The B.C. Utilities Commission is expected to issue a preliminary report on the $8.8 billion Site C dam project today, as it begins hearings around the province on the third dam on the Peace River.
Site C has been under construction for two years, currently employing more than 2,000 people for the early stages of the most expensive construction project in B.C. history.
Energy Minister Michelle Mungall said Wednesday she expects the BCUC to release its report by the end of the day, as per the deadline given by the NDP government that was widely criticized as arbitrary and too short. A ministry spokesperson said the report isn’t expected until after business hours.
Mungall said she will not see the preliminary report until it is public and the decision on the fate of the dam will be made once the consultation is over.
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The dam was a key issue in the May election, with former premier Christy Clark’s government signing major construction contracts in an effort to get the project past the point of no return. Premier John Horgan ordered the review immediately on forming a minority government, directing the BCUC to make recommendations whether to proceed, pause or pull the plug by Nov. 1.
Public input sessions begin Sept. 23 in Vancouver, with sessions in Kamloops, Kelowna, Nelson, Prince George, Hudson’s Hope and Fort St. John. The last hearings are set for Nanaimo Oct. 10 and Victoria Oct. 11.
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