Submitting An Opinion of the Romaine Complex

How to submit an opinion of the Romaine Complex-

The Bureau of Public Audiences in Quebec has a guideline for submitting opinions. It is outlined below from the BAPE website and can be e-mailed to romaine@bape.gouv.qc.ca They would prefer word or pdf attachments.

Title of Opinion (The Romaine Complex is not a feasible option for the Romaine River, for example)
Introduce yourself (my name is, I am a kayaker, river enthusiast, or representing....)

The memory will be made public and distributed at the hearing and on the BAPE website. Therefore it is important to use only personal information that could affect you and is relevant to the arguments in the opinion.

Provide your address and phone number on a separate page. This is how the BAPE can confirm the link between the opinion and its author. A memorandum sent without this information may not be considered. This info is on a separate page to ensure the author's confidentiality.

The submission must be prepared in compliance with the other participants. It does not include intentionally prejudice opinions that reflect on the dignity, honor, reputation, or privacy of individuals.

If the memory is large, it is suggested to accompany a one-page summary.

Some suggestions for writing the opinion are as follows-
Why are you interested in this project?
What influence does this have on the environment or your quality of life?
Is there a way to understand this project from both sides of the issues in your opinion? Why?
Is the proposed project the best solution that would have the least negative impacts on the environment, considering other alternatives? Why?
In your opinion, are there elements of this project which should be changed?
Which ones and how?
In your opinion, should this project be allowed? Why?
Do you have any other suggestions?

November 27th is the deadline for submitting opinions by e-mail. The hearing begins December 1st.

Public Hearing For The Romaine Complex Has Begun

The public hearing for the Romaine Hydro Project began last night in Havre-Saint-Pierre. There has been no mention of video confrencing to allow people from around Quebec to participate and voice thier opinions about the project. BAPE has an audio broadcast of the hearings on their web page about the public hearing.
http://www.bape.gouv.qc.ca/sections/mandats/La%20Romaine/index.htm

More importantly it is possible to submit questions to the review panel via e-mail until Novemember 7th, 2008.
**Important**
This first part of the public hearing is intended to complement information about the project. Opinions about the project will be voiced in the coming weeks. As a paddler I would recommend asking whether or not they have considered maintaining the Romaine as a challenging canoe and kayak route. Will the rapids, falls, portages, and campsites be maintained? Are there any plans to do such? Hydro Quebec has taken into consideration how they will manage the impact to snowmobile travel on the river in winter, but not to canoe and kayak travel during the late spring, summer, and fall. Submit questions here-
This is the english translated link-
http://74.125.93.104/translate_c?hl=en&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http://www.bape.gouv.qc.ca/sections/mandats/La%2520Romaine/participer/formulaire-La_Romaine.htm&usg=ALkJrhjEKsb5g8MH_9JRMi4lBrSBAMJW6g

The original link-
http://www.bape.gouv.qc.ca/sections/mandats/La%20Romaine/participer/formulaire-La_Romaine.htm

or they can be e-mailed to questions@bape.gouv.qc.ca

More Information on the Romaine Complex

This is a good link for learning more about the Romaine Complex. It works well to translate the webpages using the Google Language Tools.

http://www.hydroquebec.com/romaine/index.html

Romaine River

Article published in Rutland Herald on the Romaine River. Vermonter's will face choices for maintaining a green energy portfolio in the near future. Will the state continue to live in denial of their footprint that is firmly stamped in the wilderness of Quebec?

link to article-
http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081012/ENVIRONMENT/810120394/1033/ENVIRONMENT

Letter to Minister of Sustainable Development Quebec

From Alliance Romaine-

Please take a moment to help the Romaine River by sending a letter to the Minister of Sustainable Development, the Environment and Parks in Quebec. Currently, the public audiences, which provide an opportunity for people to comment and ask questions regarding Hydro Quebec's plans to build four dams on the Romaine River, will only be held in Havre Saint Pierre. As a result, few opponents to the project and few journalists will be present at the public audiences.
We are asking that the public be able to participate via video conferencing in Montreal and Quebec City. We need to show the Minister that there is enough interest regarding this project outside of Havre St Pierre. Please take a moment to download the letter attached, type in your signature and email it(romaine@bape.gouv.qc.ca) or mail it to the Ministry. This is incredibly important. If we can not be present in large numbers at these meetings, the ministry will conclude that there is no opposition.
The letter attached is written in French. For those of you who do not speak French, the letter reminds the Minister that a project of this scale effects people beyond Havre St Pierre. Additionally, under provincial law, people have a right to participate in public audiences. By conducting the meetings in a remote area, the Ministry is limiting people's opportunity to participate.
The meetings are scheduled to start on October 27th, please do not delay, send this letter today!
Thank you for participating in our efforts to prevent the damming ofthe Romaine River, one of Quebec's last untouched rivers.

Here is the letter in french. An english translation is below. Copy and paste it with your name typed at the bottom and send it to romaine@bape.gouv.qc.ca


Octobre 2008

Madame Line Beauchamp,
Ministre du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs,
Édifice Marie-Guyart, 30e étage
675, boulevard René-Lévesque Est
Québec, Québec
G1R 5V7


OBJET : DEMANDE D’ACCÈS INTERACTIF À PARTIR DE MONTRÉAL ET QUÉBEC À L’AUDIENCE PUBLIQUE CONCERNANT LE PROJET D’AMÉNAGEMENT HYDROÉLECTRIQUE DE LA ROMAINE.


Madame la Ministre,


Votre gouvernement a déposé un projet de loi qui reconnaît l’eau comme un patrimoine collectif de la nation québécoise. L’eau de la Romaine ne fait pas exception et c’est à la population du Québec qu’il appartient de décider de son avenir et de sa protection, non à quelques représentants de groupes d’intérêts locaux, aussi bien intentionnés soient-ils. Nous voulons donc que le plus grand nombre possible de résidents du Québec puissent y participer. Les audiences se tenant exclusivement à Havre-St-Pierre, la distance, les coûts et le temps nécessaires pour s’y rendre constituent d’importants freins à la participation. En ce moment, le BAPE offre pour la période de question une Web diffusion en mode audio seulement qui empêche d’avoir une véritable participation publique. En conséquence, nous demandons, par le biais de vidéoconférences ou tout autre moyen technique, d’avoir la possibilité d’interagir directement pendant la période de questions et celle d’expression des opinions. Nous vous rappelons que la participation publique est un principe fondamental qui apparaît à la Loi sur développement durable et qui doit guider l’administration de l’État. Nous comptons donc sur vous pour prendre les moyens favorisant cette participation. Ces audiences devant débuter le 27 octobre 2008, nous vous demandons d’agir avec diligence.


En vous remerciant,
YOUR NAME HERE

English Version-

Madame Line Beauchamp,
Ministre du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs,
Édifice Marie-Guyart, 30e étage
675, boulevard René-Lévesque Est
Québec, Québec
G1R 5V7

SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR INTERACTIVE ACCESS FROM MONTREAL AND QUEBEC CITY FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE DRAFT OF THE ROMAINE COMPLEX

Your government has introduced a bill that recognizes water as a collective heritage of the Quebec nation. Water from the Romaine is no exception and it is for the people of Quebec to decide its future and its protection, not a few representatives from local interest groups, however well-intentioned they may be. We therefore want the largest possible number of Quebec residents to participate. The hearings held exclusively in Havre-St-Pierre exclude many people because of the distance, cost and time required to travel there. Right now, the BAPE bid for the question period as an audio web-broadcast prevents interested parties from having a true public participation. Accordingly, we ask that through video-conferencing or other technical means, to have the opportunity to interact directly during Question Period and express our opinion. We remind you that public participation is a fundamental principle of sustainable development laws, which must guide the administration of the Quebec. We are counting on you to take this means of promoting participation. These hearings are scheduled to begin on 27 October 2008, we urge you to act expeditiously.

Sincerely,
YOUR NAME HERE

Romaine River Youtube Videos

Video of the dam sites by Martin Larrivee.

Too bad they won't let you embed this video. Looks like they are putting that $6.5 billion to good use already. These video's show the sections of the rivers that are going to be dammed. The Rupert one has a bridge that the pilot flies beneath.

Youtube link for Romaine fly-over. Notice the canoe's camped at the bottome of Les Murailles.-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6zfb3koTOQ

Youtube link for the Rupert fly-over-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdQ5gbQbKr4

Yes, a really big project that Hydro Quebec recently finished. Diverting the Rupert River into the Eastmain. Permanantly reducing the rivers flow by over 3/4's. Imagine what affect this is going to have on the ecosystem of the river. Check out these two videos to see what the Rupert was and isn't anymore.

Overview of the Romaine Complex. I am trying to put together a map that overlays this with the rapid locations. For reference we put in the river about 10 miles upstream of Romaine 4. All the whitewater on the Romaine will be flooded according to this map.

We're Gonna Try Something Here

A Fund Raiser

Big thanks to Jake Whitcomb of Brighter Planet (http://www.brighterplanet.com/) for helping to get this together. Yes, this trip is expensive, about $700 per person (food, gas, float planes). We wanted to come up with a way to help off-set our personal expenses and at the same time keep with the spirit of Riversenses. On the right side bar is a tool for donors to contribute money through a Paypal account. Our goal is a modest $1000. The first bit will go to off-set our carbon footprint from driving, flying, etc. Jake has broken it down here.

Total emissions (initial estimate)- 5.79 tons of CO2 which is $70 of off-sets from Brighter Planet

-4660 miles Eric Boomer's (trip photographer) flight (Seattle, WA to Burlington, VT)- 2.08 tons CO2e
-8000 miles (max) of driving between three cars, one which is coming from Asheville, NC on biodiesel (assuming 23mpg avg)- 3.45 tons CO2e
-380 miles flown (small plane, 1 Beaver, 1 Otter)- 0.25 tons CO2e
-30 lbs. waste, plastics & paper (max)- 0.01 tons CO2e

Remember, this is only a preliminary estimate of our major CO2 sources. After the trip we will update these calculations because we have most likely missed something or there is an unexpected CO2 emitting occurrence.

After enough money is raised for off-sets, we will split the rest 50/50 between our expenses and donating to a Filipino micro-hydro project. Website link is below to check out this cool sustainable development project.

http://www.greenempowerment.org/home-mainmenu-1/161.html?task=view

As the thermometer says, donors over $50 will receive a CD with pictures of the Romaine River Expedition, local sturgeon recipes, and anything else cool we can find for them. Please help support our expedition and in doing so also make a difference around the world. -Fred

Vermont Natural Resource Council video on affects of dams on streams

A short 4 minute informatve video outlining affects of dams on streams-

http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/21876/1/604/

Alliance Romaine nearing the end of their journey

The four canoeists who have been on the Romaine River since mid-July are nearing the end of their epic 48 day adventure. The Chercher Le Courant blog has just posted video of some of their trip and they are working hard on a documentary about the project. Hats of to them and wish them a safe last few days on the river.

Visit- http://www.chercherlecourant.org/ to see the video.

The blog is french, but the jist of the lastest posts is that things are well, the portaging has been difficult recently around le bassin du Murailles, they have a met up with a raft with people from Sierra Club Quebec, Fondation Rivières, la Société pour Vaincre la Pollution, and Nature Québec, and they have the blues becuase their trip is almost over. The other big news was how fast they got a replacement video camera from Montreal to the Romaine Expedition. It may seem frivolous, but they have been showing segments weekly on Chercher Le Courant as well as filming a documentary with Denis McCready. Lots of Quebecers are watching!!

Alliance Romaine Website-
http://allianceromaine.wordpress.com/

Large Scale Hydro and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions from man made reservoirs is a hotly contested debate these days in the scientific and hydroelectric communities. The extent to which hydro projects contribute to global warming verses other types of generation is not fully understood. Research is ongoing throughout the world, especially in India, Brazil, and Canada. Hydro-Quebec in conjunction with McGill University, the Université du Québec à Montréal, Environment Canada and Environnement Illimité inc. is studying the Eastmain 1 reservoir. Here are two links to two differing viewpoints on the matter, but they seem to be the best information I can find now. Have a look and any comments of interested parties would be greatly appreciated.

International Rivers Article-
http://internationalrivers.org/files/FizzyScience2006.pdf

International Hydropower Association FAQ sheet-
http://www.adb.org/Water/Topics/Dams/pdf/Emissions-from-reservoirs.pdf

Romaine River- Gearing up for the trip

The team is assembling for the Romaine River. We are leaving Vermont September 1st and flying in September 2nd (weather-permitting) for a week of Basse Cote-Nord river running.

Fred Coriell

John Grace

Boyce Greer

Jake Whitcomb

Willy Kern and Eric Boomer








Greg "sweet action" Hanlon-











Toby MacDermott








We have also been in contact with a couple of interesting river folk who have been gracious in giving information about the river. Jason Miller who ran the river a few years ago has sent some great photos of his trip in 2005. Also Boreal Rivers a new rafting company who will begin doing trips on the Magpie next year.

What a great view!!!

Found this on the HQ website on the "Guided Tours" page. Wonderful, isn't it?

Romaine River Complex

Photo of La Grande Chute

The Romaine River Complex is a four dam 1,550 MW hydro project. Hydro-Quebec has tabled their EIS with the Canadian government and if approved construction could begin in the summer of 2009. This fall I intend to paddle the Romaine River with a team of kayakers to explore its rapids and experience the vast wilderness of the Romaine River Valley before it is altered by Hydro-Quebec forever. Below is a proposal to raise funds for this trip. I plan to exhibit photos and video after the trip to show people who may be interested in experiencing the Romaine River and supply the information needed to make future trips a reality before all of the dams are completed.

Romaine Complex Quick Facts

-279.2 km2 (170.9 mi2) of total reservoirs
-142.2 km2 (87 mi2) largest proposed reservoir
-4 dams ranging in height from 32.7m (105 ft) to 121m (388 ft)

-dam at La Grande Chute is a proposed run of the river, other 3 are with drawdown (reservoirs) -1550 MW generating capacity
-227.2 km of newly constructed roads
-over 500 km of new transmission line corridor
-affecting more than 300 km (184 mi) of river

Links About The Project
http://www.hydroquebec.com/generation/projets/pop/pop_romaine.html
http://www.hydroquebec.com/romaine/index.html (french only, but better information than the english page)
http://www.romainealliance.wordpress.com/ (Canadian opposition to hydro development on Romaine)

Romaine River Expedition September 2008

Purpose: To explore the whitewater kayaking potential of the Romaine River and bring awareness to it and other threatened rivers in the Lower North Coast Region of Quebec. The Romaine River has seen many canoe descents (currently the Romaine River Alliance is paddling the river), yet there are a handful of whitewater kayaking descents (see American Whitewater Journal 1988 Jan/Feb pg. 22). There are many interesting rapids and falls, and like the Petit Mecatina is a seldom run whitewater classic.

Background: Hydro Quebec is planning to begin construction of four hydroelectric generating facilities along the Romaine River. “The environmental impact assessment for the Romaine hydropower complex was tabled with the competent authorities in January 2008. Hundreds of engineers, scientists and local stakeholders, including Innu community members who shared their traditional knowledge, labored for four years to produce this 2,500-page study, complemented by 50 background reports. The estimated $6.5-billion project calls for four generating stations with a total installed capacity of 1,550 MW and annual output of 8.0 TWh to be developed on the Romaine River in the Mingan area. If construction gets under way in summer 2009, commissioning of the facilities should begin in late 2014 and be completed by the end of 2020.” (Hydro Quebec 2007) The dams will be built between 52km and 192km from the river’s mouth. Four reservoirs will accompany these facilities ranging in size from 12km2 to a remarkable 140km2. This latter reservoir is estimated to flood 84 linear kilometers of river. Also, over 200km of access roads will be built for construction and operation of the facility and over 500km of transmission line corridor are proposed to connect the Romaine Complex to the power grid.
The Romaine development will affect many aspects of a complex and undisturbed ecosystem. Woodland Caribou, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Moose, Wolf, Golden Eagle, Atlantic salmon, and countless wildflower, insect and tree species inhabit the area surrounding the Romaine River. Canada’s boreal forest and their associated peat deposits and wetlands represent some of the world’s largest carbon reservoirs. Inundation of these carbon sinks reduces absorption of green house gases and may actually increase greenhouse gas emissions, namely methane, through O2 depletion in the reservoirs as drowned organic matter begins the decaying process. Altered river discharge and erosion patterns, increased water temperature from thermal stratification in reservoirs, and forest fragmentation from roads and transmission lines will all be major changes to the area’s ecological balance.
Several Canadian environmental groups have been calling foul on Hydro-Quebec for an incomplete and self-funded Environmental Impact Statement. Most notably is the Romaine River Alliance, a group of concerned scientists and river enthusiasts, who have been highlighting the EIS flaws and have planned a 48-day canoe expedition that is currently underway.
The Romaine River Alliance, in a letter to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, raises many environmental and social issues that were not adequately addressed in Hydro-Quebec’s EIS. Among them is the loss of recreational areas.
“According to the guideline sections 2.2.2 and 4.2.2 the EIS is required to address loss of recreational areas. Unfortunately Hydro-Québec’s findings do not take into consideration the significant growth that is taking place in ecotourism today. In section 35.1.4.2 regarding canoe routes on the Romaine River, it is stated that no groups traveled by train to Oreway with the intention of paddling the Romaine River. Additionally, it is stated that few groups paddled the river in 2001 and 2004, and the groups that did were no more than one or two boats. The skill level of paddlers and amateur canoeists is increasing, as is the desire to experience remote and pristine areas. In 2007 multiple groups paddled the Romaine River including a group from Ottawa YMCA canoe club and PaddleFoot, an Ontario based outfitter that began their trip in Oreway. Furthermore, it is projected that a significantly higher number of canoeists will be on the river in 2008, including a group from Alliance Romaine.
The Environmental Impact Assessment also states in section 35.1.4.2 that there are no commercial trips being offered on the river to date. As stated above, a commercial trip from PaddleFoot Inc. paddled the river in 2007. Again, it is likely that more groups will seek out the Romaine River in the future. It is suggested that Hydro-Québec expands their research area to include outdoor enthusiasts from the rest of Canada and from the United States.
While Hydro-Québec successfully paraphrased the maps of the Romaine River available from the Féderation de Canoe et Kayak (FQCK) in 1983 (see section 35.1.4.4), it failed to mention methods to ensure that the Romaine River remains a challenging canoe route, as it should according to section 2.2.2 and 4.2.2 of the Guidelines. According to the information provided nothing will be done to ensure that rapids, waterfalls, portage trails or campsites are maintained. It is likely that knowledge of areas of importance for canoeists is entirely unknown to Hydro-Québec as they used maps from 1983 to conduct their research. It is strongly recommended that a member of the Hydro-Québec team paddle the river with Alliance Romaine this summer in order to better understand areas of importance for canoeists.
Additionally, the environmental impact assessment does not adequately address the cumulative effects on recreational tourism, according to section 4.5.2 of the Guidelines. Other rivers are regularly mentioned as canoeable routes (see section 35.1.4.2), yet it is never mentioned that the Magpie is already dammed. There are an additional fourteen dams owned and operated by Hydro-Québec on the North Shore that currently limit the amount of river exploration outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy in Québec.” (Alliance Romaine 2008).

Along with the Romaine River Alliance’s concerns this issue hits close to home for me as well. My home state of Vermont has negotiated long-term contracts with Hydro-Quebec. Currently Vermont purchases about 1/3 of its power from them. By 2016 these contracts will be expired. Fortunately, the state does not officially recognize Hydro-Quebec as a renewable energy source. Yet it categorizes HQ electricity as clean (non GHG emitting) energy. Vermont is at an advantage for low carbon-emitting energy sources with Hydro-Quebec and Vermont Yankee Nuclear. Despite this rosy picture there are serious trade-offs at stake, namely the negative affects of large scale hydro. There are many new initiatives proposed in the Vermont Energy Plan 2009, renegotiating with HQ is one of them. However, it does not take into consideration other negative environmental factors besides GHG emissions. The report states that Vermont's lights would not go out without Hydro-Quebec. Instead it would expose the state a more volatile energy market, but could be offset by other energy initiatives such as developing local generation and increased efficiency planning. This is a complex and sticky issue, but at the center of it all is one of Quebec’s largest free-flowing rivers.
It is more important then ever to explore the whitewater reaches of the Romaine and other rivers, like the Petit Mecatina, along the north coast. In the past 15 years Hydro-Quebec has spread their developments eastward along the north coast damming its largest rivers. As stated in the letter above, a rising number of river enthusiasts, increasing skill level, and a growing desire to visit wild and remote areas could potentially see the Romaine as not only a premiere wilderness canoe trip, but a premiere whitewater kayaking trip as well. There is little (one article in CanoeRoots spring 2006 and American Whitewater Journal 1988 Jan/Feb pg. 22) recreational information about this river and alomst no information that compliments the contemporary state of whitewater kayaking. I would like the chance to experience and document the Romaine River before it is changed forever. In doing so I hope to raise awareness to the places that are being affected by large scale hydro development in Quebec and also entice future groups of whitewater kayakers to challenge rapids and enjoy the wilderness of the Romaine and other threatened rivers of the Lower Coast before they are gone.

About the River: From its headwaters the Romaine River drops southward, 1500 feet, off a plateau and into the Saint Lawrence River. Its flow averages between 10,000 and 15,000 cubic feet per second during the summer months. There are three canyons, the first drops 300 feet 9 miles,

the second 300 feet in 8 miles,

the third 200 feet in four miles.

The final canyon is sure to hold some interesting whitewater. Besides these highlights, numerous rapids and falls punctuate long stretches of calm water. About 30 miles from the river’s mouth is La Grande Chute.

It is a double stage waterfall dropping a total of 100 feet and is also the site of the first dam to be constructed. The three canyons will be affected by the other three dams.
It is the classic Eastern Canada pool drop characteristic. This natural character makes the Romaine well-suited for a variety of skill levels and canoes, kayaks, and rafts alike. It is possible to portage as much as one would like, choosing to either shoot the rapids, or simply enjoy the flatter sections which make up a majority of the river.
Approaching the river can be done from several different ways. Easiest and most expensive is using float planes from Havre Saint Pierre and landing on the river or nearby lakes and tributaries. Another way which has been done by the only commercial trip down the river is riding the train to Oreway and embarking on the river from its headwaters. Alliance Romaine is approaching the river from the Ossokmanuan Reservoir in Labrador paddling upstream out of the Labrador watershed and into the very top of the Romaine’s headwaters. Due to time constraints we have opted for the fly-in, which is the easiest and perhaps most appealing to the largest number of river enthusiasts.

Plan: Fly upriver 200 km landing upstream of the first canyon. Paddle the Romaine to where it joins the Saint Lawrence River at the town of Havre Saint Pierre along highway 138. During the trip we will document rapids and spend time filming and photographing the areas where the dams will be built. Also we will conduct interviews with local officials and other interested parties to gain a better understanding of the issues surrounding this development.

For more information or the help support the expedition contact:
Fred Coriell
fredcoriell@gmail.com
802-236-0230
visit www.riversenses.blogspot.com