The B.C. government has handed BC Hydro an environmental assessment certificate for its controversial Site C dam project, near Fort St. John.
Environment Minister Mary Polak and Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson issued a joint statement October 14, saying the approval was in the public interest.
The $7.9-billion project has been criticized in the past for the environmental impact it would have on the region, as it would require flooding about 5,000 hectares of land. Much of the land includes prime farmland and wildlife habitats.
Ana Simeon, Peace Valley campaigner with Sierra Club B.C., said the land could be put to better use by providing food security to the province.
“The Joint Review Panel’s report on Site C is quite clear that the megadam project would have adverse effects on First Nations that cannot be mitigated, as well as on wildlife and the Peace region as a whole,” Simeon said in a statement.
“The federal and provincial governments have made a decision that is at odds with the panel report, laying themselves open to challenge on many fronts.”
Although the environmental assessment certificate has been granted, the province still hasn’t committed to funding the project.
“This is a significant milestone for the Site C project,” Susan Yurkovich, BC Hydro’s vice-president responsible for the Site C project, said in a statement.
In addition to funding, the project still had to acquire additional regulatory permits before construction could begin.
