Kootenay East MLA and Opposition Critic for Energy and Mines Tom Shypitka (pictured) April 21 joined Fort St. John MLA Dan Davies (BC United) in releasing a joint statement in response to the proposal by BC Hydro to amend Site C’s Environmental Assessment Certification (EAC).

“I am concerned about BC Hydro’s proposal to amend Site C’s EAC to leave structures at the bottom of the Peace River once construction finishes, due to the possibility of potentially harmful debris being left in the river.

“It was always understood that BC Hydro would remove these structures as soon as they are no longer required and this proposal to leave pieces of causeways, gravel pads, concrete abutments, concrete anchors, and pieces from diversion channels in the reservoir is particularly worrying considering we don’t know the long-term impacts they will have on the river,” the joint statement outlined.

“This project was on-time and on-budget when the NDP took it over in 2017, and would have been completed by now and providing clean electricity to British if it the NDP hadn’t completely mismanaged the project.

“Unfortunately, the NDP’s failure to properly oversee Site C continues to cause problems and this amendment appears to be an effort to save additional debt on a project that is already $8 billion well over the original budget when the NDP first took over in 2017,” the statement concluded.

e-KNOW file photo

e-KNOW

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