[OTH AND

Castlegar bound

Water battle boils

eo

WV man plans to launch court action
against gov't over water export licence

A WEST Vancouver man whose plans to sell B.C. water
to California have evaporated in the heat of government
water export restrictions and ongoing policy review plans
to challenge the provincial government in court.

Colin Beach set up Aquasource
Lid. in) 1983 to export water by
marine transport from the B.C.
coast.

In 1986, the company obtained
an export licence to draw 1,125
acre feet per year of water from
Freit Lake near Hotham Sound,
about SO miles north of Van-
couver. An acre-foot of water

an

By Michael Becker
News Reporter

equals about 270,000 gallons.

The government subsequently
restricted water export licences
through a. series of orders in
council, The restriction is in place

to June 30.

Beach said his company’s
foreshore licence was cancelled by
the government in November
1990. Aquasource water rights
were cancelled in September 1991
by the provincial water manage-
ment branch.

“dt was,"* Beach said, ‘ta mat-
ter of not having built works, not
having used water, fees that were
due.”’

Beach said he is taking the gov-
ernment to B.C. Supreme Court
to challenge its actions.

Meanwhile, according to Beach,

st

Mercedes Benz 500 SEL
Safety, quality, comfort

Automotive: 25

Classifieds 986-6222

the Ministry of Environment,
Lands and Parks — secured
two 15-year export licences for
water from Link Lake, Ocean
Falls, in Dec. 1988.

The government then transfer-
red the water extraction rights of
approximately 43,000 acre feet per
year from Link Lake to Western
Canada Water Enterprises Inc.
(WCW) in 1989. It is the largest
licence of its kind.

The agreement, covering a 25-
year period, allows for the sale of
552.6 acre feet per year of water
for bottled water and for the sale
of 42,635 acre feet per year of
water for bulk water export,

The WCW bulk water volume
may be reduced or amended to

See New page 3

ere aT
BEAM Sen

SHORE

Distribution 986-1337

KIRK CAMPBELL (left) and Brian Mctuckie steady a large section of pipe as it is
lowered onto the ground. The pipe and other large components were made by W.A.
Thom in North Vancouver and will be installed in a Castlegar pulp and paper mill.

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