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COMPLIANCE TALKS ABOUT ENERGY
If you watch ROB-TV you've probably heard the name Compliance Energy mentioned more than once. The television channel that devotes itself to business matters has made reference to Compliance 'in Princeton, British Columbia' as a company to watch.
John Tapics, Compliance Energy President and CEO, was the guest speaker at last Tuesday's Princeton Rotary Club luncheon meeting.
Tapics gave a brief overview of the company's profile - it owns and operates the Basin Coal Mine near Coalmont, has further coal resources on Vancouver Island and is in partnership with the Upper Similkameen Indian Band on a Natural Gas in Coal project in the Tulameen Basin.
With BC's new energy plan, Tapics says his company fits right into the provincial program, "They see independent power producers - like Compliance Energy Corporation - as being key partners in the province's energy future."
The proposed project, at the former Similco Mine site, would be for a 49-megawatt wood waste power plant, supplemented with coal. The facility would be designed to 'meet or be better than new regulatory emission standards' and cost a total of $100-million in capital investment producing in the neighbourhood of $26-million in annual revenue and create jobs and provide an economic benefit to the Princeton area.
The company has already had a number of studies conducted. They include scoping, pre-feasibility, air-quality modeling and stack evaluation and finally, a wood sourcing study.
Each study has providing the company with encouraging data, "As a result," Tapics said, "Compliance is moving to the next stage of development."
The next stage includes securing business partners, further wood studies to update existing study findings and capital cost refinements. In addition to these items, Compliance is currently in the air emission permitting stage and securing a power sales agreement with BC Hydro with a bid set to go before BC Hydro by April.
As for changes to the actual former mine site Compliance will make use of much of what is already in place.
"What we are really proposing to do is recycle the old Similco Mine site."
By recycling, Tapics means reuse and a plan is in place that will see the old concentrator building be converted into a power generation plant, "Effectively, we'll use the shell and the old office space."
There will be some new construction elsewhere on the property as Compliance adds a fluidized bed boiler and bag house to the site. Ash disposal is slated to be in the old mine dumps.
One issue that confused Rotarians was the concept of 'tradable offsets' when dealing with CO2 emissions. Tapics tried to explain that the emissions would be offset - or sequestered - by either Compliance or BC Hydro.
A Rotarian summed the explanation up with, "Simply put, you increase the CO2 emissions here and reduce them somewhere else."
That pretty much explained what Tapics was trying to get across.
The power plant itself is expected to have a 25 to 30 year life. Compliance has identified approximately 271,000 BDT (bone-dry tonnes) of wood in the region as a fuel source which includes wood waste from existing mills and value-added production facilities.
Tapics discussed ambient air quality results, where studies conducted, "were modeled using the most stringent cases" and determined the stack height of 30-metres over the height of the building roof would meet or better all Provincial Government emission guidelines.
"We have to meet emission standards irregardless of the fuel source."
The 'under the radar' perception of a 49-megawatt power plant rather than 50-megawatts or more was discussed. Tapics responded with an explanation that stated all environmental technical reports still had to be filed and studies conducted regardless of the size of the plant - 49-megawatts or more.
"In the end, we will have to meet our licence requirements or we just won't be given a licence."
A suggestion was made that Compliance should concentrate on educating residents about the 49-megawatt size as to combat the perception of avoidance of regulations. Tapics took the suggestion seriously.
In review, Compliance says the project will provide a new long-term economic base for Princeton with annual revenues projected at $36-million (power and coal only) and provide direct long-term employment for about 70 well-paid jobs (power and coal only).
The company projects a total of 175 jobs created, when using a 2.5 multiplier and estimates they will be making a capital injection of over $100-million over a two year period and has identified a potential for a new 'Industrial Park' development utilizing waste heat generated from the plant.
COUNCIL BACKS HEALTH WATCH
At the request of Princeton and District Health Watch Coalition, Town Council will write a strong letter to the Minister of Health demanding reinstatement of vital health services at our local hospital. The action by Health Watch was prompted by an incident during the Christmas holidays when a young woman gave birth to a baby at the side of Highway 3A on her way to Penticton, as delivering babies is no longer a service offered by the hospital.Ruth Hooper, Chair of the Health Watch Coalition, states in her letter to Council, "Over the past few years, our hospital has been reduced from a 33-bed hospital with a delivery room, nursery and operating room to what it is now basically a 6-bed band-aid station." The letter points out that the birth at the side of the highway was a warning to local residents.
Hooper asks, "What will happen when we have a person with a burst appendix, heart attack, serious accident, etc., this very likely will end in a fatality."
SCHOOL OFFERS TRADES
Teacher John Kitts is looking for skilled tradespeople to take student apprentices.Princeton Secondary School is offering apprenticeship training to meet the big demand for skilled workers in industry.
Trades students take four courses for a total of 16 credits. Those who finish the courses successfully may go on to Level 1 in their field in college, and qualify for a $1,000 scholarship.
The apprenticeship program is available to students in grade 10, 11 and 12. The student must have 480 hours of paid employment under the tutelage of a qualified tradesperson. These hours are used toward a regular apprenticeship. The students may put in the hours during the school year or during the summer.
Kitts told the School Board, on February 8, that his biggest challenge is matching licensed tradespeople with the students. He has three in place now and hopes for five in September.
A "job shadowing" program is being set up for beginner students in trades. This provides the students with enough experience to determine whether they really want to pursue training in that trade.
Employers must pay apprenticing students for their work. School trustees were disappointed that the government no longer assists employers who take apprentices. The Board of Trustees passed a motion to write a letter to the Minister of Education, Minister of Labour and MLA Harry Lali to express the Board's desire to have the employer incentive reinstated.
BCPP MEMORIES - PART THREE
by Jim McCulloch
I had a very good friend, Robert L. Ferguson, who worked as a night dispatcher at the railway station. Both of us were avid fishermen, spending as much of our free time as possible at the various lakes in the area. Often we were joined by Father Neil Carrigan, the Catholic Priest. Neither Bob nor I were Catholics but that did not disturb the relationship we enjoyed.I also went fishing with Robert Taylor, a retired blacksmith who had a farm where he grew seed potatoes. Lee and Nancy were his children, both of whom figure in June's account.
Father Carrigan drove a new model car, purchased with his own money, which I surprised two youths stealing one night. I gave chase and forced them into a parked bulldozer.
I took them to hospital to have glass removed and then to the lockup. I then notified Father Carrigan about the event. He had the vehicle repaired and shortly after came to the police office and said there would not be another such occurrence as he was keeping Rusty, his lovely Irish Setter in the garage. About two weeks later a sheepish looking Priest came into the office. I asked him if his car had been stolen again despite Rusty's diligence, he said no, some one had stolen Rusty. Eventually we had Rusty returned.
We received a complaint from a surveyor that someone was stealing coal from his coal bin and would we please do something about it. Accordingly I took a sleeping bag and bedded down in the Survey office. Around midnight there was a clatter of someone shoveling coal into a bucket.
I went out and saw a shadowy figure stooped over the coal bin. I reached around and grabbed both wrists, and upon seeing it was the editor of a local newspaper, and mindful of his history of martial arts stretched him out to my full arm span which was about 10 inches more than his. I then told him he was under arrest and took him to the lockup.
He appeared before Magistrate Nichols next morning and plead guilty to theft. He was released on his own recognizances after receiving a very stern lecture. He immediately dashed back to the Newspaper office and put out a special which he delivered all over town.
The headline was " LOCAL MAN CHARGED FOR HELPING HIMSELF TO A NEIGHBOURS COAL BIN, HOWEVER THE MAGISTRATE SAID THERE WAS NO CRIMINAL INTENT IN THIS FELONY"
Businesses I can recall were: (This not complete, but are all I can recall at this time)...
- Ed Gott, Plumber
- Mussendens Dry Goods
- Ewart Hardware
- Two Rivers Hardware and Building Supplies
- White Appliances
- Dunnighams Jewelry
- Dorflinger Womens Store
- Hamilton Second Hand Store
- Princeton Locker and Storage Freezer
- Mel Towriss Movie Theater
- Mansfield Electrics, radio and small appliance repair
- Stan the Butcher
- Jim Norman, Barber
- Hugh McConnel, Tailor
- Two taxi firms
- Burrs Garage
- Tobbaconist
- Liquor Store
- Canadian Bank of Commerce
- Norm Littlewood, Lawyer
- Jim Haley, Sawdust dealer and Allenby/Copper Mountain bus owner/operator
- Overwaitea Grocery Store
- Sidoni's Rooming House
- Hamilton's Rooming House
- Stanley Knowles, Insurance and fuel oil agency
- The Canadian Legion which was next to the Firehall
- Drug Store
