment period ends tonight, February 18. The provincial Environmental Assessment Office website shows hundreds of people, including city councilors from Vancouver, Coquitlam and Whistler, calling for more public meetings.

"The massive Bute Inlet private power project risks negatively impacting individuals and businesses throughout BC. The provincial and federal Environmental Assessment offices should extend the public comment period and hold additional meetings if this process is going to be anything but a rubber stamp sham," said Foy.

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For more information please contact:
Joe Foy, Wilderness Committee, National Campaign Director: 604 880-2580
Gwen Barlee, Wilderness Committee, Policy Director: 604-202-0322