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dam-l RE: [harmful-hydro] PCN and Manitoba Hydro

George,
 
Thanks for your message. Let me look into it and get back to you.

-----Original Message-----
From: George Crocker [mailto:gwillc@mtn.org]
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2000 1:53 PM
To: harmful-hydro@egroups.com; dflanagan@leg.gov.mb.ca
Subject: Re: [harmful-hydro] PCN and Manitoba Hydro 


Thank you, Donne Flanagan, for sharing with us concerns the Government of
Manitoba has about the Manitoba Hydro situation.

By way of introduction, I am George Crocker, Executive Director of the North
American Water Office, which, since 1982, has worked to solve environmental
problems caused by society's dependence on central-station energy
facilities: nuclear reactors, coal plants and large dams, all hooked
together with large transmission lines.  We have participated in the full
spectrum of electric utility decision-making proceedings, and, in short,
have a detailed and quite thorough understanding of the electric utility
industry.  We know why society depends on central-station technologies to
provide itself with electric utility services.  We know the problems caused
by our central-station dependence, and the potential of those problems to
destroy the social and ecological foundations of civilization.  We know the
technologies and management practices capable of providing electric utility
services much more responsibly from a public interest perspective.  Our
challenge and our mission is to help society accomplish the energy
transition, away from wasteful central-station consumption, and toward the
efficient use of locally available energy resources, with urgency.  The
North American Water Office was one of the sponsoring organizations and a
primary organizer of the conference last Saturday at St. Thomas University
about Environmental Justice and Energy Policy.

>From our perspective it is encouraging to hear your message of change and
new hope for Northern Manitoba, and to learn about the many things Premier
Doer's Administration is doing to address and rectify the long history of
terrible abuse inflicted on the people and environment of Northern Manitoba
by Manitoba Hydro, federal and provincial Canadian governments, U.S.
electric utilities, and by no means least, the U.S. consuming public.  It is
encouraging that you and the Doer Administration are joining this
discussion, and we look forward to a full and open dialogue that provides
all parties with the full story, and informs each of us about what we can do
to change our shamefull historical behavior.

It is interesting, however, that public discussion about the destruction
associated with U.S. consumption of Canadian hydropower is only now
beginning to occur.  Only after Cross Lake Pimicikamak Cree First Nation
representatives came to us, beginning two years ago, to tell us of their
plight.  Only after two years of hard organizing, here, in Minnesota and
Wisconsin, to bring the Cross Lake Pimicikamak story to public attention,
and to the attention of state and federal decision-makers.  So the
discussion has begun.  The Environmental Justice conference last Saturday
was a major event, we hope, in terms of becoming more responsible energy
managers and consumers, and the fact that several of the Cree First Nations
were present, along with Victor Schrader, Chair of Manitoba Hydro's Board,
and other utility repersentatives, offers hope that the dialogue can begin
in earnest.  At a minimum, no longer will the abuse happen silently and in
the dark of night.  The light of day will begin shining on all our behavior
now, and this is a major accomplishment and we thank you for helping bring
about this new situation.

Old ways die hard, however, and the electric utility industry, the largest
capital formation in human history, covets more and more Manitoba
hydropower.  As the industry undergoes restructuring, Manitoba hydropower is
central to the electric utility industry's desire to maintain society's
dependence on central-station facilities, the facilities they own.  And so
our optimism is cautious.

Our caution was reinforced by Chairman Schrader's remarks at the
Environmental Justice Conference.  Chairman Schrader was asked, directly in
front of about 220 people, by a Cross Lake representative, to produce
information that was requested by the Cross Lake Pimicikamak Cree some time
ago.  Manitoba Hydro has refused to produce it.  The information pertains to
the reliability of electricity Manitoba Hydro sells under contract for
consumption in the U.S.  This informatio is relevent to Cross Lake because
may indicate how the water resource will be managed during those times when
contractual obligations to produce power for export may conflict with
management requirements under the Northern Flood Agreement or other
agreements that Manitoba Hydro may have with First Nations.  This
information is relevent to us because it may shed light on our culpability
with abusive management of the resource, and because it would inform
decision-making about which resources to secure and develop, as we decide
how to provide electric utility services in a brave new world of competition
in energy markets.

Chairman Schrader asked for an opportunity to respond to this request, and
he was given that opportunity.  In his remarks, he acknowledged the
destruction caused by Manitoba Hydro.  He did not deny it.  He mentioned
many of the new beginnings and changes that you mention in this
correspondence.  He said he was with us to hear the concerns of Chief John
Miswagon.  And he said he, "...would produce all relevant information."  I
personally had hope that in fact a new beginning was happening.  But when
the representative from Cross Lake followed Chairman Schrader into the hall
after his remarks, to discuss logistics for producing the requested
information, Chairman Schrader informed him that he, Chairman Schrader, had
said "all relevant information will be produced," and that the information
requested was not relevant.

This is not new, and there is no change.  This is business as usual under
the guise of new-found concern.  Which is worse: blatent abuse or false
hope?

Our caution is further reinforced by statements indicating the Manitoba
Hydro has no plans for more hydro development in the Cross Lake Resource
Area (your point 7 below, also stated by Chairman Schrader), without saying
that plans are underway for more development downstream, out of the Cross
Lake Resource Area, but close enough so that rising water behind new dams
may impact the Cross Lake Resource Area.  Likewise, when we see in the
Northern Flood Agreement (Article 5), that all shoreline destruction will be
cleaned up, and compare that with the actual situation acknowledged by the
government and the Crown corporation, we wonder . . .

There is much more that needs to be examined and discussed in order to
complete the "full story."   You could do much, Donne Flanagan, to ease our
cautin and concern, by producing the information requested of Chairman
Schrader and Manitoba Hydro at the Environmental Justice Conference.  Again,
we are pleased that the dialogue has begun, and look forward to hearing from
you.







----- Original Message -----
From: Donne Flanagan <dflanagan@leg.gov.mb.ca>
To: <harmful-hydro@egroups.com>
Sent: Monday, April 17, 2000 11:29 AM
Subject: [harmful-hydro] PCN and Manitoba Hydro


>
> Hi, all.
>
> My name is Donne Flanagan. I am the communications director for the
> Government of Manitoba and a senior aide to the new Premier of
> Manitoba, Gary Doer.
>
> Since coming into office six months ago, we have become increasingly
> aware of the campaign, particularly in Minnesota, on behalf of
> Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Cross Lake Band) to put pressure on Northern
> States Power to, in turn, put pressure on Manitoba Hydro and the
> Government of Manitoba -- stemming from PCN's long history of major
> grievances against the province and Hydro.
>
> At a fundamental level, we in the new New Democratic Party government
> (as opposed to the former Conservative government, which had been in
> office since 1988) don't disagree with PCN's main points and
> outstanding issues.
>
> In fact, the Cross Lake community has consistently and overwhelmingly
> supported the NDP over the years because we do take Aboriginal issues
> seriously. We have represented the area politically for decades. The
> current MLA for the area and now Minister of Conservation, Oscar
> Lathlin, is a former chief himself of another northern Manitoba First
> Nation -- Opaskwayak Cree Nation at The Pas, Manitoba. As well, the
> MLA for Rupertsland, Eric Robinson, is in fact a member of the
> Pimicikamak Cree Nation and is now the Minister of Aboriginal and
> Northern Affairs in the government of Premier Gary Doer.
>
> This is an unprecedented level of Aboriginal representation in the
> government of Manitoba.
>
> What troubles us, however, is that this message of change and new
> hope for northern Manitoba doesn't seem to be coming across in the
> information that is being disseminated in the U.S. This worry, I
> understand, is shared to a great degree by the other four Cree First
> Nations who along with PCN were signatories to the Northern Flood
> Agreement in the 1970s -- most notably, the Split Lake Cree Nation.
>
> In the interests of full and open debate, we want Minnesotans and
> other concerned Americans to receive as much of the full story as
> possible.
>
> As a first step, I am forwarding the following -- a recently prepared
> fact sheet that outlines a few basics on the new government's views
> on PCN and Manitoba Hydro situation.
>
> I look forward to your feedback.
>
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------
>
> FACT SHEET
>
>
>
> A Government of Manitoba Perspective on
>
> Manitoba Hydro and Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Cross Lake Band)
>
>
>
> The provincial election on September 21, 1999 resulted in a change of
> government in Manitoba with Premier Gary Doer officially taking
> office on October 5, 1999.
>
> The new government has a clear mandate to work with Manitoba First
> Nations to improve the quality of life for Aboriginal People. This
> government has launched major new initiatives to expand and improve
> First Nations€ '² participation in the justice system, child welfare
> agencies, and new economic opportunities.
>
> Northern Manitobans and First Nations now have strong representation
> in the provincial government for the first time in a long time.
>
> Two of the new government€ '²s cabinet ministers are from First
> Nations:
> Eric Robinson, a member of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, is Minister of
> Aboriginal and Northern Affairs, and Oscar Lathlin, former chief of
> Opaskwayak Cree Nation, is Minister of Conservation. In fact, all
> members of the Manitoba Legislature who represent the northern parts
> of the province are members of the government caucus.
>
> The government is committed to acting on this strong mandate to find
> satisfactory solutions to the outstanding issues arising from the
> hydroelectric development a quarter of a century ago that affected
> Pimicikamak Cree Nation. These are some recent steps taken towards
> those solutions:
>
> 1) Within days of being elected to government, Minister Robinson met
> with representatives of Pimicikamak Cree Nation to address issues
> relating to Hydro development and social conditions in the Cross Lake
> community.
>
> 2) The province has initiated discussions with the Government of
> Canada with a view to making a new invitation to Pimicikamak Cree
> Nation to resume negotiations on the outstanding issues relating to
> Manitoba Hydro.
>
> 3) In March, 2000 the provincial government appointed a new Board of
> Directors for Manitoba Hydro that includes three First Nations
> members € '¶ one of whom served on the Inter-Church Task Force on
> Northern Flooding.
>
> 4) Manitoba Hydro is meeting twice a month with representatives of
> Pimicikamak Cree Nation to resolve issues under the existing Northern
> Flood Agreement that was signed by five First Nations, including
> Pimicikamak Cree Nation, in 1977.
>
> 5) The province recently announced the construction of a long-awaited
> bridge for the Cross Lake community € '¶ a high priority for
> Pimicikamak
> Cree Nation.
>
> 6) Manitoba Hydro is undertaking a 10-year, $5 million brush-clearing
> program, which will employ local citizens.
>
> 7) No new Hydro development is planned or contemplated for
> Pimicikamak Cree Nation territory.
>
> The new government has made the same commitment to partnership with
> the four other northern flood communities € '¶ Nelson House Cree
> Nation,
> Norway House Cree Nation, York Factory Cree Nation and Split Lake
> Cree Nation € '¶ which have successfully concluded comprehensive
> agreements on their outstanding issues under the Northern Flood
> Agreement.
>
> The new government is fundamentally committed to forging a new
> partnership with Pimicikamak Cree Nation, based on mutual respect and
> cooperation.
>
>
>
> APRIL 2000
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------
>
>
>
>
>
>
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