Whereas the proposed 60 meter high dam project at Site C on the Peace River will flood over approximately 12,000 hectares of high quality agricultural land between Fort St. John and Hudsons Hope in creating an 83 kilometer long reservoir, while pre empting the Agricultural Land Reserve status of the land; And whereas the flooding will devastate a major portion of ungulate winter range, will impact migratory bird flyways, and will destroy a major heritage site and countless First Nations burial grounds and hunting, gathering, and trapping areas on their recognized traditional territories: Therefore be it resolved that the BC Government call on BC Hydro and its contractors to immediately suspend all work until the project can be reviewed by the BC Utilities Commission and proceed through a public hearing and consultation process.
Ministry of Energy and Mines There has been significant oversight of Site C through the rigorous and independent federal-provincial environmental assessment process, and a comprehensive due diligence process undertaken by the Province. The decision to proceed with Site C is a major public policy decision, and this decision rests with the Government, not the British Columbia Utilities Commission BCUC. As with any other BC Hydro project, the BCUC will determine how costs are recovered through rates. In the past, no other major hydroelectric dam project required BCUC approval. The Clean Energy Act exempts BC Hydro from the requirement to obtain prior approval from the BCUC for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, and therefore, BC Hydro did not apply for such a Certificate. BC Hydros load forecasting methodology has been the subject of independent review in a number of BCUC regulatory proceedings, and the BCUC has accepted BC Hydros load forecasting methodology. The Site C cost estimate has been independently reviewed by KPMG and an independent panel of contractors with decades of experience in the management and construction of major projects. To provide additional transparency on the projects capital costs, BC Hydro is providing regular reports to the BCUC and the Provincial Treasury Board during construction.