Micro Hydro Development: Environmental and Social Impacts

1. Micro Hydro Development: Environmental and Social Impacts Zak Sears, Will Long

2. Macro Projects • Generates >100 Megawatts • Usually low head system • Often federally owned • Located on high volume rivers with little gradient. • Micro Projects • Generates <100 Megawatts • Typically high head • Located on small, steep rivers and creeks • Often privately owned Micro vs Macro Hydro Production

3. How does a Micro Hydro project work? Intake Canal Forebay Penstock Gradient Loss Powerhouse http://www.ncsustainableenergy.org/media/Image/microhydro_illustration.png

4. Example: Jim Fords Creek Micro Hydro Project Powerhouse Intake http://www.idahogeology.org/PDF/Digital_Data_(D)/Digital_Web_Maps_(DWM)/weippenorth-DWM-19.pdf

5. Negative Impacts • Stream dewatering • Decreased fish habitat • Project construction • Roads for heavy equipment • Power lines • Byproducts • Recreational losses • Impaired watershed functionality

6. Case Study: Ashlu River, BC • High head type hydro-electric system • Privately owned by Ledcor corporation • Funded by BC tax payers • Public river sold to private corperation • Substantial amount of total volume diverted through tunnel • Ultimately leading to ecosystem altercation downstream of the intake. • Recreational opportunities lost. • 49 Megawatts of energy to be created.

7. Micro Hydro Project Generation on Ashlu Creek • 1989 • Oct 25 Water license application submitted for Ashlu Creek • 1994 • Dec Ashlu Creek project submitted to Province under BC Hydro call for proposals for IPPs (total of 44 projects submitted) • 1995 • Aug Ashlu Creek short-listed as one of top 10 projects by BC Hydro • 1996 • Apr BC Hydro selects two wood waste projects to proceed ahead with contracts Ashlu further short-listed to top 5 remaining projects Jul Ledcor meets with Province and BC Hydro for evaluation Aug Independent Power Producers Review Panel (appointed by the then Premier) ranks Ashlu the best BC Hydro short-listed run-of-river project on the basis of corporate costs, transfer payments (taxes and rentals) to the provincial and municipal levels of government, and its social and environmental impacts. This panel included the Assistant Deputy Ministers of Environment Lands and Parks and Employment and Investment, and the Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines. Oct BC Hydro completes evaluations; Province stops IPP process - Ashlu Creek shelved • 2000 • Nov 17 Ledcor initiates discussions with Squamish Nation • 2001 • Apr 12 Begin aquatic (fish), vegetation and wildlife studies environmental baseline studies • 2002 • Aug 26 Aquatic studies submitted to Fisheries & Oceans Canada for referral Sep 30 Archaeological Overview Assessment, preliminary field reconnaissance, and Traditional Use Studies are completed with the Squamish Nation Nov 5 Ledcor hosts Ashlu open house in Squamish (1 of 6) Dec 3 Ledcor hosts Ashlu open house in Upper Squamish Valley (2 of 6) Dec 6 Ministry of Energy & Mines confirms that the project site has been covered by a mineral reserve Dec 16 Ashlu Creek project submitted to BC Hydro under call for proposals for green power generation • 2003 • Mar 7 Development Plan for project submitted to Land & Water BC (LWBC) lands division to begin permitting process; Ledcor voluntarily activates the Canadian Environmental Assessment (“CEA”) review process Mar 31 Ashlu Creek short listed by BC Hydro (30 projects in total); Ledcor prepares pricing bid Apr 25 Generator Interconnection preliminary study application submitted to BC Hydro Jun 21 Squamish Nation begins kayaking survey on Ashlu Creek Aug 25 Call for Tenders application submitted to BC Hydro for final project selection SLRD gives 1st reading of rezoning bylaw Sep 29 BC Hydro awards Electricity Purchase Agreement to Ashlu Creek (16 projects in total selected) Oct 16 Squamish Nation completes kayaking survey on Ashlu Creek; results submitted to Canadian Coast Guard for evaluation Nov 25 SLRD hosts Ashlu public information session in Squamish (3 of 6) • 2004 • Feb 25 Approval received from Provincial Agricultural Land Commission Mar 16 Formal agreement with the Squamish Nation is signed and concluded Apr 25 Systems Impact Study is initiated with the BC Transmission Corporation (“BCTC”) Apr 26 SLRD gives 2nd reading of rezoning bylaw May 17 1st SLRD public hearing in Squamish July 5 Ministry of Forests (Squamish Forest District) project referral comments are answered to obtain approval Jul 30 Ashlu information office opens in Squamish Aug 3 Ledcor hosts Squamish Valley residents community meeting (4 of 6) Aug 10 Ledcor hosts two Squamish Valley residents community meetings (5 of 6) Sep 13 SLRD hosts Ashlu public information session in Squamish (6 of 6) Sep 14 District of Squamish supports the project (referral from SLRD) Sep 27 SLRD revises 1st and 2nd readings of bylaw Sep 28 Ministry of Water, Land & Air Protection complete referral of project Oct 5 District of Squamish reverses its September 14 decision and withdraws support of the project Oct 14 Environment Canada and Canadian Wildlife Service provide final approval as per CEAA screen; Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Habitat Protection division) provides draft approval of the fisheries authorization for the Harmful Alteration, Disruption or Destruction (“HADD”) of fish habitat requirement as per CEAA screen; Ministry of Environment (formerly Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection) provides final approval of project as per CEAA screen; and Ministry of Transportation (formerly Canadian Coast Guard) provides draft approval of navigation authorization as per CEAA screen Nov 17 2nd SLRD public hearing in Squamish Ministry of Transportation (formerly Canadian Coast Guard) provides final approval of navigation authorization Dec 16 LWBC issues the offer of land tenure and a draft copy of the conditional water license Dec 17 SLRD postpones 3rd reading; schedule a 3rd public hearing for January 2005 • 2005 • Jan 10 3rd SLRD public hearing in Squamish Jan 11 SLRD denies 3rd reading for rezoning for the project; Systems Impact Study is cancelled with BCTC Feb 28 Ashlu information office in Squamish is closed Jul 5 Final discussions with Fisheries and Oceans Canada is concluded with respect to short-term compensation for steelhead during construction of the project Nov 30 Grizzly bear monitoring program is concluded; the final report will be issued in February 2006 to re-address questions by local area residents Dec 6 Ledcor re-applies for rezoning to SLRD Dec 20 Tree Farm License 38, where the Project is located, is transferred from Interfor to the Squamish First Nation; land procurement for the proposed DFO salmon habitat enhancement project concludes • 2006 • Jan 30 SLRD meets and discusses Ashlu rezoning re-application; the application is deferred until an IPP strategy is implemented for the Sea-to-Sky area by the Province Feb 4 Squamish Nation and Ledcor host a roundtable workshop with residents of the Upper Squamish Valley May 9 Squamish Nation and Ledcor host a second roundtable workshop with residents of the Upper Squamish Valley http://www.ashlucreek.com/chronology-of-the-ashlu-creek-hydro-project-develo-1.html

8. Sick Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPtddgUqr4o

9. http://www.ippwatch.info/w/

10. References • Burke, Jack. "North American Project Update." Www.tunnelingoneline.com. Web. <http://www.tunnelingonline.com/pdfs/Project_Updates/2008-10.pdf>. • "49 Megawatts." The Range Life. Ed. Brian Smith. Web. <http://therangelife.blogspot.com>. • "Handbook for Developing Micro Hydro in British Columbia." BC Hydro. 23 Mar. 2004. Web. <http://www.bchydro.com/etc/medialib/internet/documents/environment/pdf/environment_handbook_for_developing_micro_hydro_in_bc.Par.0001.File.environment_handbook_for_developing_micro_hydro_in_bc.pdf>. • Hydro-Map." Www.Bc-creeks.org. Web. <http://www.bc-creeks.org/index.php/hydro-map/>. • "Protecting the Ashlu." Www.americanwhitewater.org. Web. <http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Project/view/id/24/>."Chronology of the Ashlu Creek Hydro Project Development." Www.ashlucreek.com. Ledcor, 2009. Web.