B.C. Hydro dishes the dirt on +$50-million project
By Kyra Hoggan
The price tag for refurbishment of 12 spillway gates at Hugh Keenleyside Dam will exceed the $50 million mark, B.C. Hydro representatives told Castlegar city council Monday.
Project manager Paul Klawer said the high cost means they must get approval from the B.C. Utilites Commission, from which they anticipate a reply by June 2010. From there, they hope to see construction under way by autumn of the same year. The project will be carried out in phases, with completion slated for 2013, he added.
Stakeholder engagement advisor Rachel Hamilton said the gates are, “moveable water barriers, holding and controlling the amount of water that can be discharged from the reservoir, ”explaining the gates are the original ones installed during the dam’s 1968 construction, and due for an upgrade.
The project goal Klawer said, is to make sure the gates stand up to the pressure of a severe flood, should one occur.
“That includes upgrading mechanical components, electrical power systems and control systems,” he said, adding there will be an environmental monitor on site for regular inspections and to provide expertise and advice throughout the process. “(The project) is primarily refurbishing existing gates – it is not intended to alter the function of the facility.
“We’re still in the planning process now, which should be completed by Nov. 30,” he added.
He said the phased approach to the project is necessary, since weather and flow requirements dictate which and how many gates can be inoperable at any given time, and said the project will employ roughly between six and 20 workers, a number that will fluctuate depending on the particular phase’s requirements.
Hamilton also touched on a key issue for the city officials – the proposed permanent closure of the Hugh Keenleyside Dam road.
“B.C. Hydro has stepped back from that decision,” she said, referring back to a public meeting held in Spetember in which B.C. Hydro rescinded the closure dictate.
“It was clear this was a really key concern for members of the public and elected officials,” she said, promising no new decisions would be made or steps taken without public engagement and consultation preceeding them.
She did say temporary closures would be necessary during construction to protect both worker and public safety, but added B.C. Hydro will provide as much advance notice as possible regarding any pending road closure.
Finally, she said the dam, along with other B.C. Hydro facilities, will see enhanced security during the 2010 Olympics, and she will provide more information about what that security will utlimately look like as plans become available.
