BREAKING: One of BC's major dams, the Peace Canyon dam upstream of #SiteC, was compromised by fracking quakes but the info was not made public. More stories to follow - here's the initial release in CCPA's Policy Note by journalist @BenParfittCCPA. Stay tuned for more. #bcpoli
There are so many things to say about this story, it's hard to know where to start. The first is obv. the endangerment of public safety via fracking quakes near Peace Canyon dam. If a dam fails, whole towns can be wiped out. BC Hydro & BC govt never made the info public. #bcpoli
BC Hydro's head Construction Manager for the Peace Region dam system, Dave Unger, repeatedly tried to bring these events at Peace Canyon dam to the attention of BC Hydro. Problem: The BC Oil & Gas Commission that 'regulates' fracking & BC Hydro come under the same Energy ministry
..This is a major conflict of interest. Given its size & importance, BC Hydro should have its own ministry; it certainly should not fall under same ministry as the more powerful Oil & Gas Commission, which seems to operate with impunity & is allowing fracking right up to our dams
Furthermore, fracking anywhere near our dams should cease immediately. Engineers, construction & seismic experts we've talked to say a 5 or 20km no-frack zone near dams isn't nearly enough; even 100km likely isn't, esp. in unstable Peace region. Seismic activity is unpredictable.
Why were fracking rights ever awarded close to vulnerable dam infrastructure? Because BC Liberals quietly made $$$ selling off subsurface rights everywhere. Now, if fracking is banned near dams, companies will want $$$ compensation for the loss of those subsurface rights. #bcpoli
Quite apart from the outrageous negligence of the BC Liberals in jeopardizing public safety in this manner, one wonders why Ministers @michellemungall & @mikefarnworthbc have not taken this situation in hand. By now the NDP are aware of the risks. #SiteC #bcpoli
@michellemungall @mikefarnworthbc The @BCAuditorGen has now been made aware of this problem. BC needs a full dam safety audit now, & the public should demand it. If it were me, I'd call a stop work at #SiteC until this is investigated, as well as an immediate fracking ban within *at least* 100km of all dams.
@michellemungall @mikefarnworthbc @BCAuditorGen Here's the Narwhal's story on the risk of the Peace Canyon dam failing, upstream from #SiteC: "BC Hydro knew for years that earthquakes triggered by fracking operations posed risks to vulnerable Peace Canyon dam & ongoing challenges at #SiteC dam" #bcpoli thenarwhal.ca/peace-canyon-d…
@michellemungall @mikefarnworthbc @BCAuditorGen One of the key questions here is why this information about the instability of Peace Canyon dam & ongoing risks from fracking were not made available to the Joint [BC & federal] Review Panel on #SiteC? Surely important info in determining the safety/viability of Site C? #bcpoli
One thing is clear: the BC Oil and Gas Commission (OGC), a crown corporation, is running the gov't (certainly the Energy Ministry) not the other way around. OGC may technically be the regulator, but it's clearly a regulator captured by industry, & so is the BC govt by extension.
Meanwhile, BC Hydro has been negligent in allowing #SiteC to proceed in light of Peace Canyon risks it knew all about, though there is no one currently at BC Hydro who has actually built a dam, so it's also true that its expertise is lacking. This is a house of cards.
"fracking & dam safety were also discussed by at least two provincial Cabinet ministers. “Your broken record was listened to at the highest level (Minister to Minister) & was ‘officially’ shut down,” Stephen Rigbey, BC Hydro’s then manager of dam safety, told Gillis in an email."
