Letter from Gary Diers (Purcell Alliance for Wilderness)

Dear Supporters,

The time clock is now ticking on the fate of Glacier and Howser Creeks. Early last week the final application for the project was submitted by Purcell Green Power, affiliate of AXOR Group of Montreal, to the BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO). Upon submission, legislated timelines kick in. The EAO has 30 days to review the application. Then there is a maximum 180 days for public and agency review. Following this the BC Ministers have a maximum 45 days to make the final decision.

We will know this winter whether or not most of the water in Glacier and Howser Creeks with their blue-listed Bull Trout will be diverted for private power; whether or not a 91.5 km transmission line will be mowing down old growth forests through Grizzly, Wolverine, and Mountain Goat habitat; whether or not the BC Cabinet will listen to the citizens as we rally against the Glacier/Howser project and the BC Liberal energy policy.

Considering the weakness of the environmental assessment process the only way to protect Glacier and Howser, along with all the other BC rivers threatened with diversion schemes, is for the public to be loud and clear to the provincial government that:

  • Our rivers are not for sale to private companies.
  • We are not presently short of electricity and have time to decide in a democratic way how we wish to provide energy for the future.
  • Full energy conservation measures should be implemented before one more dam is built.
  • Public power works!
  • Endangered species can no longer be compromised. We need an endangered species act in BC.
  • The Ashlu Law (Bill 30), limiting regional governments in their decision-making powers with regards to BC energy projects, needs to be repealed.
  • With our diminishing BC Wilderness we can no longer afford to punch transmission lines, build roads, and divert water damaging our natural heritage forever.
  • A moratorium is needed on the issuing of new water licenses for general power production as well as on new energy purchase agreements.

Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier
PO Box 9041
STN PROV GOVT
Victoria, BC V8W 9E1
Phone: 250-387-1715
premier@gov.bc.ca

Honourable Richard Neufeld, Minister of Energy
PO Box 9060
STN PROV GOVT
Victoria, BC V8W 9E1
Phone: 250-387-5896
Richard.Neufeld.MLA@leg.bc.ca

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