UCP government hires lawyer to explore expedited construction of Springbank dam
Sammy Hudes
Updated: May 3, 2019
The UCP government announced Friday it would appoint a lawyer to explore ways to speed up construction of the contentious Springbank dam project.
The province is appointing Martin Ignasiak, a partner at the law firm of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, “to assess opportunities to expedite construction” of the project, the government stated in a news release Friday afternoon.
Ignasiak “has extensive experience developing and executing strategies to obtain regulatory approvals for large-scale projects,” it stated.
“As an independent expert, Ignasiak will work swiftly to assess the project’s status and advise the government about immediate action to move the project forward, while respecting the regulatory approval processes and the ongoing consultations required with important stakeholders.”
The proposed project is a dry reservoir that would store water temporarily during a flood. The Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir (SR1) would have the capacity for more than 70 million cubic metres and be located 15 kilometres west of Calgary between Highway 8 and the Trans-Canada Highway, and east of Highway 22.
Municipal flood experts and city officials have identified the Springbank reservoir as a “priority” when it comes to flood protection, particularly for the downtown.
Provincial experts have said the proposed dam, along with improvements to the Glenmore Reservoir, would be capable of storing water volumes equivalent to the 2013 flood.
But the project has encountered staunch opposition from local landowners who would be required to give up property to make way for the reservoir.
A federal environmental assessment and consultations with Indigenous communities remain ongoing. The project won’t go forward until the legal duty to consult Indigenous peoples has been met, officials say.
The Tsuut’ina Nation has urged the province to explore other flood mitigation options and has said the Springbank project would pollute groundwater and put reserve lands at risk in the event of another flood.
Karin Hunter, president of the Springbank Community Association, said the Springbank dam doesn’t provide adequate flood protection. A vocal critic of the project, she questioned how the province can expedite a process that currently depends on a federal review.
“Springbank and the community of Springbank — Bragg Creek, Redwood Meadows — have never been consulted about this massive project that’s sitting right in our backyard,” Hunter said.
“So it seems like the government’s missed a few steps. They want to jump ahead but the reason this project continues to run into hurdles is because the process itself has been quite flawed since the very get-go.”
Transportation Minister Ric McIver said the Springbank dam is needed “to protect Calgary … and other municipalities and parts of Alberta downstream from Calgary.”
He said Ignasiak’s hiring will help ensure “things stay on track” with the federal government’s environmental review.
“He’s going to look at the file and just make sure that we haven’t missed anything and perhaps take a look to see if there’s something that the federal government’s environmental review body can be doing faster, or should not be doing slower,” McIver said.
“It’s just mostly trying to make sure that we don’t delay the project and that the project can get started as soon as possible.”
Source:
https://calgaryherald.com/news/polit...springbank-dam