Enviros letter to Campbell: hearings on coal plants

BC organizations want public hearing on coal-fired generation
GSXCCC, Sierra Club et al, 11-Sep-2006

Environmental groups call for full public hearings for B.C.'s coal-fired power plants
News Release, GSXCCC, Sierra Club et al, 11-Sep-2006

Taking a giant leap backwards
Lisa Matthaus, Vancouver Sun, 12-Sep-2006

Sierra Club blasts B.C. Hydro for awarding coal-fired deals
Andrew A. Duffy, Times Colonist, 12-Sep-2006

Coal-fired power plants draw fire
Vancouver Province, 12-Sep-2006

Premier Campbell passes to Minister Neufeld
Office of the Premier, 15-Sep-2006

11 September 2006

Premier Gordon Campbell
Legislative Buildings
Victoria, BC

Princeton Wood Residue and Coal Power Generation Project
(Compliance Energy Corporation),
and Wapiti Power Development Project (AESWapiti Energy Corporation)

Dear Premier Campbell,

We, the undersigned, as representatives of the organizations named, are writing to request:

1. That the responsible ministers exercise their powers under the Environmental Assessment Act to require full public hearings for the environmental assessments (“EAs”) of the Princeton Wood Residue and Coal Power Generation Project and the Wapiti Power Development Project, with province-wide advertising and notification of the EA proceedings.

2. That the responsible ministers exercise their powers under the EA Act to require terms of reference for the EAs that will thoroughly address the greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions and climate change implications of the projects.

3. That, in addition to the existing policy directive disallowing nuclear power, the Government of BC issue an immediate policy directive requiring that all new electricity generation projects in BC should employ only low-impact renewable technologies.

We represent a growing constituency of British Columbians who are deeply concerned about air quality in their communities and about global climate change, which is driven by human-caused greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions.

At the same time, our members and supporters are excited by the potential of sustainable alternatives – demand-side management, wind, solar, tidal, small hydro and other renewable energies – to meet our electricity needs, support a vibrant economy in BC and help the BC government meet its goal of having the best environmental management in the world.

We support a sustainable energy industry because, compared to conventional approaches such as coal and gas-fired power, it can:

• Create more jobs per unit of power and drive more economic growth;
• Reduce air pollutants and improve people’s health;
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
• Present a positive vision of our energy future that can attract more public support.

We are very concerned by your government’s recent decision to award contracts to two coal-fired power projects, the Wapiti and Princeton projects. They represent the first major coal-fired generation facilities integrated into the BC grid, effectively committing BC to a coal-fired electricity strategy without any public discussion or consultation.

They represent a 30-40 year commitment to unnecessarily elevated provincial GHG emissions and dangerous pollutants at a time when progressive jurisdictions the world over are moving in the opposite direction and closing coal-fired power plants.

They represent century-old technology coming on-line in the Olympic year, while BC is attempting to present itself to the world as a forward-looking, environmentally responsible region.

And they represent an enormous opportunity lost for your government to live up to its commitment to have the best environmental management in the world, “bar none”.

There is no basis for describing these proposed plants as ‘clean coal,’ as the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources has done. As proposed, these plants would emit large amounts of air pollutants and vent hundreds of thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases each year. In fact, the government seems willing to accept emission rates that are no better than BC’s current guidelines. In comparison with the Sumas II gas-fired power plant, which your government rightly opposed for reasons of air quality, the current BC guideline for pollution from coal-fired boilers would, according to our preliminary estimates, allow the plants to emit:

• up to 70 times more nitrogen oxides (NOx),
• 260 times more sulphur dioxide (SO2),
• 7 times more particulate matter (PM), and
• toxic mercury emissions.

These air pollution issues are of particular concern for the people of the Similkameen Valley, where the proposed Princeton plant would discharge, because of the relatively enclosed airshed, and for the people of Dawson Creek, Tumbler Ridge Kelly Lake and other communities in the Peace region who live within the immediate airshed of the proposed Wapiti plant. None of these communities, nor others who may face similar proposals in the future, would likely be receptive to arguments as to why they are deserving of lesser air quality standards than residents downwind of Sumas II.

Greenhouse gas emissions are also a huge concern. Your government has adopted GHG reduction goals of improving our performance with regard to per capita emissions both within Canada, and in comparison to Washington and Oregon State. Yet these two plants together could (depending of the fuel mix used) emit up to 1.8 megatonnes per year of CO2 equivalent, a 2.7% increase in the entire province’s GHG emissions. In a province already dealing with the impacts of climate change, and struggling to achieve its emission reduction goals, the decision to approve coal-fired power plants without even considering their GHG emissions seems irresponsible.

We believe that, with its abundant low-impact renewable energy resources, BC does not need and should not have coal-fired generation. British Columbians do not support coal-fired generation, as evinced by recent polling by BC Hydro and others. We trust your government would not want to commit British Columbia to coal-fired generation without first consulting fully with British Columbians to inform them on the consequences and alternatives, and to obtain their views. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Guy Dauncey, BC Sustainable Energy Association
Lisa Matthaus, Sierra Club of Canada, BC Chapter
Will Horter, Dogwood Initiative
Casey Brennan, Wildsight
Nikki Skuce, One Sky
Nicholas Heap, David Suzuki Foundation
Oonagh O’Connor, Living Oceans Society
Jeremy McCall, Federation of B.C. Naturalists
Arthur Caldicott, GSX Concerned Citizens Coalition

cc:
Honourable Barry Penner, Minister of Environment
Honourable Richard Neufeld, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
Chris Trumpy, Deputy Minister, Environment
Greg Reimer, Deputy Minister, MEMPR
Peter Ostergaard, Assistant Deputy Minister, Electricity and Alternative Energy, MEMPR
Lee Thiessen, Manager, Climate Change, Ministry of Environment
Dan Green, Director, Climate Change, Electricity and Alternative Energy, MEMPR
Brian Murphy, Project Assessment Director, Princeton Power Project, BC EAO
Gary Alexander, Project Assessment Director, Wapiti Power Development Project, BC EAO
John Tapics, Compliance Power Corporation
Ed Beswick, Hillsborough Resources Limited
Tom Kunde, AES Corporation
Bob Elton, President and CEO, BC Hydro and Power Authority
Mayor and Council, City of Dawson Creek
Mayor and Council, District of Tumbler Ridge
Mayor and Council, District of Chetwynd
Mayor and Council, Town of Princeton
Chairperson and Directors, Peace River Regional District
Chair and Directors, Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen
all BC MLAs

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2006—Nine B.C. provincial organizations today released a letter to B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell calling for full public hearings to be included in environmental assessments of B.C.’s first two coal-fired power plants.

Current B.C. guidelines would allow coal-fired plants in Princeton and Tumbler Ridge to emit more pollution than the proposed Sumas II gas-fired power plant in Washington State, which the B.C. Liberal government rightly opposed because of air quality concerns, says the letter to Premier Campbell.

The letter is signed by the Sierra Club of Canada (BC Chapter), David Suzuki Foundation, BC Sustainable Energy Association, Dogwood Initiative, One Sky, Living Oceans Society, GSX Concerned Citizens Coalition, Federation of BC Naturalists, and Wildsight.

According to the environmental groups’ preliminary estimates, the Tumbler Ridge and Princeton coal-fired power plants would emit 70 times more nitrogen oxide, 260 times more sulfur dioxide and seven times more particulate matter than the proposed Sumas II, as well as toxic mercury emissions.

“There is no basis for describing these proposed plants as ‘clean coal’, as [Richard Neufeld] the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources has done,” states the two-page letter. “As proposed, these plants would emit large amounts of air pollutants and vent hundreds of thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases each year.”

The decision to commit B.C. to a coal-fired electricity strategy was made without public discussion or consultation, the groups point out. Compared with conventional energy such as coal, sustainable energy initiatives such as wind, solar, tidal and small hydro projects can reduce B.C.’s greenhouse gas emissions, create more jobs per unit of power, drive more economic growth, reduce air pollutants and improve human health.

-30-

Contact:

Lisa Matthaus, Sierra Club of Canada, BC Chapter 250-888-6267
Guy Dauncey, BC Sustainable Energy Association 250-881-1304
Will Horter, Dogwood Initiative 250-882-9930
Casey Brennan, Wildsight 250-423-0402
Nikki Skuce, One Sky
Nicholas Heap, David Suzuki Foundation
Oonagh O’Connor, Living Oceans Society
Jeremy McCall, Federation of B.C. Naturalists
Arthur Caldicott, GSX Concerned Citizens Coalition 250-743-5551

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Canada's coal producers gather this week in Victoria for their annual conference. Their timing is impeccable; only a few weeks ago, with no public consultation, our provincial government awarded contracts for British Columbia's first coal-fired power plants to generate electricity for the public power grid.

Contracts were also awarded to wind and micro-hydro projects, but they cannot be seen to atone for the sins of the coal-fired plants.

British Columbians should be asking many questions about coal. Why are we turning to coal when other jurisdictions such as Ontario have declared that coal is environmentally unsound because it is harmful to health and contributes unnecessarily to Canada's rising greenhouse gas emissions?

Everyone in our province stands to lose from global warming caused by greenhouse gases. Milder winters have already facilitated the spread of the mountain pine beetle, which has devastated B.C.'s Interior forests. Low-lying communities such as Richmond are threatened by rising sea levels as global warming melts polar icecaps, expanding oceans. The drought-ridden rainforest community of Tofino recently faced a water crisis that almost closed the town during one of the busiest long weekends of the year.

In the past few weeks, there has been much rhetoric from government and coal proponents about the radical new technologies that could give us "clean coal". Unfortunately, none of those commentators have pointed out to the people of B.C. that those technologies are not what is planned for these coal projects --not by a long shot.

Current information available on the two projects, located near the communities of Princeton and Tumbler Ridge, indicates that between the type of technology chosen and the use of mainly low-grade or waste coal from nearby mines, it is unlikely these plants will achieve standards much better than B.C.'s current -- and inadequate -- guidelines for coal-fired plants.

While the B.C. government successfully fought the proposed Sumas II gas-fired power plant in Washington state on the basis of air pollution impacts on the Fraser Valley, it has paradoxically approved standards for coal-fired power plants in B.C. that would allow 70 times more nitrogen oxide, 260 times more sulphur dioxide and seven times more particulate matter than Sumas II.

Together, these dangerous pollutants cause asthma-inducing smog, forest-damaging acid rain and methyl mercury accumulation in the fish we eat. It is unclear why the communities of Similkameen Valley and the Peace region deserve to have lower air pollution standards than the Fraser Valley.

These B.C. government guidelines also do not address greenhouse gas emissions. In a province facing escalating damage from mountain pine beetles and forest fires and flooding from rising sea levels, the decision to choose greenhouse gas-emitting coal technology when there are plenty of low-impact, renewable options available is simply irresponsible.

With an enormous wealth of renewable sources, and an educated population more than willing to embrace energy conservation when given the right incentives, B.C. has the opportunity to lead the world in clean, renewable energy that doesn't create dangerous greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Wind, solar and micro-hydro power are commercially viable right now, while energy from tides and ocean currents are promising new sources under development. Energy, more than almost any other issue, is where the B.C. government has the potential to live up to its commitment to have the best environmental management in the world, "bar none."

Climate scientists say we have a 20-year window to reduce our carbon emissions or climate change will become irreversible. Changes in our behaviour, technological advancements and serious government policy changes can turn global warming around. B.C. needs legal requirements to meet stringent greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, significant investments in energy conservation, a requirement for 100 per cent of all new electricity to come from clean, renewable sources, and well-designed carbon taxes.

Coal-fired power plants are not a stepping stone to a greener future -- rather, they represent a giant step backwards for the environment and for our health. B.C. does not need coal when we have so many cleaner, renewable options available.

Lisa Matthaus is with the Sierra Club of Canada, B.C. Chapter.

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The Sierra Club, decked out in what they called a variety of global warming and climate change costumes ranging from polar bears to businesswomen in snorkels to deal with an expected rising tide, were spreading the word about coal development and climate change in B.C. on Monday.

According to spokeswoman Lisa Matthaus, the information display in front of The Empress hotel was meant to raise awareness of B.C. Hydro's recent decision to grant contracts for two coal-fired projects for future energy generation, while inside the adjacent Victoria Conference Centre the Canadian coal industry held its 46th Canadian Conference on Coal.

"We were handing out fact sheets ... most people were surprised and appalled that [Hydro] was doing this in this day and age," said Matthaus, noting they are advocating a consultation process and full public hearings into these coal projects as well as more development of sustainable alternatives for energy generation.

Hydro awarded 38 contracts to independent power producers in late July of this year. The projects included 29 hydro, three wind, two biomass, two waste heat and the coal/biomass projects -- Compliance Power Corporation's Princeton Power Project and AES Wapiti Power Development Project in Tumbler Ridge.

The Coal Conference has been running since Sept. 9 and wraps up today and Wednesday with a series of meetings for the industry.

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2006

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Nine B.C. environmental organizations are demanding Premier Gordon Campbell hold public hearings into environmental assessments of two coal-fired power plants in Tumbler Ridge and Princeton.

Lisa Matthaus of the Sierra Club of Canada said British Columbians were never consulted regarding a coal-fired electricity strategy.

The environmental group claims the plants would emit high levels of pollution.

© The Vancouver Province 2006

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From: OfficeofthePremier, Office PREM:EX [mailto:Premier@gov.bc.ca]
Sent: September 15, 2006 3:39 PM
To: Lisa Matthaus
Cc: Minister, EMPR EMPR:EX
Subject: FW: Letter from nine organizations concerned about coal fired power plants
Importance: High

Dear Ms. Matthaus:

Thank you for your email. I appreciate the time you have taken to bring your views, as well as those of other provincial organizations, to my attention.

I notice that a copy of the attached letter was also forwarded to the Honourable Richard Neufeld, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, and I have asked that the Minister review your concerns and respond to you directly on my behalf.

Thank you again for writing.

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