10 Steps to Developing a Waterpower Project

Step 1 - Submission of Application (Complete)
The proponent officially submitted an application to Land and Water British Columbia (LWBC) with information required under the Water Act and Land Act. The application required that the proponent would work with qualified professionals to ensure that the information in the submission was complete and to the satisfaction of LWBC. The following information was included in the application for a waterpower project:

Completed application forms for the Crown land tenures and a water license;
Maps and plans of the project;
Title certificates and legal plans;
Preliminary project definition;
Certificate of incorporation; and
Application fees

Step 2 - Review of Application by LWBC (Complete)
The information submitted by the proponent was then reviewed by LWBC. The application was deemed to be complete, the applicant was notified in writing and discussions between the proponent and LWBC over the schedule for completing the project then began. This Notification by LWBC was not an indication that the application would be either refused or accepted.

Step 3 - Preparation of Development Plan (Complete)
The Development Plan was prepared by the proponent to provide LWBC with the information that fully defined the project and identified the impacts from the construction and operation of the project. This information formed the basis for the official decision to approve the application under the Water Act and Land Act. The Development Plan consisted (as is required) of two sections: the Project Definition and the Impact Assessment. The first section provided the definition of the project in terms of location and physical characteristics and was not significantly different from what was submitted in Step 1. The second section of the report identified all impacts of the construction and operation of the project and includes a communication plan for public consultation. During the preparation of the second section it was the proponent's responsibility to contact all other parties that may be affected by the impacts of the projects. The following list shows the different parties that were contacted:

Step 4 - Review of Development Plan by LWBC (Complete)
The Development Plan was then reviewed by LWBC. This review was not a determination of the adequacy of the mitigation and compensation proposed by the proponent, nor was it a decision about the granting of the applications under the Water Act and Land Act. The information provided by the proponent was reviewed to ensure that it was reasonably complete and that the best information was made available to other parties for input under Step 5.

Step 5 - Review of the Project (Almost Complete)
The review of the project was initiated to give agencies, interested parties, and First Nations and opportunity to provide LWBC with information to determine the impacts and potential effects of the project on the rights people have under the Water Act and Land Act and also to determine the potential for infringements on aboriginal rights or title over land and water resources. The information is also being used to determine the appropriate mitigation and compensation measures to address the impacts.

Step 6 - Preparation of Summary Report (In Progress)
The Information from Step 5 was gathered by the proponent and is currently being compiled into a Summary Report. It is a condensed form of the Development plan and summarizes the information from the assessment of impacts received from all parties. Conclusions on the assessment of impacts and the proposed mitigation and compensation measures by the affected parties will be clearly stated.

Step 7 - Decision on the Application (Expected July 2004)
LWBC will review all information related to the waterpower project, and make a decision to grant or refuse the application under the Water Act and Land Act. Upon acceptance of the waterpower project the proponent is offered tenure to the Crown land and is provided with a draft water license. LWBC issues the land tenure and water license when the proponent accepts the offer.

Step 8 - Construction of Project (Commence Fall 2004)
The water License will include conditions that require the licensee to submit criteria for the design of the project and plans for its construction. Such criteria include:

the preparing, to the satisfaction of the engineer under the Water Act, of an environmental management plan (EMP) for the management and mitigation of construction impacts;
the retaining of an independent engineer to provide information and reports on the design and construction of the works to the engineer under the Water Act; and
the retaining of an independent environmental monitor to provide information and reports on the compliance of construction with the EMP.

Step 9 - Operation of Project (Commence Spring 2007)
The procedures for the operation of the project will be submitted to LWBC in the form of a report prepared by the licensee. LWBC will review the report and issue directions for the commencement of the operation of the project.

Step 10 - Monitoring of Project
The proponent will be required to submit information on the quantity of electricity generated by the project and other information on the compliance with the water license and land tenures. The proponent will also be required to implement a monitoring program to confirm that particular impacts will have been satisfactorily addressed. In the case of the Ashlu Project, five years of post-construction monitoring has been planned.