Candidates react as court throws out power plant appeal

Ron Cantelon, Liberal, Nanaimo-Parksville
Doug Catley, Green, Nanaimo
Mike Hunter, Liberal, Nanaimo
Leonard Krog, NDP, Nanaimo
Carol McNamee, NDP, Nanaimo-Parksville
Casey Timmermans, letters
John Kimantas, News-Bulletin

Robert Barron
Nanaimo Daily News
April 14, 2005

Cantelon: government should stay out of it

The Liberal candidate for Nanaimo-Parksville said it would be a mistake for the Liberal government to interfere in the regulatory process that is allowing the Duke Point power plant to proceed, as some critics are calling for.

Ron Cantelon said he viewed the B.C. Utilities Commission's review process of the planned 252 mega-watt power plant "at arms length and I stand by its rulings."

"If the government were to interfere, I think it would be inviting worse trouble," he said.

"Authorities (from the Environmental Assessment Office) have studied the plant from an environmental point of view and the BCUC has assessed it from an energy point of view and I respect their findings."

Cantelon said he toured a similar plant in Campbell River and noted Duke Point's plant will be "superior" to that plant.

"We have continual growth on our Island and we have a responsibility to meet our energy needs," he said.

"Maybe down the road there will be technology to put alternate forms of energy on the grid but the plant fills the need we have now to keep the lights on."

Cantelon said even some green organizations have said burning natural gas to generate electricity is the cleanest fossil fuel that can be used.

"People say we should wait for the new undersea cables to be laid, but what should we plug them into - the sun?" he asked.

"Ultimately, they will be plugged into someone else's backyard who will be putting up with the plant to fit our energy needs."

Catley: province needs to cancel project

The refusal by the B.C. Court of Appeal to review the planned gas-fired electrical generation plant at Duke Point "amounts to one more public institution which has failed to protect the public interest," according to Doug Catley.

Catley, Nanaimo's Green Party candidate in the upcoming provincial election, said the decision "throws the whole fiasco back into the political arena where it started."

"The plant is unnecessary and will emit 20 megatonnes of greenhouse gas over its 25-year lifespan, and cost taxpayers $4.5 billion," he said.

Catley said Nanaimo MLA Mike Hunter and B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell should now intervene directly and cancel the project via order-in-council.

Catley said he's pleased the NDP issued a statement on April 2 stating its opposition to the gas plant, even though the process for the plant was started with an order-in-council by former NDP Premier Glen Clark.

Hunter: NDP started power plant process

It's not for the government to interfere with a public, independent and accountable process carried out by the B.C. Utilities Commission to stop the building of a gas-fired generation plant at Duke Point, according to Mike Hunter.

Hunter, Nanaimo's MLA said he realizes there are some in the community who aren't in favour of the process being allowed to go ahead after the B.C. Court of Appeals denied an appeal on Tuesday to stop the plant.

"There has been requests for the government to interfere but we have set up accountable frame-works to assess these complex and technical projects and then let the decisions be made through a public process that we don't get involved in," he said.

"What if the plant was something the community really wanted and the government interfered to stop it? Where do we draw the line? Just because some people don't like the outcome doesn't invalidate the process."

Hunter said it was former NDP Premier Glen Clark who insisted B.C. Hydro build gas plants "all over the Island."

"This government doesn't want to continue with that kind of a process," he said.

Krog: don't jam project down people's throats

The decision by the B.C. Court of Appeal not to allow an appeal against the Duke Point power plant to proceed is "obviously disappointing, but not a surprise," says Nanaimo NDP candidate Leonard Krog.

Krog said the "ultimate reponsibility" to cancel the controversial project now rests with Premier Gordon Campbell and his Liberal government.

"He should do the right thing and cancel the plant project given the incredible public opposition to it," he said.

"Its bad for the environment and unacceptable in the 21st century to use gas as a power source. Thjere are lots of alternatives, like conservation and wind power, and Norske Canada has even offered to shift its production to reduce electrical demand during peak times."

Krog said he thinks the plant is moving forward as it's part of the political agenda of the Liberal government. Opposing the plant is official NDP policy.

"Apart from the Greater Nanaimo Chanmber of Commerce, who support anything the Liberals propose, I don't know of any other group or organization in the city that supports the plan," he said.

"People just don't want this project jammed down their throats."

McNamee: ordinary people being ignored

Stating "it's yet another situation where ordinary people are being ignored," Carol McNamee said she's "upset" with the B.C. Court of Appeal's decision not to allow an appeal against the Duke Point gas plant to proceed.

McNamee, the NDP candidate for Nanaimo-Parksville, said she's a supporter of the environment and believes a lot of people in the region "Are on the same page."

"I'm disappointed with the court's decision as the country is moving forward to live up to its commitments of the Kyoto Accord while we're moving in the opposite direction with this gas plant," she said.

"Its an interesting situation to have the ordinary citizens opposed to a project as well as having industry say it's a bad idea, while politicians are making stands on both sides of the issue.

"In this time or eroding environmental protections, I don' think allowing the gas plant to be built is the right route to follow."

We have another fast ferries on hands

Nanaimo Daily News
"Letters"
April 15, 2005

Dear Sir:

With their victory in appeal court Monday, BC Hydro can now realize its five-year goal to build a gas-fired electricity generation plant at Duke Point.

Because ratepayers will pick up the tab for all the power the gas plant produces, BC Hydro is unconcerned and undeterred by the fact that gas prices have more than doubled since the project was first conceived.

With industry predicting the gas plant will cost $4.5 billion over its lifespan, this has all the markings of an election year boondoggle. Ratepayers in this region face a double whammy, having to pay that sum while breathing in the one million tonnes of pollutants the plant that will pump into the atmosphere every year for 25 years.

Look out Gordon Campbell - even the fast ferries weren't this bad.

Iain Cuthbert
Nanaimo

Power plant project was initiated by NDP

Dear Sir:

Re: responses from both NDP candidates in the April 14 Daily News:

Krog: "don't jam project down people's throats."
McNamee: "ordinary people being ignored."

Who started this power generation project? Both these candidates talk like sugar couldn't melt in their mouths, but their party's previous NDP government initiated this project, and both these candidates are accepting no responsibility?

Be assured our legal process has processed it. Anyone who has used our legal system as one of our NDP candidates should know because he makes his living swimming in that system will tell you, it's like a crap shoot, because you never know what's going to come out the other end. Our courts are about process and following accepted procedures that hopefully get at the truth?

This process logically follows for us to now raise the question, what is the motivation behind Mr. Krog and Ms. McNamee's comments? Why are they in denial of the NDP's culpability for this political football?

Casey Timmermans
Nanaimo

Duke Pt. critics fired up

Thursday, April 14, 2005

The B.C. Court of Appeal has upheld the B.C. Utility Commission's ruling in favour of the Duke Point gas-fired power plant.

But that outcome has only fired up critics to plan the next round of tactics.

For the GSX Concerned Citizen's Coalition, one of the intervenors in the appeal process, it means asking for a reconsideration of the court ruling.

Coalition president Tom Hackney said the reconsideration will be held shortly in front of a three-judge panel, as court time is already booked for May 2-3 due to B.C. Hydro's stringent timelines for beginning construction on the power plant.

Meanwhile, candidates in the upcoming provincial election are pushing the issue into the political arena.

"I just don't think it makes sense from any perspective - health, environment, economy, science, whatever. It just doesn't wash," said Nanaimo NDP candidate Len Krog.

"Ultimately this is a political decision and (Premier) Gordon Campbell could cancel this plant tomorrow - and that's what he should do."

It's a view mirrored by Green candidate Doug Catley.
"This throws the whole fiasco back into the political arena where it started," he said.

But don't expect Campbell to rush in to stop the plant. Nanaimo MLA Mike Hunter said the government has put in place a system to hold groups such as B.C. Hydro and the BCUC accountable, and it would be inappropriate for the government to intervene.

"This case has had a very open and in my view thorough public process and I guess a lot of people don't like the outcome of the process. The fact they don't agree does not invalidate the process," Hunter said.The Liberals have tried to keep politics out of this process, he said. "Personally, I find it very offensive when politicians make decisions about stuff they know very little about," he said.

Another decision that could end the project still rests with the board of B.C. Hydro.

"They have an energy purchase agreement. Now they have to get down to business with Pristine (Power Corp.) and decide if this is what they are going to do," Hunter said.

© Copyright 2005 Nanaimo News Bulletin