Premier Susan Holt speaking at her news conference today
Premier Holt says her government has not ruled out a comprehensive environmental impact assessment of the proposed PROENERGY 500 MW gas/diesel plant on the Chignecto Isthmus.
“We have a lot of questions that the provincial government continues to ask of the proponent as we go through the EIA process which includes the consideration of a comprehensive review,” she said today during a news conference in Fredericton.
“So we don’t have a final decision on that point, at this time,” she added.
At its meeting last week, Tantramar Town Council approved sending a letter to various officials, including the premier, asking for a comprehensive environmental impact assessment as well as continued engagement on the project.
Holt said she is aware of concerns of the Tantramar community adding that she’s met with residents and talked to members of town council to understand what’s been happening.
Mi’kmaq involvement
Holt spoke generally when asked what she’s been hearing from members of Mi’kmaq First Nations communities about the gas plant project.
“We’ve been hearing that there has been quite a bit of conversation between MTI and the North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Council as well as the Chiefs directly involved,” she said mentioning Chief Rebecca Knockwood of Fort Folly First Nation by name.
Mi’gmawe’l Tplu’taqnn Inc. (MTI) is the non-profit organization that represents the nine Mi’gmaq First Nations in the province.
In August, the Chiefs who lead MTI said the gas plant could not proceed until it undergoes a rigorous, Mi’kmaq-led, rights impact assessment.
In its September update on the project, PROENERGY said it was supporting a Mi’gmaq Rights Impact Assessment to gauge potential effects on Mi’gmaq Aboriginal and Treaty Rights.
“This allowed the MTI technical team to visually see and walk the grounds as well as have the Elder conduct a tobacco offering while at the site,” the US company’s update added.
Earlier, both PROENERGY and NB Power had claimed that the North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Council had invested in the project, but it emerged later that no such partnership actually existed.
The Tribal Council, which represents seven of the nine Mi’kmaq First Nations, has a newly created Indigenous Sovereign Wealth Fund that works with industry on clean energy projects to create economic independence for its member First Nations.
“There’s actually a number of projects that both MTI and NSMTC (North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Counci)l have been working on,” Holt said today.
“I think this one [the gas plant project] has prompted some pretty good conversation and we’re available and listening to see what decisions are coming out of these groups as they work through it,” she concluded.
I mentioned in a previous comment about a clean power source right under our nose. The Tantramar Marsh must be the windiest place in all of New Brunswick and would make a perfect location for wind turbines. I think a good location would be the previous CBC area. The infrastructure is there with entrance and exit to the Trans Canada Highway and the vacant buildings could be utilized, let’s not forget the main power line to Nova Scotia is just a little ways on the high marsh giving a connection to the power grid. Most of us can remember the CBC towers, could replace those towers with windmills in a sense? After all just across the border Nova Scotia has a lot of windmills on their side of the marsh. There is so much wind power that tractor trailers have been toppled over from the wind over the marsh. Instead of a US firm building here why not home grown infrastructure by Canadians. The bonus to this idea that our First Nations would be directly involved being they own the property of the previous CBC. How could the Native population say no to clean energy vs polluting fossil fuel energy. A local well known business man told me we have to stop thinking we have to burn something to create energy. I’m only one voice but I believe there would be a majority of people in agreement with this proposal and thinking of our future generations.
Before anyone comments on the turbines and dead birds, or the blades of the turbines, it is possible to get blade-less turbines now which remove the chances of killing birds AND make them much less an ‘eyesore’ than the turbines we see over in Amherst. I would think that the push to get Canada trading with other countries would be an incentive to seek out the bladeless types being developed in Europe.
Or we could, you know, produce and invest in making them in NB, bringing that industry here which would make for jobs that people are always saying we need more of.
The use of the “Chignecto Isthmus” as part of the discussions of the controversial PROENERGY and NB Power project in the Center Ville area should be considered as a attention seeking device as well as miss leading information pertaining to possible environmental effects to an area some 20 to 25 kms away from the project..
As stated in the book by historical author, first and second editions, on pages 19 and 20 “AT THE CROSS ROADS, A history of Sackville New Brunswick” by local author William B. Hamilton, published 2004.
“The strategic location of the Isthmus of Chignecto at the head of the ‘The Great Bay of Fundy” linking the two provinces and preventing mainland Nova Scotia from becoming an island, leaps off the map.”
That quote makes it quite clear that any statements that the Chignecto Isthmus is in any type of emit environmental damager for the foreseeable future from the PROENERGY and NB Power project is misleading and fear mongering at the least.
I agree the project in the Center Ville area should receive close attention pertaining to all construction issues including environmental regulations using the facts and valid concerns.
In the above the news release even the Premier used the Chignecto Isthmus in an uniformed manner and lack knowledge of the local area.
Finally, with 20 to 25 kms between Center Ville and the true location of the Isthmus it is highly unlikely the construction of the PROENERGY and NB Power project will have very little effect, if any, on the NB and NS bounder area and the real potential concerns should be addressed in or near the Center Ville area to the highest standards.
Considering the amount of links that answered your question of where/to what extent is the Chignecto Isthmus is, I don’t think you can say that the region is not in danger. To quote the Canadian Parks and Wildlife Society ( “https://cpawsnb.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Isthmus-Fact-Sheet-1.pdf )
“Width – AT IT’S NARROWEST, the Isthmus is only 21 km wide.
Length – the CORE Isthmus area is only 25 km long, however the area of
connectivity interest is from Moncton, NB to Pictou, NS, a distance of 170 km”.
So when people speak of the Isthmus, it depends if they’re referring in context to the area of connectivity OR the core area and/or the narrowest point. But OVERALL, we’re talking 170 KM of landmass. That’s not, as you say, an area some 20 to 25 kms away from the project.
Rather, that quote you give does demonstrate the actual IMPORTANCE of the area between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Normally I don’t argue the Environmental effects of a project like this because I’m not that versed in them. I leave that to the people who are. And those that are environmentally savvy about this project say that this project IS a threat for the local Environment. They have made their concerns public as to why they believe that way. I’d say their concerns are valid unless you want to dismiss all the people who are involved in that aspect.
For myself, the fact this is an American Company should make this project now a full stop until we get a Canadian company to take over, then reassess. Thus far, there is no faith/trust in this project due to the misinformation surrounding it from the get go. Of course you also now have issues with NB Power saying we’ll be “out of power” in three or so years, and you would have to seriously stretch the belief that NB Power WON’T run this plant more than 7% of the time (because come on, you don’t honestly think once it’s built, if they’re running short, they WON’T push the plant to generate more?) I personally am not fond of being taken for a ride, but it sure seems like that’s what these two corporations are wanting to do.
But to deny there is Environmental issues that shouldn’t be considered and instead claim it is “fear mongering”, and dismiss the actual impact possibilities because one only “thinks” that it won’t affect the Isthmus, does not help the situation any.
I do not question of possible environment issues, I am pointing out how information pertaining to issues can be manipulated to increase concerns and attention seeking.
If there is a VALID environmental concern point it out what and where with the facts.
I am like not a expert on the environment neither are those speaking on the issues as I see it.
I don’t my flowers and trees to from project, but don’t scare me without proof.
I really do hope MTI and the Indigenous community builds a renewable power generating station near the highway by Aulac. Hopefully either a bladeless wind turbine system or solar. As for the comment above by Macx, I couldn’t disagree more that the proposed fossil fuel plant will have little effect on the environment of and around Centre Village. Centre Village is directly in the centre of the Chignecto Isthmus, the wildlife corridor that runs between NB and NS. It is the only space where a plethora of species use this corridor – in particular, moose from NB that cross into NS – where the mainland moose is an endangered species in NS. The Centre Village location sits directly in the pathway of the major Atlantic Flyway where thousands of migrating shorebirds, seabirds, waterfowl and songbirds fly each year. The Centre Village location is also pretty much at the highest elevation to the community around it, and is host to the wetlands and springs that feed into Harper Brook and the tributaries of the Tantramar River. We learned first hand how interconnected those tributaries are when the flooding of Sept 1999 washed out Rt. 940, stranded all of adjacent Cookville, silted out 12+kms of the headwaters of the Tantramar River, destroying Dave’s Lake in the process. All of that because of the destruction the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline created when cutting through the Tantramar and the tributaries on the Centre Village site and surrounding area during that very wet season. Anything that happens to either the groundwater, soil or air from leaks or accidents, or general operation of the proposed 500MW facility will end up in all surrounding areas of the Isthmus down to the Bay. With the Isthmus being listed as one the primary areas on the eastern seaboard at severe risk of flooding due to rising sea levels, and now the added threat of increased yearly wildfire risk because of climate issues, a project of this size is the last thing the region needs. The environmental, public health and community impacts of this proposed facility is too great of a risk for this mega project to be put in this very sensitive ecological area. I side with a statement from Parks Canada that the Chignecto Isthmus is named as of one of the 23 areas across Canada that should be restored and protected. I don’t see turning its vital centre into a 32ha industrial park fitting that bill.