Sorry to use a topical weather aphorism, but it never rains but it pours at #SiteC. The 2 reservoirs above Site C are reaching full pond; heavy rains pushed woody debris onto the Site C debris boom; & now there are rumours of river diversion tunnel structural problems 1/x #bcpoli
..Keeping in mind that secrecy is high at #SiteC & it's hard for info to break through the opacity, especially now with more social distancing, have a look at this report by a Peace area resident in the "Say NO to Site C Dam!" Facebook group. #bcpoli facebook.com/groups/5491717…
Again: none of this is confirmed. I am just flagging it because it so closely matches predictions by several of my sources who had worked in those tunnels. This section: "Word in the valley is that one of the diversion tunnels being built has big structural issues." #SiteC
Given the unusual rains, maybe we should be asking for transparency about what's going on at the #SiteC site, whether or not a safety review is in order, and whether or not we should be seeing a revised budget, given that all these geotechnical problems are costing us all money.
Please assure us of safety of #SiteC workers & downstream residents, Premier @jjhorgan & Energy Minister @BruceRalston. The public deserves transparency re: conditions in the river diversion tunnels, as the September deadline to divert the Peace River thru them fast approaches.
@jjhorgan @BruceRalston More remarks from Peace region resident Randy Hadland's post on reports of trouble in the #SiteC diversion tunnels. Hadland is a longtime observer of the #SiteC project & in my experience extremely well informed. We need #BCHydro & #BCNDP to put these rumours to rest. #bcpoli
@jjhorgan @BruceRalston ..One concerning section: reports saying "They are having trouble solidifying the exit on one tunnel, so if they start the diversion they could have excessive erosion at that point & the erosion could start to eat backward into the hill. Not good for...the camp directly above..."
@jjhorgan @BruceRalston ..& worse, we're hearing 'There is also some problem with..one of the joins between two of the [interior concrete tunnel] forms which would allow water to leak from the tunnel' - and into the surrounding shale, which as we know has neither shear nor bearing strength when wet.
@jjhorgan @BruceRalston I avoid reporting rumour but the reason I think we need these reports contradicted by the BC govt & BC Hydro is that they eerily match warnings by both engineer observer friends & by worker sources with first hand stories from the tunnels. And because safety stakes are so high.
@jjhorgan @BruceRalston Here's one story from a worker in the first #SiteC diversion tunnel, told to me in person in January. It's re: the machine they use to try & stabilize the tunnels bored through the weak shale. It pours a thick concrete liner behind a mould, to line the tunnel & prevent collapse.
@jjhorgan @BruceRalston He said they poured the mould in segments, then inched the machine forward to the next segment. There's a join between each. They clamp the machine to the tunnel at each segment but can forget to remove them, dragging them along the roof..He described the process as "a shitshow."
@jjhorgan @BruceRalston (PS It's not surprising mistakes like that were made in the tunnels. Same worker source said that the silica dust was often so thick in the tunnels that he *could not see the end of his own arm.* #SiteC was slapped with a nearly $1 million fine for that.) cbc.ca/news/canada/br…
@jjhorgan @BruceRalston These joins between segments of concrete liner in #SiteC` tunnels have also been flagged by engineers looking at @sitecproject's own photos of the tunnel interiors, as a weak point. So again: can we please have assurance from govt & Hydro that this river diversion will be safe?
@jjhorgan @BruceRalston @sitecproject I see I have an upset NDP/union guy on this thread from one of the unions that lobbied hard for #SiteC: Unifor. Unsurprising I guess. To review, unions lobbied for #SiteC. Interestingly, they haven't yelled about dangerous conditions for workers on site. thenarwhal.ca/ndp-union-heav…
@jjhorgan @BruceRalston @sitecproject To keep everything together, some recent #SiteC threads:
On rains & landslide risk to our dams:
On clogged #SiteC debris boom:
Former Hydro dam construction mgr @daveunger3 on Peace reservoirs filling up
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