|

——*

BENS aot A ae Mee yee

Oy te ee

eee a Bei

Page A2 —. Terrace Standard, Wodnesday, May 22, 1991

TERRACE — Alcan’s $1
billion Kemano completion pro-
ject to provide it with more
hydro-electric power received a
setback May 16 after a federal
court ruled it must undergo 'a
full environmental review.

The ‘ruling overturns -the
federal government’s controver-
sial decision last fall io exempt
the project from the en-
vironmental assessment and
review process (EARP).

A coalition of environmental
groups and the. Carrier-Sekani
Tribal Council launched an ap-
peal of the exemption’ last_year..
They fear the. greatly reduced
water flow in the Nechako River
will kill: fish. and cause" perma-
nent: ‘environmental. damage.

The. court ruling’ Says. ‘the en-
vironment ‘minister, ‘and the

- other three cabinet ministers in-
volved, effectively broke the’

law in deciding nat to subject
Alcan to the federal review pro-
cess. ~

Federal court Justice Allison’
Walsh found cabinet’s decision
to exempt Kemano from the en-
vironmental review when ‘‘on.
the facts it is evident that one is
required, goes far beyond the
exercise of discretion in a-fair
manner with which the court
cannot interfere, and becomes a
failure to undertake a legal

. obligation required by law,”

The company will ‘‘almost
certainly” appeal the federal
court ruling, said Alcan vice-

from front -

appeal of Kenanc”
court decision —

Bill Rich

president Bill Rich, who added ~

ihe judgment. indicates con-
struction can continue while
awaiting the outcome of ‘a

federal environmental ASSESS:

ment.
The 540-megawatt second
stage — started three years ago

— is slated for completion in :; 4
1994, It would divert additional:
water from the Nechako ‘River -

watershed through the coast
mountains to Alcan’s
hydroelectric generators at
Kemano.

Rich said expenditures and
cammitments have passed 3675
million, and there are now 700
workers on the construction
site, ;
Skeena MP Jim Fulton —
who last fall accused the
government of ‘‘violating a

Gold road soon

two years ago with the original
intention of having three sec-
tions — the first two and a third

¢.plan he third
rotite — finishing at Cominco’s ‘

Snip, mine —- was, cancelled ~

when that company said it

would be too expensive,
Although original costs had

been estimated at $20 million, a

final figure came in at over $60.’

million for the three sections,

About half of that would have...
been spent on the route to the -

Snip mine.
Cominco developed and is

Operating its Snip mine using ao

aircraft and a hovercraft. —

Corona’s Gibbs said the cost
of two sections leading to its .

Recognition of
hievement

Cliff McChesney
investors Syndicate
Limited {s proud:to pay
tribute to this outstan-
ding individual for axcep-

i... tonal service on bahalf
of his cllents throughout.
1999.
-. Anexpert in personal |
_.financlal planning, Cliff
directs Individuais,:” .

“> families and companies -.

‘on savings and Invest-~

ss anent strategies, retire-

2. mMent-planning, taxes and”:
oi» _Infiation, and a varlaty :
vt: OF Investment funds, His:- =
cllents tum to him for his
experience, his dedica-
tion to personalized ser-
vice, and the technical
resources of the com- .

the fleid of total financial
- planning. - ra
Investors syndicate
” Limited Is.a member of :
: the Investors Group OF.
.” companies which :
“ manages or ‘sammiristers
assets of $12 bition...

Investors
Group -

Building fcutes since 1940.
Chit McChesney = 2
‘Executive and Corporate
Oh talor a at dy
- Terrace, Bo:

pany that pioneered in.

Telephone: eab-ees2

property won’t be as much as
the nearly $35 million estimated

in the final engineering figures.

mei ne, Segre Ho tne tt ar Way Be :

Pie Eh AG FRE ee Oy ee

solemn. promise” ‘by’ grahiting,
the exemption — called the’ rul-
ing ‘‘a breath of fresh’ air.?”-
He said it means a full public
environmental review -of
Kemano- made. up of an in-
dependent panel, and added it
likely also means separate
reviews of the project by the

Department of Indian Affairs, —
the Department of Fisheries and -

Oceans and the Department of
Transportation.
The fisheries review, he said,

i

Alcan‘and the federal govern-
ment — is also quashed by the

‘ruling, Fulton. said.

“Although: the hearings will be

expensive, Fulton said they are.

actually a good investment, fre-
quently.” revealing not only
public: coricerns, but ways of
proceeding | that can be less cost-
ly.

But. Rich said the company
has already made major conces-
sions, adding the -project has
been: given approvals to start
work,"

We should be able to rely on
these approvals,” he said, “The
company gave up about half the
water to which it was originally
entitled under ils water licence
in order to reach an agreement
with scientists representing both
the federal department of
Fisheries and Oceans and the

province. This was only one of |
many signific cant changes made
to “meet contemporary ae ;

vironmental expectations.”

"Tertace: "RCMP nailed ' more

dtinking drivers. during this
/year's:: Spring _: -Counterattack
: campaign: than: last -year.

The April 13 to May 4 anti-

i \ drunk, driving: blitz’ netted:-20-
‘drivers. wha: were ‘subsequently
“charged. with. impaired ‘driving.
‘That! s up from. t3 a year ago.

They also -issued:'19- 24-hour: .

__Foadside ‘slispensions, - — four.

“more than last year.
"Although ‘they, only stopped
and checked: 1, 900 vehicles _

800’ fewer. than a year, igo ~ _

police “officers made’ their

“presence. feltmore often, put-

ting in four times as many hours
_on the roadblocks than in 1990.

Nobody was killed: In car ace

ing the campaign.
-eidents -during two the leading causes of all drown-

» jigs; :-accorcing; to” “Canadian:
* Red Cross statistics. A: third of

‘The: : previous ‘year. saw two
“deaths:i in two separate fatal col-
‘listons. Three, people were In-
. jured i in ‘accidents.

“Total “traffic charges. were.
down. from.728 to 515. Police:

issued more than 200: written

warnings to drivers during. the

campaign. :

‘tack’ campaign 4 is over, ROM

on the ‘water this’ summer:

° iid although ne Couiteiat

say. the message isn’t. ‘They
want residents to be particularly 7
careful — both on the:road'and

“Impaired ‘boating’ is’ ‘one of:

the .drowning victims in ‘recrea-
tional boating’ accidents werein-

‘toxicated, and: that figure rises
to. Sd. per: cent: -of- drownings ~.

linked to the operation 0 of small .
power boats. Se led

will analyze the effects on the 2

river system all, the way down ©
“the Fraser River watershed to Oo
‘Vancouver.
.. The deal struck Sept. 14, 1987 eo
on how much water will be left
‘to flow into the ‘Nechako. : ‘ae
"struck Sept."14, 1987, between -

ot » spell ofr consis of 2 weeks of sega
* Services. Toes not inchude cost of food or diaries,
‘New lients only. Cannot be combined with other
offers. Valid at particdpating centes. .

‘EXPIRES. Seuriay, Jona 1, te01 ;

Lose E Program
ONE: MILO eae

° No calorie counting,
° Over 20 years of welatt Ieee °

4644 Lazelle Avenue, Tamrac

638-1800

zh Me LIMA

Crevars

‘performance of: The Phantom of
“the Opera.In vaqgouven “,
courtesy of Canadian Airlines.

The package ‘Includes dickets oth
for, two to The Phantom of rs. a

A ln tierce
i May 15 through Ky B, 4 ek te be x