Chronology
From ConCerv
1998
July, 1998: Rossdale expansion announced to Council. Approved by Council in private in less than 45 minutes. As a result of this approval, EPCOR places an order for the new gas turbine generator at a cost of approximately $50 million.
September, 1998: Rossdale expansion announced to the public. EPCOR cites a desperate power shortage in the Province. Intent is to build new deregulated power generation capacity before deregulation comes into effect.
October 1998: Inability of utility companies to coordinate maintenance shutdowns causes brownouts and blackouts in Calgary. Public concern over a perceived power shortage puts politicians and the regulatory authorities under pressure to do something.
November 23, 1998 and March 23, 1999: Two Open Houses, primarily focused on Rossdale residents, were held with minimal public notice. EUB is later to chide EPCOR for an inadequate public consultation process and instructs them to address this issue.
1999
April 1999: Rossdale Community League AGM. An EPCOR engineer attends the meeting to outline the RD11 project. The true nature of the Rossdale expansion becomes apparent. The architecturally significant Maxwell Dewar Building is to be demolished in total and replaced with a larger, metal- clad, modern industrial building. Two more phases of expansion beyond RD11 are in the works.
Summer 1999: Formation of ConCerv. ConCerv's concerns and vision regarding Rossdale and the central river valley are sent to EPCOR in a letter dated June 21, 1999. Petition against RD11 attracts nearly 1000 signatures in one weekend.
August 1999: Municipal Impact Assessment (MIA) submitted by EPCOR. ConCerv notes the many deficiencies and/or inaccuracies in the document and requests further clarification. ConCerv files its concerns and objections with the EUB and requests recognition as "directly affected property owners".
September 9, 1999: Meeting with EPCOR Executives at 7am. ConCerv outlines its platform and the reasons for its opposition. ConCerv calls into doubt some of the claims made in the MIA and elsewhere to support and/or justify RD11. ConCerv suggests to EPCOR that there are better investment options available.
September 9, 99: Within hours of the meeting with ConCerv, EPCOR submits an Action Report to Council and requests (and receives) special consideration for this to be debated at the next Council meeting. This Action Report requests that Council hurry along the Rossdale approval - obviously before public opposition increases.
September 14, 1999: EPCOR's Action Report debated in Council. Council agrees not to hear from 14 citizens and/or groups who wish to speak to the EPCOR proposal. Council agrees to EPCOR's requests to accept the Municipal Impact Assessment and agrees to take the Maxwell Dewar Building off the Council "A" list of historical buildings in order to make way for its demolition. EPCOR says it can't wait another two weeks to have the matter referred to committee. EPCOR advises that it wishes to start construction before winter. Following the meeting, the head of the Historic Advisory Board, which had recommended preservation of the building, resigns in protest.
September 1999: ConCerv counsel notices an irregularity in the filings by EPCOR with the EUB regarding the Maxwell Dewar Building. Because of this irregularity, EUB issues a "cease and desist" notice to EPCOR effectively preventing any demolition work starting on the building.
October 13, 1999: EPCOR holds another Open House to unveil their site plan for Rossdale. EPCOR staff try to contain the discussion to the site plan only but the meeting turns into uproar as residents realize what is being proposed and want to make their feelings known.
October 1999: The first major public protest against RD11 attracts over 200 people. This is more than attended the first two EPCOR Open Houses put together.
October, 1999: EUB reacts to public pressure and agrees to a public hearing for Rossdale. Over 70 groups and individuals have written to the EUB expressing opposition. Subsequently, three groups (ConCerv, Rossdale Community League and CACCL/EFCL) are granted intervener status and are allowed to retain counsel and obtain expert witnesses.
Christmas 1999: In response to public concerns over a perceived shortage of power, Energy minister Steve West announces an agreement with BC Hydro to import up to 900MW through the BC tie line to provide sufficient power for the peak winter period. EPCOR President Don Lowry issues a media statement encouraging consumers to "Turn on the lights . There's plenty of power."
2000
April 5, 2000: Meeting between EPCOR and various interveners including ConCerv, Rossdale Community League, CACCL, and various First Nations representatives. EPCOR is advised that interveners anticipate that approvals will be required from the Energy and Utilities Board, Alberta Environment, and Alberta Community Development. Interveners also advise they believe that approval from the City is required as RD11 violates the River Valley Bylaw, and that some accommodation of First Nations issues will also be required. EPCOR is reminded that some or all of these approvals are subject to appeal and EPCOR is advised that the interveners will use whatever appeal channels are possible.
April 20, 2000: Initial EUB Meeting. Over 30 groups and individuals make representations to the EUB opposing the application.
August 14, 2000: ConCerv joins in the Fort Augustus Coalition to request Alberta Community Development (ACD) designate the entire Rossdale site a historic area because of its unique historical and archaeological significance. The Coalition submits an extensive research report supporting its request. The report references the recent discovery of artifact at least 8000 years old.
October, 2000 and January 2001: EUB Hearings. Initially scheduled for two weeks, the hearings take over five weeks and even then are shortened by having final arguments submitted in writing.
2001
January, 2001: EPCOR staff file with the EUB a modified copy of correspondence between EPCOR and ACD relating to future plans for the Rossdale site. EPCOR refuses to release the original correspondence claiming that it outlines confidential business plans. Clearly, there are plans for Rossdale that are not part of the RD11 application. Rossdale Community League files for a copy of the letter under the Freedom of Information Act and this application is vigorously opposed by EPCOR. In his verdict in August, 2001, the Privacy Commissioner accepts EPCOR's position and refuses to order the release of the letter.
April 7 and June 23, 2001: In response to criticism by the EUB of EPCOR's public consultation process, two more Open Houses are held but with a different format. These Open Houses only allow one-on-one discussions and open public discussion as had been possible in previous Open Houses is not possible.
May 8, 2001: EUB Decision. EUB grants permission for RD11 subject to certain conditions including improving the public consultation process. The collective opinion of all counsel representing the interveners is that this is a flawed decision and should be appealed. Counsel all agree this sets a bad precedent for EUB decisions under deregulation.
June 2001: ConCerv lodges an appeal of the EUB decision with the Court of Appeal citing, among other things, the failure of the EUB to consider need and economics and its failure to consider the implications of decisions that are still required from other agencies (e.g. Alberta Community Development and Council).
August 2001: Mr Justice Berger of the Court of Appeal grants ConCerv leave to appeal. Justice Berger agrees with ConCerv that the EUB Act does require the EUB to consider need and economics. Justice Berger also agrees that the EUB did not consider the implications of other decisions that are still pending on the site. Justice Berger's decision sets a legal precedent.
August 28 and 29, 2001: Alberta Historical Resources Foundation holds public hearings into the proposal by Alberta Community Development to designate three buildings on the Rossdale site as historic resources. These buildings include the Maxwell Dewar Building which Council had given permission to demolish on September 14 / 2000. Over 12 individuals and groups speak in favour of the designation including ACD staff. Only EPCOR opposes the designation.
October 15, 2001: New Council elected. Rossdale becomes an election issue during the campaign. During the campaign, Mayor Smith admits that the project will not be proceeding. Visits to the ConCerv web page peak at over 130 hits per day for the month of October, 2001.
October 17, 2001: ACD Minister, Gene Zwozdesky, announces that he will designate the three Rossdale buildings as historic resources and will not allow their demolition. This effectively kills the project.
October 25, 2001: EPCOR concedes that the RD11 project is not viable and announces it will not proceed.
October 27, 2001: EPCOR concedes that Rossdale is probably not viable once the current Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) expires at the end of 2003 and that Rossdale power station will probably have to close.
October 28, 2001: Mayor Smith concedes that without the PPA, Rossdale will have to close at the end of 2003.
October 30, 2001: EPCOR President, Don Lowry, announces Rossdale will continue to operate for "at least" another 25 years.
November 2, 2001: ConCerv lodges an initial submission with the Environmental Appeal Board appealing the Alberta Environment (AENV) approval of the RD11 project. This is not contested by EPCOR, and so AENV subsequently withdraws its approval.
2002
Jan 8, 2002: Approval for the ATCO pipeline is withdrawn by the EUB.
Jan 15, 2002: Councillor Bolstad introduces a motion to Council to establish a public process to review the future of the Rossdale site. This passed by a margin of 7-5. This is the fourth review of the general Rossdale area that Council has called for. Other reviews include a review of the historical and archaeological aspects of the Rossdale and west Rossdale areas for Alberta Community Development; a review of the historical buildings on the Rossdale site in response to the designation of those buildings by ACD; and a special review of Council-owned lands in west Rossdale.
Major Future Events
2002: EUB to withdraw approval of the RD11 project. ConCerv has advised the EUB and EPCOR that it will withdraw its leave to appeal application providing RD11 approval is withdrawn and certain conditions regarding ConCerv's costs are met.
May to July, 2002: Results of the four studies by the Planning Department of Council are to be presented to Council for Council's action.
2002: Site landscaping plan to be finalised along with the disposition of the old Emergency Response Department site.
2002: Resolution of some of the First Nations issues expected.
December 2003: Current PPA expires. If Rossdale does not close within 12 months of expiry of the PPA, EPCOR loses the ability to access funds from the Provincial Balancing Pool to cover the cost of shutdown and remediation of the Rossdale site. If Rossdale continues to operate beyond 2003, the cleanup costs will have to be assumed by EPCOR and the City.
2005: Centenary of the Proclamation of the Province of Alberta. Rossdale was the site of that Proclamation. Opportunity exists to use the Rossdale site as part of those celebrations
2002 - 2010: All three boilers in the generating station will reach the end of their life and will have to be overhauled. Cost will be $5 - 10 million for each of the three boilers. In addition a burner management system will have to be installed to improve efficiencies and reduce emissions. Possible cost is $2 - 5 million.
2006: Current environmental approval comes up for renewal.
