Local Fishermen Vs Bay of Fundy Tidal on Court Again
A group representing 175 Nova Scotia fishermen appeared in court Thursday in a bid to terminate a plan to test giant electric turbines in the Bay of Fundy – an ambitious project that has been on the drawing board since 2009.
The Bay of Fundy Inshore Fishermen'southward Association says the Cape Precipitous Tidal projection is based on "junk science" and should exist put on hold until a yr-long study tin can establish a scientific baseline for the state of the bay.
READ MORE: Bay of Fundy tidal power turbines get blessing from Nova Scotia government
"The baseline scientific discipline has been determined to be inadequate for the procedure," spokesman Colin Sproul said outside a Halifax court.
Matt Lumley, spokesman for the Fundy Sea Enquiry Centre for Energy, said Sproul's position is non accurate.
"He's implying that (the federal Fisheries Section) believes that baseline data collected is inadequate – just that'south false," he said, adding that the non-profit research lab has been conducting research and monitoring in the bay since 2009.
As well, he said the centre has spent over $15 1000000 to date on 110 studies and developed iii underwater sensor platforms.
"The nearly important questions we need to answer, in terms of viability of the technology, happen when the turbine is in the h2o, and (the federal Fisheries Department) shares that opinion," he said.
READ More: Halifax firm to test floating turbine in Bay of Fundy next year
In June, provincial Environment Government minister Margaret Miller granted approval for the installation of two, five-storey turbines for tidal power enquiry.
Despite gaps in knowledge most the environmental impact of tidal power, the government has said the ane,000-tonne, slow-moving turbines are unlikely to have a "nutrient processor result" on marine life.
Still, the fisherman's clan isn't so sure.
It has filed an application for a judicial review of Miller'south decision, saying the minister acted unreasonably and failed to adequately consider testify that suggests the projection requires more study.
The association'due south application says the government minister also failed to take into consideration the presence of species at run a risk near the examination site.
Nova Scotia Supreme Court estimate Denise Boudreau said a two-day hearing on the merits of the awarding would begin February. 1, 2017. Besides, she said a hearing could exist held on Oct. xx if the association decides to file a movement seeking a stay the government minister's conclusion.
Cape Precipitous'south turbines are expected to exist placed in the Minas Passage, a five-kilometre-wide aqueduct at the east of the bay near Parrsboro, Due north.South.
The visitor's project is one of five aimed at testing different turbine technologies.
Cape Precipitous Tidal spokeswoman Sarah Dawson said deployment of the turbines remains on hold every bit the company continues to consult with the fishermen and other stakeholders.
"We exercise not take a firm timeline or plan for deployment," she said in an email. "We called a voluntary intermission in early June for boosted engagement."
READ MORE: The time is right for tidal ability: industry
However, the fisherman's association raised concerns virtually Cape Sharp's commitments following the release of a published written report Wednesday that suggested it was preparing to deploy the turbines in Nov.
A spokeswoman for Nova Scotia'due south Environs Department said Greatcoat Precipitous Tidal has all of the permits and authorizations needed to install the turbines.
"The deployment schedules and methodology is upward to the developer, provided weather of blessing are met," Krista Higdon said in an email.
Harnessing the awesome ability of the bay's tides has been a work in progress since the 1600s.
There has been limited success. In 1984, a form of hydroelectric dam was built at Annapolis Majestic, N.S., but the pocket-sized, 20-megawatt plant remains only ane of iii tidal plants in the world.
In 2009, OpenHydro and Nova Scotia Power deployed a 400-tonne turbine in Minas Passage, merely to see information technology badly damaged by crushing currents that travel at five metres per second.
© 2016 The Canadian Press
Source: https://globalnews.ca/news/2905270/nova-scotia-fishermen-head-to-court-to-stop-bay-of-fundy-tidal-power-project/
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