Waneta expansion work getting underway is dam good news for area
By Erin Handy
What better way to launch a grand new year than with the soothing sounds of large-scale rock demolition? Construction of the long-awaited second powerplant at the Waneta Dam may begin in just over a month, with blasting booked as early as mid-February, Columbia Power representatives told Rossland council Monday.
“I’m sure in the past, you’ve heard a lot of hopeful ‘wish-fors,’” the company’s new CEO, Jane Bird, told Rossland council this week. “So we’re happy to come back and announce it now.” While Monday night’s presentation to council was more high-level overview than announcement, Bird might be forgiven both her enthusiasm and any grammatical liberty-taking. The 335 mega-watt project has been more than a decade in the works. The most recent setback arose in Fall 2009 with the realization that power-purchaser BC Hydro had no need to also buy backup capacity, impacting the project’s financial profile. With Fortis Inc. now owning a 51 per cent partnership share and committed to purchasing capacity (the ability to buy extra power as needed, on demand) from the new plant, the project is now permitted and on the cusp of construction, with the adit tunnel (the entrance to the main tunnel area) excavation scheduled to begin February 18, followed by power tunnel excavation April 11. That’s great news for a variety of local tradespeople, given the expectation that approximately 85 per cent of workers hired onto the project will be relatively local, able to prove residence within a 100 kilometre radius of the project. Skills not found in the region may be brought in from outside. Other union provisions will result in opportunities for apprentices, with special consideration also in place for traditionally marginalized workers including First Nations individuals and women, according to Columbia Power stakeholder relations and communications manager Audrey Repin. A heightened demand for local housing could benefit the community, said Bird. The presentation cites overall regional spending expectations exceeding $178 million, in addition to $200 million in wages and benefits. The blasting will prove less appealing to local cyclists fond of the Waneta Nelway Road, which runs roughly parallel to the Pend d’Oreille river before it merges with the Columbia. That popular spring biking route is closed and likely to remain so for the four-year duration of the project for safety reasons. “Let’s face it, when you start drilling and blasting, things happen,” said Repin, who nevertheless committed to share the concern (raised by councillor Andy Stradling) with the Community Impact Management Committee, a group of key community stakeholders with access to both Columbia Power project managers and contractor SNC Lavalin representatives. “It’s designed to be a two-way dialogue,” said Bird. The inevitable question of regional representation on that committee arose. No, it doesn’t include any Rosslanders, though Bird herself is now a Golden City resident. So let’s call that a draw. Worksites will be spaced out along Highway 22A. Two sites across from the Trail airport are currently being prepared to host offices and worker parking. The water line is in, a Hazco water treatment unit onsite, the topsoil has been removed and the land is being graded and a septic field installed. This last measure has been long on the wish list of the regional district as necessary to support potential development in the Columbia Gardens area. Access to private lands to run the necessary transmission line parallel to the existing BC Hydro line is still being negotiated with seven different landowners, including the Crown. “Almost there, we’re almost there,” said Repin, cheerfully. “We have had many meetings, many discussions and we’re just so thankful for the community’s support.” The full project presentation is attached to this article in pdf form.
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