October 21, 2014 - 12:23 PM
VANCOUVER - British Columbia's government has yet to announce a final decision on the Site C hydroelectric dam but BC Hydro has informed officials in the Peace River Valley that construction could begin in 90 days.
The email from the project's senior environmental co-ordinator was sent out Friday to area municipal and aboriginal officials.
Mayor Gwen Johansson says the email calls into question the repeat assurances from Energy Minister Bill Bennett that the provincial government has not made a final investment decision.
The Crown agency must inform aboriginal and municipal agencies 90 days prior to the start of construction and BC Hydro says work will begin in January — subject to the final decision of cabinet to be announced by the end of the year.
The $7.9-billion Site C dam would provide enough energy to power the equivalent of about 450,000 homes a year but it would also flood 55 square kilometres of river valley.
The project received federal and provincial environmental approval earlier this month.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014