Community celebration marks opening of New Brunswick's first certified source of "green" power
ST. GEORGE, NB, Sept. 17 - The operation of New Brunswick's first
certified "green" source of energy was celebrated at a community event at the
new hydro dam at St. George Power.
"We congratulate the company on this achievement and for recognizing the
potential for a complete re-development of this historic plant," said the
Honourable Bruce Fitch, Minister of Energy. "St. George Power has not only
been given a new lease on life, but it has the potential of playing an
important role in the energy sector of our province as we move forward with
new policies and programs that will benefit the environment and ratepayers in
New Brunswick."
St. George is the first and only power generation facility in New
Brunswick to be certified under the national Environmental Choice(M) program
as a certified "green" source of energy. The Environmental Choice(M) Program
is North America's leading benchmark of environmentally responsible products
and services.
The Environmental Choice(M) Program has made a commitment to promote
electrical energy sources that have greatly reduced environmental impacts. The
Program recognizes technologies that use naturally occurring energy sources
such as the wind and sun, and power sources that, with the proper controls,
add little in the way of environmental burdens such as small run-of-river
hydro and certain energy from biomass. A rigorous third party audit was
conducted to ensure that St. George Power met all environmental criteria.
From the beginning of the project, one of the top priorities was to
ensure safe and easy passage for fish migrating from the ocean further up
river. Wild Atlantic salmon attempting to migrate up the Magaguadavic River
need an effective way to pass over the dam on their way up river. This
solution was approved by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the
Atlantic Salmon Federation.
Construction of the new dam and demolition of the old dam began in the
spring of 2002. Over 11,000 tons of cement (over 1800 truckloads) was used to
construct the green certified dam which can generate up to 40,000 megawatt
hours per year. About 50 people were employed during the 2 year project which,
despite some of the coldest temperatures on record this past winter, realized
a safety record well above the provincial average. Today, the generating
station employs two operators who monitor the power plants systems with
state-of-the-art technology.
"Earning the Environmental Choice Program's seal of approval - the Eco
Logo - is a unique New Brunswick achievement by a skilled and dedicated team
of men and women," said Jim Irving, President of J.D. Irving, Limited. "The
Eco Logo is recognized around the world because of its very rigorous standard.
Today we have proved that New Brunswick can again deliver a world class
environmental performance that is also good for business. Since 1902 the
original mill and powerhouse have served as an icon to this community's proud
history. Today's achievement serves as a symbol of this community's future and
its focus on environmental stewardship and innovation."
"This power plant has grown from 2.5 megawatts to 15 megawatts while
achieving environmental certification," Irving said. "This renewable hydro
resource is similar to New Brunswick's other significant renewable resource -
the forests. In the same way that we have renewed the future of this hydro
plant with the best science, technology and stakeholder input, we believe we
can also increase tree growth in New Brunswick to responsibly add value to
community prosperity."
Criteria for Environmental Choice(M)
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- The facility must be operating, reliable, non-temporary and practical.
- During project planning and development, appropriate consultation with
communities and stakeholders must have occurred, and prior or
conflicting land use, biodiversity losses and scenic, recreational and
cultural values must have been addressed.
- No adverse impacts can be created for any species recognized as
endangered or threatened.
- Supplementary non-renewable fuels must not be used in more than 2.00%
of the fuel heat input required for generation.
- Sales levels of ECP-certified electricity must not exceed
production/supply levels.
- Hydro energy must be in compliance with regulatory licenses;
protection of indigenous species and habitat; requirements for head
pond water levels, water flows, water quality and water temperature;
and measures to minimize fish mortality and to ensure fish migration
patterns.
