Wilderness Committee demands more thorough Environmental Assessment

As of now, the list only includes communities within the Peace Region area during the 45-day public comment period regarding draft guidelines for the environmental assessment, which will conclude on June 1.

Joe Foy, National Campaign Director for the Wilderness Campaign, says the proposed Dam will effect everyone in the province, not just the North.

“The Site C Dam is a multi-billion dollar project with no useful purpose and that should set off alarm bells for everyone in the province. Everyone who uses electricity in the province is going to have to pay for this thing in rising electrical rates- so we all should get a chance to have our say in our own neck of the woods at the Environmental Assessment public meetings.”

Foy also adds that the Site C Dam would require the largest ever deletion, 5000 acres, of farmland from the Agricultural Land reserve.

He also adds that the Dam would severely impact the human rights of B.C. residents.

“First Nations communities as well as local farmers and ranchers in the valley are strongly opposed to the flooding of the Peace Region River Valley. People all over B.C. care about the loss of farmland and impact on the human rights of their northern neighbours and would want a chance to say that to the Environmental Assessment people face to face.”

The Wilderness committee is urging people to write to the Environmental Assessment office in order to demand public open house meetings in Vancouver, Victoria, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nelson along with other southern B.C. communities.