Received DC Office September 16/16

CA-5

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Minister of
Fisheries and Oceans

Ministre des
Peches et des Oceans

Ottawa, Canada K1A OE6

SEP 16 2016
Ms. Karen Goodings
Director, Electoral Area 'B'
Peace River Regional District
< prrd.dc@prrd.bc.ca >
Dear Ms. Goodings:
Thank you for your correspondence of June 16, 2016, regarding the Site C Clean Energy
Project. I regret the delay in my response.
As you may be aware, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has recently completed its review
of the application for authorization related to the Site C Project (the Project) and has issued
an authorization under the Fisheries Act for the construction of the main civil works, which
includes the dam, generating station, spillway and associated works and operations. In
keeping with our commitment to science-based decision-making, the process leading up to
the regulatory authorization was thorough and included science analysis and extensive
consultations with Indigenous groups and key stakeholders.
Because the project will result in impacts to fish and fish habitat, the authorization that has
been issued requires BC Hydro to implement measures to reduce the Project's potential
impacts in the Peace River (e.g., maintaining fish passage, replanting of vegetation, and
creation of additional fish habitat). The authorization also requires the proponent to
implement a monitoring program to assess the effectiveness of proposed mitigation and
offsetting measures, and allows DFO to require additional measures to be implemented
should they prove insufficient.
Furthermore, to ensure that all potential impacts have been considered for the lifecycle of the
project, an adaptive management program will be implemented. Through follow-up
monitoring, this program will allow for identification of any additional potential impacts, and
for implementation of any necessary mitigation and offsetting options.
As you may know, this Government is committed to a renewed relationship with Indigenous
peoples. In keeping with this commitment and in an effort to ensure that continued,
meaningful engagement and information-sharing continues with First Nations potentially
affected by the Site C Project, the authorization also requires BC Hydro to take additional
actions to enable and fund continued dialogue with, and involvement of, these groups as the
Project advances.

. . ./2

Canada

September 22, 2016

CA-5
-2-

The decision to provide a Fisheries Act authorization for this important energy project was
based on a thorough review of project data and a rigorous assessment by DFO's scientific
and technical experts. It is also worth noting that the experts from the DFO Fisheries
Protection Program will continue to monitor impacts of the project and the associated
mitigation efforts until its completion.
Thank you again for sharing your concerns with respect to the Site C Clean Energy project.
Yours sincerely,

Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., M.P.

Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
c.c.:

Mr. Bob Zimmer, M.P.

Prince George - Peace River - Northern Rockies
Chief Roland Wilson
West Moberly First Nation

September 22, 2016

{Mr PEACE RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT

Office of: Director, Electoral Area B
June 16, 2016
Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario K2L 0N0
min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Re: Federal Permits for BC Site C Dam
Dear Minister LeB|anc:
Please accept my congratulations on your becoming the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and
Canadian Coast Guard. Your ministry has the responsibility of reviewing and acting on many
projects. One such project has applications from BC Hydro for permits in regard to the Fisheries
Act in the building of the Site C Dam on the Peace River. The Peace River is one of the few rivers
in Canada that flows in a west to east direction and is an important river both in BC and in
Alberta. The Peace Valley at Bear Flats has a micro climate and class 1 soils capable of feeding up
to a million people.
I am writing to urge you to refrain from issuing any further Federal permits until this project has
been scrutinized by an independent body such as the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC). The Joint
Environmental Review Panel recommended that the Site C project be referred to the BCUC for a
thorough review before proceeding. This did not happen. Instead the Province exempted Site C
from that independent scrutiny.
The need for power has not been proven and the actual forecast load requirements are now
under revision by BC Hydro who has admitted that the industrial load and revenue forecasts and
financial projections are once again diminished due, in part, to no final investment decision on
the proposed LNG projects. The revision as to the industrial load will not be available until later in
the summer.
The building of Site C will result in a huge 9 billion dollar debt for which need has never been
determined.

diverse. vast. abundant.

PLEASE REPLY TO:
Box B10, 1981 Alaska Ave, Dawson Creek, BC V16 4H8 Tel: (250) 784-3200 or (800) 670-7773 Fax: 12501784 3201 Email: prrd.clc@prrd bc ca
9505 100 St. Fort St John, BC V1l4N4 Tel: [250] 785-8084 Fax: (250) 785-1125 Emai prrd.fsj@prrd.bc ca

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc

June 16, 2016

Page 2

What is of importance to the First Nations and many of the residents is the loss of a river
important to our special species of fish. Bull Trout are our northern fresh water salmon and they
require running water which in its natural state remains cooler. They will not do well in a "lake".
The mitigation being proposed is highly dubious and will likely result in failure and a diminished or
even permanent loss of a very important food fish.
There are tests being undertaken to determine what level of mercury is present in the fish found
in the WAC Bennett Dam reservoir upstream of the proposed Site C. It is recognized that mercury
will also be present in fish if the proposed Site C dam reservoir becomes a reality. The results of
those tests should be available later in 2016.
Under the previous Conservative government changes to the Fisheries Act seriously lowered the
importance of protecting habitat for fish. This changes the ability for key habitat protection
provisions which prohibited any work or undertaking that would cause the harmful alteration,
disruption or destruction of fish habitat that were in place uncler the Hon. Pierre Trudeau.
There has been a recent slide in the Halfway River, a tributary to the Peace River, causing
sediment to move into the Peace River. I have included pictures of this slide. The Halfway River
water levels will rise if Site C proceeds and we can expect an increase of this type of slide as the
banks become undermined by wind and wave action and rising waters.
For all of the above reasons, I respectfully request that no further permits be issued until an
independent study has been undertaken. Better to make sure of the facts, than try to live with
the results of a hurried decision.
Yours Truly,

C7@uMsz=><=>-s'~
Karen Goodings
Director, Electoral Area B
c.c. -

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister

Bob Zimmer, MP for Prince George - Peace River - Northern Rockies
Bob.Zimmer@Qarl.gc.ca
Chief Roland Willson, West Moberly First Nation rwillson@westmo.org