Public Consultation on Highway 37 Power Line Planned

Monday, March 16, 2009 03:58 AM

Prince George, B.C.- The B.C. Transmission Corporation has made arrangements for a new round of public consultation on the Northwest Transmission Line. The proposed line would see the construction of a 287 kilovolt line from Terrace to Bob Quinn Lake. While there has yet to be an environmental review, the province has agreed to provide the necessary funding to continue the environmental assessment and consultation process for such a transmission line. This process would lead to the preparation of the Application for an Environmental Assessment Certificate.

No decision has been made to proceed with construction of this electrical line as the province had agreed to pay half the cost, of what is now estimated to be a $400 million dollar project.

Should private sector funding be forthcoming, allowing the possibility of construction, the Application for an Environmental Assessment Certificate will be filed for review, public comment and a final decision on whether to grant the NTL project an Environmental Assessment Certificate.

Open house sessions from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. have been set for Smithers on March 31st at the Hudson Bay lodge, then Terrace on April 1st at the Coast inn of the West, Thursday April 2nd at the Lawrence Memorial Arena in Stewart.

Mining companies argue that the electrification of the Highway 37 corridor would open up the area to development and mining operations.

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Posted on Monday, March 16, 2009 03:58 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: giterdun on March 16 2009 8:18 AM

Construction of this line was supposed to start over a year ago. Here we go again, another bureaucratic road block. Mining companies already say that B.C. is the worst place in the country to do business. When will we see the light and streamline these processes. The government is proposing to give all of B.C. to the Natives. Maybee they will do a better job.

Posted by: northman on March 16 2009 10:12 AM

If there was an olympic venue up there it would be built already!

Posted by: He speaks on March 16 2009 12:27 PM

Well, if there was an Olympic venue, I certainly hope it would have been built by now.

Posted by: Eagleone on March 16 2009 12:32 PM

That is one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in the whole province... nicer even than places like Jasper and Banff without all the tourists. With easy hydro access it makes one wonder of the possibilities for many new tourism destinations developing out that way as well.

Posted by: Palopu on March 16 2009 7:30 PM

Unless you can get some of the major mining companies to come on board for this project, it hasnt got a hope in hell of being built. At this point in time I doubt if you could find 5000 people between Terrace and Bob Quinn Lake. Without industry there is no need for excess power.

Who knows maybe they will build a huge pulp mill at Stewart and close down one or two in Prince George. This would be great news for the clean air buffs.

I suspect that the Provincial Government wants this project back in the headlines because of the coming election. It gives the appearance that they are doing something.