Here is an update on the dangerous hydro-electric generating station being built at the Bala falls.
As our current "government for the people" (as they frequently remind us) has been ignoring our e-mail campaigns lately, we will not be suggesting you send any e-mails now. Instead, better to just provide an update as we continue to inform the government how lives and millions of dollars could be saved by not allowing this mistake of a project to operate.
Photographs showing the dangers
We have posted photographs here (if the web site doesn't load, refresh your screen) of the current appearance of this dangerous industrial facility, including showing what the deadly intake looked like before it was hidden by water.
Court update
The proponent's second Court appearance on the 13 charges of violating the Township of Muskoka Lakes Noise Control by-law was April 10, 2019. While this is an on-going problem requiring immediate attention, due to the Township of Muskoka Lakes lawyer's need for more than a month to review any possible additional materials from the proponent, the Court and lawyers had to select July 10, 2019 as the date for the next Court appearance. And this third appearance is not for a trial, it will only be to update the Court, for example on whether; a settlement has been reached, further time is required, or to request a date for a trial.
Furthermore, the Township has declined to send a Notice of Default to the proponent, despite the fact that the Township has determined that the proponent has not complied with its by-laws and the Township's land lease therefore requires a Notice of Default to be sent. More detail here.
We are disappointed at this ineffective response from the Township of Muskoka Lakes, which more serves the interests of the proponent than us tax-paying residents.
Permit to Take Water
Before they are allowed to operate their dangerous project, the proponent must have a Permit to Take Water issued to them by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. As the MECP has the responsibility to protect human life, and the proponent has not provided any detail on how, or if, they could operate safely, the MECP should not issue this permit.
We have sent several letters, such as this and this, asking that this dangerous industrial facility not be allowed to operate, but have not received any response from the MECP to our requests for an update, even though this is literally a life-and-death issue.
And on the topic of whether this industrial facililty could be operated safely at this location, a few months ago the proponent formed a new corporation ("Swift River Operations Limited"). While their development company ("Swift River Energy Limited") has five officers/directors, this new Operations company has only one (Anthony Zwig gets to be president, secretary and a director), apparently nobody else wants the liability of being an officer or director. What does that say about whether the proponent really believes this thing could be operated safely.
Environmental Compliance Approval, Noise
The MECP has very specific limits allowed for noise from stationary sources such as hydro-electric generating stations.
With their 2009 Environmental Screening/Review report, the proponent submitted an Acoustic Assessment report which; did not include all the noise sources, did not use actual manufacturer's data, and assumed their building would be a windowless structure with 8"-thick concrete walls.
However, this deadly booby-trap would in fact:
- Have many windows and doors, and also large openings for ventilation, which would allow even more noise to escape.
- Have several components which would generate significant noise, such as the speed-increasing gear box and the ventilation fans.
- Not have the benefit of the masking noise of the falls, as it would remove more than 94% of the water from both Bala falls.
And we all know how well sound travels over water.
We understand that before operation would be allowed, the proponent must have an Environmental Compliance Approval for the Noise that would be produced by this industrial facility. We understand the proponent has not yet submitted the finalized Acoustic Assessment report which the MECP requires as part of their consideration in issuing this ECA.
The dangers remain unaddressed
As we have been telling the government for years, it would be unprecedented and irresponsibly dangerous to build and operate a hydro-electric generating station in the middle of an extremely popular in-water recreational area. We have detailed how just 45 seconds after tipping out of a canoe at the only boat rental in the area, people would be sucked into this dangerous industrial facility’s intake and held under water, and that would be their end.
So we are most alarmed to read this February 6, 2019 letter from the Minister of the Environment and this March 7, 2019 letter from the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, that:
- Instead of addressing this life-and-death issue, they talk about things we never asked, such as water levels, water quality, and fish habitat.
- They make vague statements such as: “Diver’s Point will continue to be unaffected by the project operation and will continue to be a safe location for recreational activity”. People Scuba dive from Diver’s Point, which would become deadly as it is just 70 m upstream from the facility’s intake, so is Minister Phillips saying people can continue to Scuba dive from Diver’s Point, or just play soccer on it.
It is wrong for the government to ignore life-and-death issues and it is wrong for the Ford government to make Ontarians pay $100M to a Liberal mega-donor to operate this death trap. Especially as we have provided the government with several ways to ensure safety without having to pay cancellation costs.
On February 27, 2018 now-Premier Ford came to Bala and promised: “As Premier, I would conduct a full investigation into this project, and make sure the local residents are armed with the facts. As Premier I will get answers, and I can assure you, I will get answers. I will drill down and find out who is part of the big scam”.
The economics make no sense for Ontario
This death trap would produce the most power when Ontario doesn't need it (that is, in the spring and fall when there is the most water and the least demand for electricity). And it would produce the least power in the summer when it is most needed (when air conditioners are running, but there is little water flow in Muskoka).
Yet the proponent would be paid more than 17 ¢/kW•h for this power even when it isn't needed, even though there are two hydro-electric generating stations downstream that could produce it for about 4 ¢/kW•h. It appears that Doug Ford is "part of the big scam".
The Ford government has no obligation to issue the Permit to Take Water for this death trap.
If the Ford government does issue these these two permits they would be committing Ontarians to pay a subsidy of more than $100M (that is, more than one hundred million dollars) over the 40-year term of the contract. This would build in more costs to Ontario's electricity system far into the future, even though the Ford government has promised to reduce electricity costs by an additional 12%. This makes no sense.
The Ford government is cutting budgets from education, health care and autism therapy, and it will continue to spend more than it receives in taxes for at least another four years, further increasing Ontario's deficit. Yet the Ford government would pay millions of our dollars for power that isn't needed.
If the Ford government wastes our money by issuing these last two permits instead of starting to fix Ontario's electricity system, then Doug Ford you have found who is part of the big scam, look in the mirror.