A recent decision by the provincial government to exempt proposed transmission line projects from requiring a mandatory environmental impact assessment (EIA) has some landowners concerned that their rights are being denied and the welfare of the environment is being overlooked in favour of fast tracking industrial development.
In a statement released April 30 Environment Minister Rob Renner said “Our experience has shown Albertans’ concerns over transmission lines are related to routing land management and human health all of which can be addressed through the Alberta Utilities Commission process. As a result of these changes resources can be better dedicated to other environmental issues.”
Joe Anglin chairman of the Lavesta Area Group a citizens’ group with over 700 landowners and stakeholders in central Alberta argues that not conducting assessments beforehand could lead to an environmental nightmare. “When the minister arbitrarily issues these decisions what they remove from the process is really good information” says Anglin. “Not just for industry but for the public at large and communities to really look at these projects at an environmental viewpoint.”
He is also concerned that a lot of the land the transmission lines would be built on is private and that landowners should have the right to know exactly what impact the lines will have not only on their own health but the environment as a whole.
He says the group has never opposed transmission lines and is well aware Alberta’s transmission system is in need of upgrading. “What we opposed was we were being denied our right to due process and that’s what the minister’s done now” he says.
According to Alberta Environment spokesperson Kim Capstick an EIA is an information-gathering tool and not a decision-making process. She says the government is not eliminating the opportunity for public input or eliminating the regulatory process and the AUC would consider any environmental concerns. “All we’re saying is the information-gathering tool is not mandatory.”
“The way the rules had been set up previously was that if a transmission line was less than 130 kilovolts it didn’t require an EIA and if it was over 500 kilovolts it did” says Capstick. “If there was a scenario where we did feel that we needed this information-gathering tool the minister still has the ability to call one if needed.” She adds that the environmental impact of transmission lines is already well understood and doesn’t differ depending upon the voltage.
According to Anglin Capstick has no understanding of electricity or transmission. “This is what’s quite sad is that she is part of Alberta Environment and she’s making comments about an issue where they’re saying they don’t want to know what the difference is so they can say there is no difference.”
“[EIA’s] might dig into the profit of certain companies but we’re talking about health risks and major environmental impacts” says Anglin. He says the public should be entitled to a higher standard when it comes to assessing the impact industrial projects have on the environment. “It just boggles my mind that they look at this as some kind of inconvenience.” (TH)
