Calling for a halt to Site C activities
Media Release: February 18, 2016
Andrew Weaver calls for a halt to Site C activities
For Immediate Release
Victoria, B.C. – Citing significant risk to taxpayers and the provincial economy, Andrew Weaver, Leader of the B.C. Green Party and MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head, is calling for an absolute halt to Site C activities until the Auditor General’s report is completed.
“What do I think of Site C?,” says Weaver “It is risky and foolish. British Columbians are going to be paying for this project for decades, for a project that, in the absence of a vastly expanded LNG industry, we simply don’t need.”
On Monday B.C. Hydro will be in Vancouver seeking an injunction to remove a protest camp that has been set up by First Nations and landowners on the bank of the Peace River.
“Site C is a project that has been pushed forward from day one with exemptions on oversight every step of the way,” says Weaver. “The government has done everything it can to push aside dissent without reasonable justification. This latest move by B.C. Hydro is just another example of this approach.”
“Site C should have been subject to the B.C. Utilities Commision, but the government felt it would slow down their political agenda too much,” says Weaver.“I couldn’t agree more with former B.C. Hydro CEO Marc Eliesen in that due diligence is absolutely needed with a project of this magnitude. It’s simply reckless to proceed in this manner.”
Weaver warns that proceeding with Site C is also actively driving clean energy investment out of the province.
“Just two weeks ago the Canadian Wind Energy Association announced it was closing its office and leaving the province because the government and B.C. Hydro are just not interested,” says Weaver. “This mirrors a trend we saw last year with EDP Renewables – no interest from government for a roughly one billion dollar wind-power investment off Southern Vancouver Island, so the company walked.”
“Rather than let the market take the risk for energy infrastructure projects, this government is using billions of taxpayer dollars to get Site C ‘past the point of no return’. It’s a project that was dreamt up to support the pipedream of LNG. Now it’s a project without a home, and all we’ve seen is the cost go up and up while other opportunities vanish.”
Today in his response to the budget, Weaver elaborated on his fiscal concerns about Site C.
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Media Contact
Mat Wright – Press Secretary Andrew Weaver MLA
1 250 216 3382
mat.wright@leg.bc.ca
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5 Comments
I agree 100% Site C should be stopped. They are trying to ram it through.
Part of the reason for Site C is to back up even more overpriced, intermittent private run-of-river and wind power, which is costing BC Hydro over $56 billion going into the future.
Site C would hasten BC Hydro’s inevitable bankruptcy.
Andrew, i agree with you this must be stopped….but how??
Let’s hope the courts come with favourable rulings in a timely fashion.
Great points Andrew. Especially regarding the Provnce driving away clean energy investment from the private sector. Out of curiosity, what do you think about the capacity for Site C to supply clean energy to Alberta to help offset its dependence on thermal coal (in absence of LNG export facilities, for example)?
Good One Andrew. My faith in the ability of this judicial body to make decisions in the interest of the people of this province is dubious at best. If by some miracle the court does rule in favour of common sense and the future of BC, the BC Liberal government will appeal, and around and around we go again. I personally l wish you the best of luck in the coming election. I have seen enough and unfortunately have made the decision to cash out and leave this province to the thieves the run it.