I have some great news to report in the on-going fight to keep BC’s rivers wild and power public. We received a letter, dated June 3, 2010 from Bute Hydro Inc. to the Chair of the Federal Environmental Assessment Review Panel that indicates that the company does not see “advancing through the Environmental Review Process at this time.”

This is very good news indeed! Now that this terrible project has been slowed down to a stop, we say British Columbia needs to take the necessary steps to ensure that it never, ever gets going again!

Bute Hydro Inc, a partnership between Plutonic Power and the huge multinational corporation General Electric, had proposed to dam and divert 16 rivers in the Bute Inlet area to produce hydroelectric power. Their letter states that though the companies are stepping back for now, they may want to come back at a later date to “reconfigure the project”.

Now, we are concerned that the company may be waiting for the federal government to further weaken the environmental assessment rules. And we can’t let that happen. We say that British Columbia needs to take advantage of this delay to ensure that the Bute Inlet region’s wild salmon rivers are fully protected from the crazy schemes of General Electric and their friends.

That’s why we are calling on the Provincial Government to revoke General Electric’s water license applications and to declare the rivers of the Bute an official Salmon Sanctuary, forever protected from being dammed, diverted and ruined for the private profit of the owners of these power companies.

We’ve stood together for Bute Inlet in the past, and we’ve seen the project stumble and slow as a result. We’re asking you to stand up and voice your opinion once again. Please send a letter NOW to BC Premier Campbell telling him just how much you want him to revoke the Bute Inlet water license applications of General Electric and their friends, and to declare this area a Salmon Sanctuary off-limits to damaging industrial activity such as river diversion projects.

By working together we can keep BC's rivers wild and power public. Thanks!

Sincerely,

Gwen Barlee| Policy Director
Wilderness Committee