Kemano Tunnel Construction Shut Down
Sunday, July 15, 2012 @ 10:56 PM
Prince George, B.C.- The construction of a second tunnel at Kemano is on hold as the permit that would amend Rio Tinto Alcan’s water license has not yet been signed by the provincial government.
The amendment was sought as part of RTA’s plan to finish off the second tunnel that was originally to be used for the Kemano completion project.
Rio Tinto meantime has shut down the construction site after the Minister responsible for the water license, Pat Bell, had asked for the effected communities to be consulted before any further work in the second tunnel resumes.
According to Bell the new water license is not required until such time as the new tunnel is completed.
All three communities affected, Kitimat, Vanderhoof and Prince George have been asked to meet to discuss the issue. Prince George is scheduled to meet with RTA on the matter on the 30th. Kitimat will deal with a request for a temporary building permit for storage tents, when it holds its regular council meeting Monday night.
Minister Bell has been quoted as saying it is approprirate for the communities to know about the license amendment before it is signed off.
Meantime, Skeena MLA Robin Austin has been quoted as saying the new tunnel will not use any more water so this is not Kemano completion, but Opionion 250’s sources say Rio Tinto Alcan is in fact asking for asking for an increase in the allotted amount of water from what they are presently using by 3 cubic metres.
RTA has maintained the work on the second tunnel is simply to have a back up in the event there is damage to the existing tunnel.
Critics have said that a back up tunnel would be one of the first of its kind in the world. They argue that a back up tunnel is no more than the Kemano completion project in disguise. They point to the fact that plans are underway to upgrade the transmission line from Terrace to Kitimat, BC Hydro is also proposing to add a new substation. Kitimat Councillor Phil Germuth says the LNG plants that are proposed for the area will burn their own natural gas to make the power they need, so he wonders aloud why would LNG plants purchase more expensive power from the BC Hydro grid?
Former Kitimat Mayor Richard Wozney says it has taken Rio Tinto 50 years to achieve its objective and that is to sell power and not manufacture aluminum. Wozny says RTA’s move to shut down the construction site "Is just another ploy by Rio Tinto Alcan to get community support. It’s another ploy to get what they want without giving anything to the community."
An insider in the power producing business says once the second tunnel is completed he predicts RTA will install four 135 MW new turbines in the Kemano Power house. There are 8 existing turbines with a capacity of 880 megawatts. This new tunnel would increase the power output at Kemano by 540 megawatts. He adds that the powerhouse has already been excavated for this purpose and 5% of the concrete had been poured. He concluded there has to be water to run four new turbines on a constant basis as possible and there is only one place that the water can come from, the water that would normally flow down the Nechako River.
Councilor Phil Germuth says the new smelter is not scheduled to be completed until 2014, "So why the rush to get the second tunnel ready?" He suggests the rush is to finish the tunnel in time for the completion of new BC Hydro transmission lines.
According to previously published information, the new smelter will have a total of 699 people working at it. That’s down from an average work force of around 1350 when the upgrade was first announced and down from 2600 when Alcan applied to complete the Kemano completion project on the basis that it required more power for expansion.
Comments
How can we get the real story as to whats happening here.
I personally think that the BC Government, RTA, and BC Hydro are all in favour of the Kemano Completion Project. If that is the end game, then people in Prince George and areas West of Prince George had better wake up and smell the roses.
Dont concern yourself with the amount of water in the Nechako during the flood period, you need to think in terms of the amount of water available all year round. My understanding is that if Kemano (2) goes forward there would be a significant reduction in water in the Nechako, to the point that it would effect salmon, fishing, agriculture, etc;
As stated by the former Mayor of Kitimat there are no benefits to the effected communities in these proposals. Even if there were, we have to weigh the benefits against the possibility of killing off a River System.
We need some honesty and transparency from the Government on what the hell is going on here.
The last time around it was the NDP who put a stop to this expansion. Will they do it again??? Who knows? The need to get elected, and to pretend that they are freindly to business, may exceed their need to save the river.
This leaves the Conservatives or Liberals, fat chance that they would do anything for the average citizen, so that leaves the citizens themselves.
When the time comes, stand up and be counted.
I don’t want to see the Nechako reduced to a trickle, but if there was a flood situation in Prince George, I think that this would be far more effective than a dyke.
If we’ve got an ice jam or spring flooding, why not divert the water out the other side and make electricity?
Don’t know about anyone else, but this seems like a much better fix than sandbagging.
“How can we get the real story as to whats happening here”
Become a fly on the wall, a BC Liberal or the CEO of RTA.
Ya, lets destroy a river and ecosystem for corporate profits Icicle.
Icicle. The diverting of the water once done is forever. You dont put in multi million dollar turbines to run when the water is high.
Flooding in Prince George is not a big problem. Much like a gnat on an elephants ass.
Diverting a river is a major concern, and thousands of people, millions of salmon, etc;etc; will be effected.
Forget the BS about flooding, at best it is a diversionary tactic.
If there is an ice jam, and there is still water flowing in the river, it is only a matter of when the ice jam will cause flooding of rthe river banks not a matter of whether it will cause flooding.
Put a plug in a tub, close the overflow, and it will eventually overflow the rim depending only on the rate of water flow into the tub.
The Nechako may end up looking like parts of the Thompson in the summer/fall.
“…..an increase in the allotted amount of water from what they are presently using by 3 cubic metres”
Can someone explain to me what the increase by 3m3 means? … per second?
Lot of unknowns about the 3 cubic meters per second but judging from power produced by small water power installations 3 M3 would generate about 5 MW.
Gus. I think Bens article explains why there was flooding during the ice jams in the winter.
We can do some things to mitigate flooding at the confluence of the Nechako / Fraser, however once we go to Kemano Two we lose most of the River.
Contrary to what some people may think, this is a serious problem.
The report of consultation with affected communities did not make mention of FIRST NATIONS… oops. Ben, you might want to send someone out to talk with the Stoney Creek People.
There is something in the Native treaties about as long as the rivers run, so my best guess is that the Native people have the most to lose if this goes through.
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