News

Close on the heels of the discovery of environmental infractions at the Ashlu and Mamquam private hydro-power projects that led to ongoing fish kills, the Wilderness Committee has gained access to Freedom of Information (FOI) documents that show problems at yet another private hydro-power project.

This time it is TransAlta Corporation’s Akolkolex (pronounced: Ah ko ko’ lex) power project near Revelstoke. The Akolkolex River is a fish sensitive habitat with at least three different types of trout.

This raises two serious concerns. First, there is growing evidence of widespread problems throughout the private hydro-power industry especially around environmental and fishery regulations. And secondly there is a lack of enforcement by the government regulators both at the BC Ministry of Natural Resource Operations and the BC Ministry Environment, and at the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

It is not just folks like you and me who are concerned with the government’s foot dragging in these cases; the FOI documents reveal that their own staff wants them to take decisive action.

In the case of the Akolkolex power project, located in the Kootenays 25 kilometres southeast of Revelstoke, staff referred the infractions to Land Water BC with recommendation for charges and wrote, “I firmly believe charges under section 93 (2) (l) &/or (r) of the Water Act are warranted in this case and I would be happy to assist your branch in any way I can towards that objective.” There is no indication charges were ever filed.

The FOI documents from the Ashlu project near Squamish show the growing level of frustration with the government’s failure to act. In this case staff wrote things like “lotsa dead fish from yesterday’s Ashlu episode . . . will be interesting to see DFO’s response” and later “Is DFO pursuing an investigation into this event? . . . For our efforts to be worthwhile, these type of incidents need to be dealt with swiftly and with force.”

We could not agree more and we believe British Columbians have a right to know why laws to protect our fish and rivers are not being enforced on this industry.

That is why we are asking you to go to our website and write a letter to the BC Minister of Natural Resource Operations and the BC Minister of the Environment and the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and demand full enforcement of the law on existing projects and a moratorium on any future river diversion developments.

Thank you for standing up for our wild rivers!

Wilderness Committee

Thank you for helping to keep our rivers wild.

Ten Thousand Voices is a project of the Wilderness Committee, Canada's largest membership-based, citizen-funded wilderness preservation organization. We work for the preservation of Canadian and international wilderness through research and grassroots education. The Wilderness Committee works on the ground to achieve ecologically sustainable communities. We work only through lawful means.

As a Wilderness Committee member and supporter, you will be an important part of saving vital wilderness areas. Find out how to become a member or if you would like to support the Wilderness Committee's Rivers at Risk Campaign with a donation you can click this link or by give us a call at (604) 683 8220. You can also help us by volunteering.