Vancouver - Lawyers from West Coast Environmental Law today wrote to Sheila Fraser, the Auditor General of Canada, to ask her to investigate the Prime Minister’s decision to use Green Infrastructure funds to contribute $130 million to the controversial Northwest Transmission Line, which would enable a number of environmentally damaging projects. The letter notes that the funds used were designated by Parliament to purposes which “promote a clean environment.”
“The Northwest Transmission Line is about opening up the Northwest to mining. Full stop,” said staff lawyer, Andrew Gage. “Parliament set aside these funds for infrastructure that would ‘promote a clean environment,’ not to fund coal and gold extraction.”
West Coast was dismissive of the federal government’s claims that the project was “green” because it might one day service as yet undeveloped green power projects. “Environmental groups are concerned, but so should anyone who believes in financial accountability and fiscal responsibility,” said Jessica Clogg, Senior Counsel at West Coast. “This fund was specially set aside for projects that do something to jump-start a ‘green economy’ in the midst of the current economic downturn, not for any transmission line that might one day carry some electricity from a renewable energy project, and in the immediate term will enable one of the most dirty sources of energy: coal.
Under the Auditor General Act, Sheila Fraser is responsible for reviewing the accounts of the federal government. She is specifically tasked with reporting on the use of funds for purposes that Parliament did not authorize and on the use of funds without due regard for environmental implications.
“The Auditor General’s role is to ensure financial accountability, and we felt that her office should take a look at this cynical mis-use of environmental funds,” said Gage.
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For more information contact:
Andrew Gage, Staff Counsel at 250-412-9784 or 604-683-7378, ext. 206.
Jessica Clogg, Senior Counsel at 604-601-2501.
A copy of West Coast Environmental Law’s letter to Sheila Fraser is available on-line by clicking here or on the file link below.