- Geothermal explora

a : : A2 | Terrace Review — Wednesday, February 20, 1991 .

tion idea

capped by regional district

by Tod Strachan

"In retrospect I should have been
up here a couple of months ago."

This was the opening statment of
Brian Fairbank to the regional
district board last Saturday morn-
ing. Fairbank is the president of
Fairbank Engineering Ltd. of
Vancouver, and his intent was to
convince the board that his com-
-pany’s. geothermal exploration
proposal in the Lakelse Lake was
safe.

After describing at length the
geophysical makeup of our area,
- and his belief that the hotsprings
system ‘here may be far more
-extensive than imagined locally, he
offered his proposal: sinking one
‘cement-cased exploratory well 5.5
kilometres south of Mount Layton
Hot Springs resort. The well would
be safe, he explained. In the event
of some unforeseen disaster, the
solution would be as simple as
turing off a valve and capping the
well,

If, however, after a year of col-
lecting data: and analyzing the

resulis, the well provided sufficient

evidence that the hotspring system

was large enough and hot enough

to suggest it might feasibly operate

a 10 megawatt power generating

station, without altering the

_ resource itself, he would be

coming back to the board seeking

permission to conduct further tests.

The board didn’t buy it. At their

January meeting the board listened

to a presentation made by Mount

Layton owner Bert Orleans and

passed a resolution calling for a

drilling ban anywhere within six

kilometres of the main hotsprings
pool.

- “Phere is a danger to drilling in
the vicinity of the hotsprings,”
Orleans told the regional board in
January. "The flow of water may
change or stop altogether." And

referring to future investment on
his part: "I’m not willing to invest
if it can be stopped by someone

else. With something like this

(geothermal exploration) hanging

over my head I’m reluctant to

proceed.”

For the board, it seemed to be a
choice between the apparent cer-
tainty of Mount Layton success, or
the apparent uncertainty of geo-

thermal exploration. And according
to Orleans, as far as the geother-
mal proposal is concemed, "The

-tisks are high and the benefits

almost non-existant."

Following Fairbank’s presenta-
tion, Orleans repeated his claims,
and the board listened. There will
be no drilling any closer than six
kilometers of Mount Layton.

This, according to Fairbank,

- effectively destroys the project. He

says he ‘hasn’t entirely lost hope
but the regional district has,
through resolution, eliminated 90
percent of the area covered by the
drilling permit, and that’s unlikely

to encourage any private invest-
ment in exlporation. Because
federal funding to the Geological
Survey of Canada has stopped
goverment exploration of the
area, and a regional district resolu-
tion has for all intent and purposes
deterred any commercial venture,
we may never know the real
potential of the Lakelse Lake hot-
springs. As is indicated in an
administrative report to the

“yegional: board: “...’the true‘nature -

of the hotwater resource at Lakelse
Lake will not be known unless
exploratory drilling is iindertaken."

Trustees quietly vote raise

TERRACE — The School District 88 board of trustees approved a
5.5 percent increase in annual indemnity for themselves at a closed-

door meeting Jan. 8.

The board chairman now receives $7,913 a year, the vice-chairman
gets $6,594 and the seven remaining, trustees receive $5,803 each.

EDNESDAY IS
DIRTY SHIRT |
DAY

Men's or Ladies’ cotton

blend

dress or business shirts expertly

laundered.

» Only drive-thru in town .
» Best, most reliable and cleanest service
» Drop off point at Thornhill Pubtic Market

Rickards Cleaners

6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. — Monday to Friday
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — Saturday
KIDDIE CORNER FROM THE POST OFFICE

1. Cheque

Name

7 1 year —
Close Up magazine, $10 extr

de 1 Money Order
| Please send a subscription to:

” Address
'.. postal Code

Phone

: Seniors in Terrace and District $30.00
-. Seniors outside of Terrace and District $33.00
“ Out of Canada $100.00

Expiry Date

Mail or bring this form to.
Terrace Review
4535 Greig Avenue,
Terrace, B.C.

SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM |
$39.00, plus GST
a In Terrace and Thornhill

Cc MasterCard OC Visa
Card No.

V8G 1M7_

Brian Fairbank: Project effectively destroyed.

“The freedom to read is essential to the

democratic process. =

Books, newspapers and magazines are the
instruments of freedom.

Access to information is a basic right that
must be jealously guarded. ~

Your local teachers would like you to join us
inan appreciation of Freedom to Read Week.

FREEDOM TO READ WEEK
FEBRUARY 15-22 1991

ie Forace District chars Abssociation