Peace Valley Landowner Association

COURT CHALLENGES TO SITE C DAM ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVALS Judicial Review of Provincial Site C Dam Environmental Assessment Approval In late October 2014 the PVLA served the provincial Ministers of Environment and Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and BC Hydro with a Petition for Judicial Review which asks the B.C. Supreme Court to quash the provincial Environmental Assessment Certificate that was granted October 14, 2014 to BC Hydro for the Site C Project. The PVLA alleges in the Petition that the Ministers made errors of law by failing to consider key findings and recommendations of the Joint Review Panel about the uncertain economic effects of the Site C Project, including the Project cost, Site C electricity costs, and revenue requirements for the Project. The Ministers also failed to consider recommendations arising from the Panel’s determination that BC Hydro has not established the need for the Site C Project on the timeline proposed. Judicial Review of Federal Site C Dam Environmental Assessment Approval In early November, the PVLA served the Attorney General of Canada, the federal Minister of the Environment and BC Hydro with a Notice of Application for Judicial Review which asks the Federal Court to quash the federal Minister of Environment’s Decision Statement approving the Site C project because the federal Cabinet cannot have reasonably determined that the significant adverse impacts of the Site C Dam are justified in the circumstances. Peace Valley Landowner Association The PVLA consists of landowners who are impacted by the proposed Site C Dam. The 58 PVLA members reflect a cross section of Peace River Country residents, from farmers and ranchers on the larger land holdings, to business people, oil field workers, teachers, retirees, and so on. Some PVLA members own lands that would be flooded, other members will have the use of their lands significantly restricted, and other members would be indirectly affected by the transformation of the Peace Valley into a reservoir. PVLA members will also be impacted as BC Hydro ratepayers and BC taxpayers.