Latest news with #DavidCoon
CBC
7 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Opponents of new gas plant accuse N.B. Power of trying to evade regulatory scrutiny
Social Sharing Advocates are raising concerns that N.B. Power is looking to shortcut the regulatory process and avoid public scrutiny of its proposed 400-megawatt gas plant. "It's an attempt to evade the regulatory process and that's unacceptable," said Green Leader David Coon. N.B. Power is required to get approval from the Energy and Utilities Board for capital projects costing more than $50 million, but are arguing that a $70-million transmission facility required for a new natural gas generating facility in the province's southeast should be excepted from that scrutiny. Normally, that would trigger a review of the entire project. Coon said it's clear the utility doesn't believe the independent EUB would see the economic argument for it. "It says to me they don't have much faith in the Energy and Utilities Board deciding that these expenditures would be in the economic interests of New Brunswickers given the alternatives," he said. "The alternatives are there. I mean, places from the city of Saint John to the state of Vermont are using large battery storage systems on the scale of hundreds of megawatts in the case of Vermont to provide peak power." N.B. Power's application makes the case that the structure of the deal to build and operate the plant and necessary infrastructure doesn't count as a traditional capital investment. The new plant will be owned and operated by ProEnergy, which will sell the power generated back to N.B. Power. Because the plant is being built by and will be wholly owned by ProEnergy, the project doesn't require hearings and board approval. WATCH | 'They have a right to see what's going on,' says critic calling for review: Opponents of new gas plant say N.B. Power is trying to evade public scrutiny 7 minutes ago However, the project also includes a $70-million switchyard that ProEnergy has agreed to build. By law, only N.B. Power can own transmission assets in the province, so once completed, it will be sold to the utility for a dollar. N.B. Power argues that since they aren't building it, the transfer shouldn't count as a capital project and should therefore be shielded from board review and the public hearings that come with it — even though it will show up as a $70-million asset in its capital structure, with the depreciation and liabilities that come with it. A spokesperson for N.B. Power said in a statement that the application is intended to get the EUB's opinion on how to treat these types of agreements. "This structure differs from N.B. Power building and operating a long-term asset, where we would assume all operational risks, ultimately borne by the ratepayer. This is a new type of agreement for NB Power, and we felt it was important to seek the NBEUB's opinion," Elizabeth Fraser said in an email. Fraser added that while a full EUB review would take longer, they believe the plant could still be ready by 2028. N.B. Power said previously that the plant is necessary to address the growing population and demand for energy in the province and to provide a backup to intermittent renewable power. The utility is also looking to add hundreds of megawatts of wind energy to its generation mix in coming years and says the plant will be a crucial part of ensuring it has the energy it needs when demand dictates. According to environmental assessment filings, work to prepare the site is intended to start as early as next year, with the plant coming online in 2028. ProEnergy's lead for the project previously told CBC that it's expected the project could result in a 250,000-tonne reduction in N.B. Power's greenhouse gas emissions as the plant would displace more polluting sources of power. Reduction claims need to be tested Moe Qureshi, the director of climate change research and policy at the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, said those claims need to be tested in the EUB's public hearing process to determine if the plant, or the deal, is in the best interest of New Brunswickers. "The EUB is the way to review that information to check if this is really the best choice for New Brunswick and, without that oversight, I think we're going to get into more problems rather than less," he said. "What if this costs us more down the road than what we think now? And I think if the ratepayers have to pay for this, they have a right to see what's going on." The EUB filing also provides more details about how ProEnergy will be paid for the facility. N.B. Power will pay for the fuel used to power the plant and purchase the power generated. But they will also make monthly "capacity payments" based on how much power the utility purchased versus what the facility could produce. Fraser said payments will be based on a "'pay for performance' model, meaning we are only subject to payments when the facility meets a high level of availability." N.B. Power's EUB filing states they expect the capacity payments will eclipse $50 million over the 25-year lifespan of the agreement. A pre-hearing conference is scheduled for Aug. 12, with hearing dates set for the beginning of September.
CBC
11-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Green MLAs want quicker action on glyphosate report
Three and a half years after a report recommended tighter restrictions on glyphosate spraying, some lawmakers say the pace of implementation has been too slow. "It's clear that not a lot of work was done on it in that time," Green MLA Megan Mitton said. "There were some things completed and some things very recently completed, but I would have liked to see more progress." The report by the legislature's committee on climate change and environmental stewardship made a number of recommendations on the future of herbicide spraying in the province. It followed extensive hearings with scientists, foresters, Health Canada researchers, First Nations, industry and the public. The recommendations included larger setbacks from dwellings and watercourses, that N.B. Power phase out aerial glyphosate spraying and an analysis of potential alternatives. In an update to the committee, Christie Ward, the assistant deputy environment minister, said 11 of 20 recommendations have been "completed" to date, while the remaining nine are underway. Some MLAs pointed out, however, that what the department has implemented is not what the initial report actually recommended. "When you went through the recommendations of the committee that were unanimously adopted, you pointed to a number of those recommendations that were marked as completed, which were not implemented as recommended," David Coon told department staff Wednesday. "So essentially you rejected those recommendations." For example, the report called for setbacks from dwellings to increase to one kilometre from 500 metres. Ward said permits for aerial glyphosate spraying issued last year increased setbacks to 500 metres from 155 metres. Instead of the minimum 100-metre setback from watercourses recommended in the report, ground application requirements were moved to 30 metres from 15 metres, and aerial spraying requires a minimum distance of 65 metres. Ward said that the department has spent time trying to understand the intent of the committee's recommendations and to carry out the spirit of them, even those based on a misunderstanding of the regulations that already existed. "These recommendations are complex in some cases, many of them require rigorous scientific review, they also require a baseline of information, so you know where you're starting from and where you need to get to," she said. "There's been a lot of work done in the background to really understand all aspects of the pesticide program." But Mitton said she'd prefer a more direct answer from the department on whether the committee's recommendations have been followed. "When the auditor general has a report, there's a response from the department and then there's an update," she said. "I almost feel like we need a bit more of a formal process, or to bring them in more often, to keep that accountability going because I don't accept some of those answers as a checkmark." Environment Minister Gilles LePage backed up his staff, noting the report, which he helped prepare as an opposition member of the committee, did err at times in its understanding of existing regulations. However, LePage agreed with other comments over the pace of action on the report over the last few years. "In the past six years, I think there was a lack of work on that file, and that's why it's part of my mandate," he said. "I was part of the evolution of pesticides in this province, with the research on this committee, and I take it personally, and we are going to focus on pesticides even more than the previous government." LePage's mandate letter from Premier Susan Holt includes two mentions of herbicide spraying. One is to implement all recommendations from the committee's report. The other is to investigate alternatives to pesticide and herbicide use and "re-evaluate the safety of glyphosate with new and comprehensive data specific to New Brunswick." "We're looking daily and monthly on the impacts of how it's done," he said. "But don't forget, our regulations are very strong and very rigid for application and for use."
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
The Right to a Healthy Environment: N.B. Green Party pushes forward with Bill 19
New Brunswick's Green Party is bringing forward a big bill this week in the legislature. They hope to secure the right to a healthy environment, including the right to clean air and clean water for all New Brunswickers. Green Party Leader David Coon says the bill aims to not only give New Brunswickers that right, but also the tools needed to uphold it moving forward. 'It would create an environmental commissioner, a new officer of the legislature assembly who you could go to ask to investigate when you think those rights are being violated. Maybe because a policy was established that runs counter to upholding the right to a clean environment or a healthy environment. Maybe because there's been a failure to enforce existing regulations, standards of environmental quality and the environmental commissioner could weigh in on that,' he said. Additionally, Bill-19 would give residents greater access to the courts to defend that right, the chance to request an investigation by the Department of Environment and would ensure better protection for whistle blowers who raise concerns. Coon says it would also put a big emphasis on children. 'It's substantively different in that it mixes human rights law with environmental law,' he said. Right now, Bill-19 is scheduled to move forward with a second reading debate on Thursday afternoon and, while not routine, Coon says Premier Susan Holt will allow her caucus to have a free vote on it. He says the ask this week is for members to vote on whether or not, in principle, they agree with the idea and not the specifics of the law itself. 'We're hoping we can get it to the next phase, specifically the law and amendments committee, to give New Brunswickers, First Nations, greater opportunity to engage on the bill,' he said. NB Lung, an advocacy group that has been in New Brunswick since 1933, has been publicly supporting the bill. 'We want people to know that the health of New Brunswickers and the health of our environment are completely linked and we can't have one without the other,' said President and CEO Melanie Langille. 'For too long health and environment have been siloed and we're trying to bring them together.' To date, NB Lung has released an online petition, plans to have representatives present at the legislature on Thursday, and has found easy, modern-day ways for New Brunswickers to show their support. 'We know that sometimes its very intimidating for people to speak to their MLAs, so we are using a tool online where an individual just has to simply put their name and their postal code and a pre-written letter, you can adjust it if it doesn't suit you, but it will go to your elected officials,' said Langille. 'Air pollution and climate change increase the likelihood of developing lung disease and exacerbate the lung health symptoms for the one in five New Brunswickers that live with lung disease right now, so protecting our environment is very important for those of us that are worried about lung health.' The New Brunswick legislation only has two more weeks in house before summer break, meaning if it receives support to go to the law amendments committee it would likely be in September according to Coon. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CBC
09-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
N.B. Power risked 'fatigue-related errors' at nuclear plant, regulator says
Social Sharing Federal regulators say N.B. Power violated rules designed to ensure overnight shift workers at the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant get enough sleep to reduce the risk of safety mistakes. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission said, in a notice of violation, that some workers did not get the required 72-hour "recovery period" after working three consecutive night shifts at the nuclear plant. "CNSC staff contend that the N.B. Power staff working outside the bounds of [the regulations] were not provided a sufficient opportunity for sleep and recovery from sleep debt," said the nine-page notice issued in March. "As such, these workers were at an increased risk of experiencing high levels of fatigue and committing fatigue-related errors." The commission fined the utility $24,760. N.B. Power did not provide a comment on the notice to CBC News by deadline. WATCH | 'Mistakes can be made.' N.B. Power fined for Lepreau violation: N.B. Power violated nuclear rules at Point Lepreau, regulator says 55 minutes ago Duration 1:30 Green Party Leader David Coon said the revelation was alarming and suggested that the plant is short-staffed. "You're talking about operators, emergency response personnel, security people who've been working three night-shifts straight and are then having to come back to work without having the chance to get some rest," he said. "This is a nuclear reactor. You can't have people who are fatigued, who are tired, doing those jobs because as the regulator said … mistakes can be made and those mistakes could be very serious." According to the March 20 violation notice, N.B. Power's operating licence for the nuclear plant requires it to implement a program so that workers in "safety-sensitive positions" can avoid fatigue. That includes limits on hours of work and minimum recovery times. The commission first noticed during an inspection in late 2022 that N.B. Power's shift-scheduling software allowed workers to be scheduled in violation of the regulations and that some workers had exceeded the limits. N.B. Power told the commission it was adopting "interim corrective actions," including manual reviews of schedules, the notice said. Follow-up inspections by the commission, in 2023 and 2024, "found continued non-compliance" with the rule requiring a 72-hour break between three or more night shifts. There were 104 violations in 2023 and 150 in 2024, it says. The commission wrote to N.B. Power on Jan. 7 asking it to take steps to avoid more violations. The utility responded Jan. 22 claiming that it had addressed the issues, including by requiring all staff in safety-sensitive positions to get training on the rules. The commission followed up in February with a verification of N.B. Power staff training and found nearly 30 per cent of affected workers at Point Lepreau had not completed the training. "This contradicted the statements made by N.B. Power in their response to the warning letter," the commission said. The utility has taken further steps since February, including a software update that shows when the hours-of-work rules are not being followed. The commission decided to fine N.B. Power to "help deter recurrence" of the violations, the notice said. Coon said the $24,760 fine should be higher but said publicizing the violation should also compel the utility to be more diligent. When the commission first spotted the scheduling problems in 2022, Point Lepreau was overseen by N.B. Power's vice-president nuclear, Brett Plummer. CEO Lori Clark revealed in September 2023 that Plummer was leaving the position and that she was taking on the role herself. "She said she would play the dual role of CEO and vice-president nuclear," Coon said Tuesday. "Perhaps that's not appropriate."
CBC
13-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Green Party to layoff 2 staff members
Green Leader David Coon says accountability will suffer because of government cuts to operating budgets, but the government says it reflects the party's shrunken caucus.
