A new whistleblower has contacted the Uncle
Gnarley Blog — shedding new light on who is
responsible for the severe flooding and evacuation of the community of Mud Lake
in May.
Gnarley Blog — shedding new light on who is
responsible for the severe flooding and evacuation of the community of Mud Lake
in May.
The confidential
source has leaked a copy of a letter sent by Bernard Pennecon LP, the
contractor building the North and South Dams, to Nalcor’s subsidiary, Muskrat
Falls Corporation. The document states that the event was due to Nalcor’s “failure
to manage the downstream flows which resulted in the flooding of the Mud Lake
Community.” (Bold added to all direct quotes from the Barnard Pennecon letter.)
source has leaked a copy of a letter sent by Bernard Pennecon LP, the
contractor building the North and South Dams, to Nalcor’s subsidiary, Muskrat
Falls Corporation. The document states that the event was due to Nalcor’s “failure
to manage the downstream flows which resulted in the flooding of the Mud Lake
Community.” (Bold added to all direct quotes from the Barnard Pennecon letter.)
The letter dated 23-May-2017 was given exclusively to the Uncle Gnarley Blog.
In January another whistleblower, the “Anonymous Engineer”, gave the Uncle Gnarley Blog details of how the estimates for the Muskrat Falls project had been falsified in Nalcor’s bid to get sanction, a process which continued until after the 2015 General Election.
Background
When, on May 20th, the
Labrador Land Protectors stopped the buses bringing workers to the night shift at the Muskrat Falls project for a few hours, they could not have known that their actions had generated the best
proof yet that Nalcor is to blame for the flooding and subsequent evacuation
of Mud Lake.
Labrador Land Protectors stopped the buses bringing workers to the night shift at the Muskrat Falls project for a few hours, they could not have known that their actions had generated the best
proof yet that Nalcor is to blame for the flooding and subsequent evacuation
of Mud Lake.
Their protest
was not covered in the media, but one of the protestors confirmed to the Uncle Gnarley Blog that the
gate blockade had taken place.
was not covered in the media, but one of the protestors confirmed to the Uncle Gnarley Blog that the
gate blockade had taken place.
Nalcor was fast
off the mark to deny culpability, though local residents possessed no memory of such flooding ever having occurred in the past.
off the mark to deny culpability, though local residents possessed no memory of such flooding ever having occurred in the past.
“We are
not doing anything to manipulate the flows of the river,” said Deanne
Fisher, Nalcor’s general manager of corporate affairs. “Anything that is
happening with the spring thaw, it’s really just passing through the
spillway.”
not doing anything to manipulate the flows of the river,” said Deanne
Fisher, Nalcor’s general manager of corporate affairs. “Anything that is
happening with the spring thaw, it’s really just passing through the
spillway.”
On social
media, the Labrador Land Protectors posted that a worker at the site
claimed that he saw the release of water.
media, the Labrador Land Protectors posted that a worker at the site
claimed that he saw the release of water.
At Memorial
University, Nalcor’s denials concerned Ken Snelgrove, associate professor of
civil engineering, and Joel Finnis, a climatologist and associate professor of
geography, so much that they spoke to the CBC.
University, Nalcor’s denials concerned Ken Snelgrove, associate professor of
civil engineering, and Joel Finnis, a climatologist and associate professor of
geography, so much that they spoke to the CBC.
“Nalcor should
not be insisting outright that its operations are not to blame for the flooding
in Mud Lake, Labrador because the data isn’t available to definitively rule it
out,” the CBC quoted the two professors as saying.
not be insisting outright that its operations are not to blame for the flooding
in Mud Lake, Labrador because the data isn’t available to definitively rule it
out,” the CBC quoted the two professors as saying.
“I
think this really points to the need for a future study. I worry about the
dismissiveness that we’ve heard [from Nalcor],” said Ken Snelgrove.
think this really points to the need for a future study. I worry about the
dismissiveness that we’ve heard [from Nalcor],” said Ken Snelgrove.
The CBC
recorded Joel Finnis stating that the flood should be classified as either a “very extreme,
one-off event” or something more ominous that is bound to repeat.
recorded Joel Finnis stating that the flood should be classified as either a “very extreme,
one-off event” or something more ominous that is bound to repeat.
It seems
that the Memorial professors and the Nalcor worker were on to something: that
the flooding of Mud Lake might well have been, as Joel Finnis suggested, a “very
extreme, one-off event” — quite possibly one that was within Nalcor’s control.
that the Memorial professors and the Nalcor worker were on to something: that
the flooding of Mud Lake might well have been, as Joel Finnis suggested, a “very
extreme, one-off event” — quite possibly one that was within Nalcor’s control.
The pair
caused Nalcor Vice-President Jim Keating on May 25th to quell
Nalcor’s tone of “dismissiveness” over the suggestions that the company was
responsible. Keating told
CBC Radio’s Labrador Morning, “I believe, initially, we responded
honestly, but probably not in the best way.”
The two
Memorial professors and the residents of Mud Lake weren’t the only ones,
however, with an eye to Nalcor’s management of the flows on the Churchill
River.
Memorial professors and the residents of Mud Lake weren’t the only ones,
however, with an eye to Nalcor’s management of the flows on the Churchill
River.
Gate Blockade Starts Chain Reaction
The contractor
building the two main dams for the Muskrat Falls project stayed quiet as the
water rose around the houses of the small community having a
population of around 50 residents.
building the two main dams for the Muskrat Falls project stayed quiet as the
water rose around the houses of the small community having a
population of around 50 residents.
Mud Lake is located a short distance by boat
from Happy Valley in Lake Melville — directly downstream of
Muskrat Falls.
from Happy Valley in Lake Melville — directly downstream of
Muskrat Falls.
The Labrador
Land Protectors, suspecting Nalor culpability, picketed the gate to the Muskrat
Falls site “for a few hours” on May 20th, according to a person who
was present. Nalcor declared the gate blockade a
Force Majeure.
Land Protectors, suspecting Nalor culpability, picketed the gate to the Muskrat
Falls site “for a few hours” on May 20th, according to a person who
was present. Nalcor declared the gate blockade a
Force Majeure.
Force
Majeure is a standard legal tool, inserted in many contracts, which lets either
party off the hook should an event occur that is beyond their ability to
control. The conditions of Force Majeure were described under Article 28 of the estimated $300-400 million BPLP dam contract.
Majeure is a standard legal tool, inserted in many contracts, which lets either
party off the hook should an event occur that is beyond their ability to
control. The conditions of Force Majeure were described under Article 28 of the estimated $300-400 million BPLP dam contract.
Barnard
Pennecon LP was awarded the contract, in October, 2013 to “construct a
32-meter-high (105-foot), 432-meter-long (1,417-foot) roller-compacted concrete
(RCC) dam adjacent to the north end of the spillway and a 20-meter-high
(65-foot), 325-meter-long (1,066-foot) earthfill dam on the powerhouse’s south
side.”
Pennecon LP was awarded the contract, in October, 2013 to “construct a
32-meter-high (105-foot), 432-meter-long (1,417-foot) roller-compacted concrete
(RCC) dam adjacent to the north end of the spillway and a 20-meter-high
(65-foot), 325-meter-long (1,066-foot) earthfill dam on the powerhouse’s south
side.”
Blockade of
the buses, however, caused a chain reaction invisible to all but Nalcor and
Barnard Pennecon. It went like this: a) following the blockade, Nalcor’s
subsidiary, Muskrat Falls Corporation, declared a Force Majeure; b) a claim
for costs associated with the blockade was sent to Nalcor from the contractor
anyway; c) Nalcor refused to pay; and d) the refusal caused Barnard Pennecon LP
to train its executive guns on who it had determined was actually responsible.
the buses, however, caused a chain reaction invisible to all but Nalcor and
Barnard Pennecon. It went like this: a) following the blockade, Nalcor’s
subsidiary, Muskrat Falls Corporation, declared a Force Majeure; b) a claim
for costs associated with the blockade was sent to Nalcor from the contractor
anyway; c) Nalcor refused to pay; and d) the refusal caused Barnard Pennecon LP
to train its executive guns on who it had determined was actually responsible.
Barnard Pennecon says conditions did not constitute Force Majeure
In a letter
to Scott O’Brien, Nalcor Project Manager, the contractor’s displeasure was
unmistakable. The contractor stated that the
blockade occurred in consequence of the flooding which, in turn, was “the result
of the Company’s fault or negligence.”
to Scott O’Brien, Nalcor Project Manager, the contractor’s displeasure was
unmistakable. The contractor stated that the
blockade occurred in consequence of the flooding which, in turn, was “the result
of the Company’s fault or negligence.”
BPLP told
Nalcor that the event was their responsibility because the blockade occurred due
to the flooding of Mud Lake which, in turn, was a consequence of its “failure
to manage the downstream flows which resulted in the flooding of the Mud Lake
Community.”
Nalcor that the event was their responsibility because the blockade occurred due
to the flooding of Mud Lake which, in turn, was a consequence of its “failure
to manage the downstream flows which resulted in the flooding of the Mud Lake
Community.”
The letter was issued under the signature of
a senior official of Barnard Pennecon LP (BPLP) and dated May 23, 2017. The
correspondence references Contract # CH0009-001 — Construction of the North
and South Dams.
a senior official of Barnard Pennecon LP (BPLP) and dated May 23, 2017. The
correspondence references Contract # CH0009-001 — Construction of the North
and South Dams.
There is
little doubt that the declaration of a Force Majeure triggered BPLP’s ire. The company felt that Nalcor was ultimately responsible for the protest having formed, which caused their employees to be late for work. BPLP wanted to be paid the cost.
little doubt that the declaration of a Force Majeure triggered BPLP’s ire. The company felt that Nalcor was ultimately responsible for the protest having formed, which caused their employees to be late for work. BPLP wanted to be paid the cost.
In BPLP’s view, Nalcor had no business declaring a Force Majeure to begin with.
Said the
senior official: “Missing from the Company’s Force Majeure Declaration is any
explanation or justification as to why the gate blockade constitutes a Force
Majeure event. The gate blockade does not constitute a Force Majeure event as
set out in Article 28 [of the contract].”
senior official: “Missing from the Company’s Force Majeure Declaration is any
explanation or justification as to why the gate blockade constitutes a Force
Majeure event. The gate blockade does not constitute a Force Majeure event as
set out in Article 28 [of the contract].”
That Barnard
Pennecon’s senior man was bristling over what the official regarded as Nalcor’s
untenable position was obvious. And he had only just begun to build a head of
steam.
Pennecon’s senior man was bristling over what the official regarded as Nalcor’s
untenable position was obvious. And he had only just begun to build a head of
steam.
He continues:
“The blockade was formed
as the protestors believed that the Company’s recent release of water or
failure to properly manage the downstream flows resulted in flooding of the Mud
Lake community. Section 28.2 only allows the Company to claim a Force Majeure
event if such event is ‘beyond the control or without the fault or negligence
[the Company], and which by the exercise of reasonable diligence [the Company]
is unable to provide against it’.”
as the protestors believed that the Company’s recent release of water or
failure to properly manage the downstream flows resulted in flooding of the Mud
Lake community. Section 28.2 only allows the Company to claim a Force Majeure
event if such event is ‘beyond the control or without the fault or negligence
[the Company], and which by the exercise of reasonable diligence [the Company]
is unable to provide against it’.”
In short,
Bernard Pennecon was saying that the test of Force Majeure, as defined in the contract, required that the event was “beyond the control or without the
fault” of Nalcor which “the exercise of reasonable diligence” was unable to
counteract.
Bernard Pennecon was saying that the test of Force Majeure, as defined in the contract, required that the event was “beyond the control or without the
fault” of Nalcor which “the exercise of reasonable diligence” was unable to
counteract.
Barnard
Pennecon believed that Nalcor had not met that test; hence, the crown
corporation had no basis for having made the Force Majeure declaration.
Pennecon believed that Nalcor had not met that test; hence, the crown
corporation had no basis for having made the Force Majeure declaration.
Barnard Pennecon puts blame squarely
on Nalcor
on Nalcor
The next paragraph
is one that Mud Lake residents will especially want to parse, particularly the lawyers
contemplating a class action lawsuit for flood damages and costs associated
with the residents’ mass evacuation. This is where Barnard Pennecon LP got down to business explaining
to Nalcor a position which the crown corporation has, so far, vehemently denied.
is one that Mud Lake residents will especially want to parse, particularly the lawyers
contemplating a class action lawsuit for flood damages and costs associated
with the residents’ mass evacuation. This is where Barnard Pennecon LP got down to business explaining
to Nalcor a position which the crown corporation has, so far, vehemently denied.
Continued the
company official:
company official:
“The blockade is the
result of the Company release of water or failure to properly manage the
downstream flows which resulted in the flooding of the Mud Lake Community. This
was clearly within the Company’s control and the result of the Company’s fault
or negligence. Further, the Company, by exercising reasonable diligence, could
have prevented the blockade by properly managing the downstream flows.”
result of the Company release of water or failure to properly manage the
downstream flows which resulted in the flooding of the Mud Lake Community. This
was clearly within the Company’s control and the result of the Company’s fault
or negligence. Further, the Company, by exercising reasonable diligence, could
have prevented the blockade by properly managing the downstream flows.”
Final Comment
These are unambiguous and serious allegations. They contain an array of
implications — including questions of integrity (yet again!) that place Nalcor’s already
shredded reputation in an even worse state.
implications — including questions of integrity (yet again!) that place Nalcor’s already
shredded reputation in an even worse state.
As the North and South dam contractor,
Barnard Pennecon LP — more than any other — understood the importance
of, and had a vested interest in, monitoring the water levels on the river. The
company would have assiduously monitored the flows, the environmental
conditions affecting the natural spring thaw, ice jams and, of course, the
influence of the huge concrete structures that, for the very first time, acted
to alter those natural water flows.
Barnard Pennecon LP — more than any other — understood the importance
of, and had a vested interest in, monitoring the water levels on the river. The
company would have assiduously monitored the flows, the environmental
conditions affecting the natural spring thaw, ice jams and, of course, the
influence of the huge concrete structures that, for the very first time, acted
to alter those natural water flows.
There would
have been direct communication between the two entities at all times. Nothing
would have escaped Barnard Pennecon LP’s notice given the water’s direct threat to
the contractor’s work. Likely that is why the company seemed so unequivocal about
their rebuke of Nalcor Energy’s attempt to deflect the cost of their own
negligence onto the contractor.
have been direct communication between the two entities at all times. Nothing
would have escaped Barnard Pennecon LP’s notice given the water’s direct threat to
the contractor’s work. Likely that is why the company seemed so unequivocal about
their rebuke of Nalcor Energy’s attempt to deflect the cost of their own
negligence onto the contractor.
Notwithstanding their public quiescence, in any class action lawsuit against Nalcor it
seems that the people of Mud Lake have just found the strongest, most knowledgeable, and like-minded ally in the form of Barnard Pennecon LP.
seems that the people of Mud Lake have just found the strongest, most knowledgeable, and like-minded ally in the form of Barnard Pennecon LP.
Nalcor`s activities right from day 1 when Danny Williams initiated the MF boondoggle not only border on the unethical side of business practices but are downright criminal. From the outright lies, falsified information,and now this,a public inquiry AND a forensic audit is screaming out to be ordered by Dwight Ball. He cannot ignore this!
Ho.
Ly.
Shit.
How Stan kept the same management team when he became CEO is what's beyond belief here, the same team that couldn't manage a toll booth. Criminal incompetence and negligence comes to mind for the Mud Lake residents. Pro MF crowd couldn't believe their precious Nalcor caused the flooding, that is how blinded they have become with Boondoggle Falls.
If this isn't a further sign the project should be stopped immediately it never will.
How confident are citizens that the Northern Spur has gone through the same Nalcor seal of approval as Mud Lake? Putting peoples lives at risk downstream just to get a project sanctioned fall under the category of psychopathic.
The Federal Gov enabled MF with the FLG and didn't see anything wrong with Muskrat Falls?
Bring on the Royal Commission and forensic audit!!
People were losing confidence in Martin, and Ball wanted to look like he was changing course — so he brought in Stan Marshall.
But he was merely changing horses.
This was evidenced by Marshall keeping the same management(?) team in place, incrementally (as before) reporting increased cost estimates (in digestible chunks), handing another ~ $800 million to Astaldi, following the Ed Martin/PC playbook re the North Spur, methylmercury, etc., etc, all actions that would force the continuation of this boondoggle.
Nothing has changed —- and that is just the way Ball (and the Liberal Party) wants it.
You are correct Maurice that nothing has changed, save for the colors on the jockey.
What is new is the rats on the sinking ship are turning on one another. It finally gives an unvarnished look behind the Nalcor curtain of arrogance, negligence and incompetence.
This information should give Mud Lake residents and supporters all the evidence needed for an open revolt and demand to see the spur engineering and audit.
Bruno, you are more optimistic and I. Ball will wait for the report he commissioned , to be filed by Sept.
Did Ball know of this now leaked document of May 23, when he went to Mud Lake saying we need to get to the bottom of this……..
Any too many reports give the answer the paymaster looks for.
Consider ICF for Nfld Power suggesting there would be no demand reduction for Nfld using efficient heatings systems that reduce demand by more than 50 percent. To reach this conclusion they make the assumption that all units will shut down under our winter temperature. They call this a `conservative approach` but then say in a note that `in fact St John`s climate is not severe and most units should stay running`. So they cover their ass as a consultant, and give the power companies the result they desire, to mislead the public and avoid promoting cost effective conservation and energy savings for customers. WOnder why here we have the second worse for all of Canada for energy efficiency and conservation. Their consultants usually deliver what the paymaster wants. And the Consumer advocate does not counter such flawed reports.
Tom Johnson, seeing what they did , asked me if I thought ICF was asked to make the statement that way……….
A conservative approach might have been to assume 5 or 10 percent of the units might shut down under cold conditions, but not all units, thereby giving large demand reductions.
There seems a long history of consultants tailoring there conclusions to suit the paymasters preference.
Winston Adams
From memory there are now both the Upper Churchill and the Muskrat Falls spillway which regulate flow on mmighty Hamilton River. Once Nalcor became aware of the ice downstream of the dam, was there any effort to coordinate both facilities to reduce the total water going downstream. I am sure there was the spring thaw runoff, but I am certain the UC dams could have been throttled back to reduce the flow, at least marginally. I wonder in this letter is BP referring to the "Company" as Nalcor, who also operate the Upper Churchill?
Lots of smoke here.
This catastrophic act of financial terrorism continues to gain strength and builds the bank accounts of a choice few yet we stand by and let them continue to excel in this Historic Embezzlement Act of the century.
Makes Bernie Madoff's scheme look minor in comparison. Boy o boy, 500,000 people duped to satisify the ego and more of one man.
NL Hydro could've bought dirt-cheap power off Quebec Hydro for 5 or 6 cents per kwh until 2041 when the Upper Churchill contract expired.
Instead, Williams and his dim-witted cohorts naively decided to try to salvage the pride of a duped generation of NLers by "doing an end run" around Quebec, consequently obliterating the financial stability of the province and initiating the mass out-migration of its young people. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
NLers truly are their own worst enemies.
I must again remind readers, that history will record the intransigence of NL Premiers since Smallwood, to renegotiate the southern boundary dispute with Quebec. All this Lower Churchill/Anglo transmission route expense, environmental damage, human disruption, etc. could have been avoided.
When will we ever learn indeed?
There is no southern boundary dispute. This is a fiction and fantasy held on tinny a dwindling band of separatist Quebec baby boomers.
5-6c kWh HQ PPA sounds reasonable with 5-6c kWh for the transmission infrastructure ($3B over 30 years) in the Labrador Island Link (LIL) 12c kWh until 2041 then it is halved due to LIL being paid off and ultra cheep UC power that NL is legally entitled to.
Recall power would be used between now and 2041 saving hundreds of millions in fuel costs at HRT – option of just the LIL wasn't explored by Nalcor as it was always bundled with the MF dam.
LCO using very limited and contrite data like demand going up 25% between 2008 and 2041 and another 20% by 2067, forever $100 oil, lying about the actual project costs from day 1 – fraud, criminal negligence and incompetence charges should be laid against the people responsible.
Ed Martin stated on the radio that they explored this as a potential for the least cost option but it wasn't. Then when it was suggested we see those numbers he rescinded and said that no formal talks took place but they knew it wasn't a least cost option because QH were hard to deal with in the past. That sounds like DWs ego at play. The incompetence here which is staggering, pales to the scale of fraud and criminal negligence.
dm
No doubt the fix was in.
Those buggers should be locked up.
Has the cost analysis report ever been released?
This letter was dated May 23. In Your unrelated blog of May 23, I made several comments on May 25 on the Mud Lake flood, stating 95 percent certainty that Nalcor was the cause of the flood, and that their statements were dishonest. I had viewed the Federal govn water monitoring station data and could see the large river rise down stream of Muskrat,, that was evidence that they were manipulating the gates to allow vast amount of water to pass through. The fact that elevation at Muskrat was kept constant was in fact proof that this was happening.
I afterwards did up some 23 points of reasoning why Nalcor was at fault and emailed it to Jamie Snook, mayor of Goose Bay. He acknowledged receipt , but never commented.
Interesting to see, that two days prior this contractor had come to the same conclusion………after all, they were there and no doubt witnessed the actions of Nalcor not controlling the flow properly.
Nalcor…a laughing stock, sad to say, even under Stan.
They mislead the public now as they have always done,,,,,,,Stan the straight shooter…….not Annie Oakley…….and his team likewise.
A culture of deception, and it continues.
Winston Adams
This is totally controlled by two people. Former Primers. What happen when the people found the two Leaders of Egypt and Liyba???????
Are the capelin rolling at Outer Cove? No………but the sea temperature is 49.9F………so if I were a capelin, I would roll.
The target temperature is 50F , and + or – 0.5 F is not that critical. So, conditions are about right if they are nearby, they could show up tomorrow or soon.
I talked with a guy, Power, who said capelin were there off Outer Cove, about 150 ft, Friday before last, so June 30. At first his sensor on his boat picked them up, but being calm, he could look down and see the school of capelin…..but since disappeared. That was interesting, since my recent temperature reading showed the water not far off 50F, last week, then went back down to 45F, but now warmed again, to just about 50. He says there is very little sign of cod fish, and commented on the black beery thing ( which was reported on TV tonight). He says it is a sign that the fish are not getting the proper food they need, and that this happened back in the 80s. He asked if I ever smelled fish with this black beery problem. I said no. Smells worse than shit, he assured me. He too commented that fisheries scientists and researchers don't much communicate with fishermen, who have a lot of fish knowledge.
Winston Adams
There is a site called Capelin calander, if you google it , a lot of discussion on capelin in this area….people who are watching.
Part of the blog Newfoundsander, new to me……with headings for capelin, icebergs etc.
another site …….ecapelin.ca…….where people can send photos, DFO related, but no useful information that I see, except researchers who have their photos there, many in Nfld , but who you cannot contact……….but this is where our tax dollars goes.
WA
Marshall should immediately step down. He (or his Fortis network) have neither the ability of experience to run and or complete this project. The undeniable fact that he has made no changes to the senior management team; Harrington, Bennett, O'Brien and others is in itself evidence of incompetence or complicity.
The further risks to life and budget as this project moves at glacial speed to yet to be defined start up are enormous.
Momentum seems to be growing towards a Stop Work order.
What is the protocol for such action within NL government?
Important voices are requesting the audit and assessment of the need for the generation plant.
When oil prices collapsed in 2009, large projects in the patch were stopped, workers sent home, and site construction was made safe.
The construction industry has procedures for "making safe" the built infrastructure. The advice of Vardy and others to continue the transmission line, and mothball the generation until economic demand re-emerges is sound advice.
sounds like fun times are back on the rock. rising unemployment and rising foreclosure rates.
glad i left years ago.
From Mark Browne's letter in the Telegram Cancelling Muskrat Was Not Viable option… he states that it was "a project we did not support"
What unmitigated BS, those bloody fools did indeed support the Muskrat debacle.
Don't go trying to BS the people with your bloody partisan politics Mark, you're only making yourself look like a GD fool.
From what VOCM has reported today it sound like the letter is to place blame for the blockade and therefore the added cost to complete work because of a blockade.
I am not sure if they are reporting what you think they are.
Regardless, wow, where will it end? What court or courts will sort out all the fallout and bankrupcy?
Barnard Pennecon LP….. What a joke. This company is fully controlled by Barnard (a USA company) The only reason Pennecon is involved is that they needed a Canadian/provincial partner. They care nothing of the province and locals, they actually refused or laid off several native employees, based solely on " didn't like the way they looked" for staff positions. The staff is around 70% Americans and the locals that are/were there get laid off if they don't like them.
All they want is the money, and they are convincing Nalcor to give it to them.
Even last winter, when the camp was full. BPLP refused to stay in bunk bed and sent all they employees to HVGB. They then convinced Nalcor to foot the bill at a Living allowance of approx. $150/person/day. These employees did not see this money, but only what they submitted receipts for. Which was only a small % of that revenue.
companies like BPLP are just as much to blame, they come here and take the money out of Nalcor's open hands and then run back to there own Country. The money never see's the local economy.
Please fact check….
The majority of workers at location were considered for the the option of moving to HVGB—provided their sponsoring company agreed and was able to provide transportation from HVGB to site. In reality, not practical for hourly craft to move offsite—so mostly staff availed…
The $150/day was to cover accommodations and meals—some companies covered the accommodations and allowed expense receipts for meals or allowed the entire $150/day as a per diem…. Based on the company and hat was covered at site the daily allowance could have been as high at $250/day…
Myself, I went with company covering both—hard to do meals and accommodations in HVGB for $250/day….
This comment has been removed by the author.
No one is suggesting that all project staff need to go. Certainly though the senior management/executive team should have been marched out long ago.
Your apparent first hand knowledge and statement that Nalcor is as we speak now using a REA (Request for Equitable Adjustment) process to settle claims and change orders to maintain work continuity is shocking. That implies a coordinated cover up across multiple contracts involving many people and an attempt to conceal the faulty estimates, technical, commercial, schedule project documents and prevent proper scrutiny. I hope other readers catch on to this and others come forward if this is in fact true. It sounds like you are directly involved.
LOL Its not like the Contractors have to convince Nalcor of anything. Nalcor have put them selves in the position of having to agree with all Contractor demands or face demobilization, law suits and certainly delays. This is precisely why Nalcor will continue to publish "current" higher cost estimates to complete. Time too will further increase costs and to date there is no proper construction has been made with a definitive start up date. Simple really, Muskrat has a combination of completely inexperienced, incompetent and in some instances corrupt senior management.
And this is part of my reasoning of why an Audit/Inquiry must wait until substantial completion.. I made a reply to Bruno the 09-July-2017 thread of why—and today Browne almost echoed my comments exactly wrt to timing.
As for your comment above about replacing everyone—it is important to note the difference between Nalcor corporate and 3rd party contracted staff—I agree that a lot more than just Martin should have been replaced last year, but not so simple to execute that cleansing…
Wait until the REAs are completed on this—this will have some real telling facts about the execution. Note that some of the REAs are being settled now internally with contract amendments to avoid forming part of a record the public could access later in an inquiry.
I suspect that at the end of this, only the insiders will have the info to hold anyone to task on this—it will be made to seem like normal business no matter how internally messed up it was…..
PENG2
Please explain REA, so that we all understand the project process. I always thought that 3rd party contracted project staff were relatively easy to dismiss. i.e., terminate the term of their contract.
The plan is to complete the dam,and then have a financial audit. The flaw in this plan is that Nalcor or the Government don't have the four billion dollars to complete it. Who is going to lend them the money? The only thing that NL has of any value near to the nine billion dollars we would owe in 2021 is our share in the Churchill Falls Generation plant. Is it possible that Fortis or HQ or maybe the Chinese want to take the lest ray of hope from us? The only option is to cut our loses and mothball the dam until it makes economic sense to finish it.
GG
Your own Liberal MP thinks Muskrat is a worthy make work project, and is backing the finances of the project. The Liberals, fiscal managers that they profess to be, always transfer the debts forward to future generations to pay down.
Robert G. Holmes, this entire mess is the direct result of decisions by the provincial "Conservatives" – a misnomer if there ever was one! – and their federal friends who enabled this disaster with the loan guarantee, the rubber-stamped environmental process, and the sham "Agreement in Principle" with the Innu.
Speaking of: the Innu deal was signed six years ago this month. Where's the final agreement?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/premier-celebrates-innu-backing-of-hydro-deal-1.1012228
Des this Article will probably be landing you in hot water. National Enquiry stories have more facts a credibility. Nobody at BPLP would be in the know on anything other than the river level. Regulation of the Head pond has nothing to do with their contract. This letter is obviously from a non credible source. More false facts to push your own agenda! nothing more to see here. in Two weeks all the Ice had disappeared due to a super fast melt/ run off! Two weeks. mother nature is stronger than us all.
What bull…..blame it all on mother nature. So were the gates opened more to allow more flow or not…………
As the river rose a lot downstream, it seems clear more water was allowed to pass through. BPLP would not see the gates opening , various photos show gates in various positions, and workers would notice this, and surely there must be records of gate positions.
Winston Adams
Labrador's Flag should have a bottle of Wine and a national Enquirer on it. you people Wine and spread false information worse that any other place I have been. Mother nature is definitely the major factor here. Listening to a laborer who saw a gate move at the site is hardly credible. there might be 5 people on that site who know the river flows and gate movements.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ass to Mark Browne letter……he says the Nalcor CEO knew in 2013 of the added risks, and therefore the government must have known.
So , if Stan knew last spring, did not Ball know then, instead of finding out just 2 weeks ago……
Todays Telegram Editorial: Muskrat Mistake………critical of Ches Crosbie, and says all 3 parties are at fault.
Meanwhile………no admission that the main media had a role.
As part of the Isolated option alternative, I contacted Russell and Ashley as to the enormous demand reduction on our grid possible from efficient heating systems…………all ignored by the Telegram.
Never once saw the Telegram compare Nfld to Nova Scotia on conservation and energy efficieny for electricity reduction for customers. And still silent on that. Nfld ……second worse in Canada………and no intend to change………why not explore the reasons for this Russell. Muskrat mistake……….not just a mistake. Much more than a mistake.Calling it a mistake is to soften the magnitude of this fiasco.
And at no time did the Telegram call for a pause for reassessment.
Ed Hollett point out that the Telegram was a early booster of Muskrat. Russell recently said Nalcor sanctioned based on INFORMED assumptions, but assumptions may be wrong…….but we can argue that many assumptions were not informed , but factually wrong, and known to be wrong.
Winston Adams
Couldn't agree more with you Winston. The brave media has lowered their collective heads in shame, and so they should. They should take a lesson from media in the states. Or maybe I should be talking about their mafia bosses, that controls the entire province and most if them are muskrat related, infiltrating all aspects of the powerful of this province. But my real question is when will muskrat run out of their billions, forgetting about the little millions, how can that continue, they must have spent all the borrowed billions by now. Can the brave media find the answer to this simple question.
Where will they turn for more billions to complete anon? Have a look in the mirror. The rate/taxpayer, the chump in this scam, will pay the piper.
When you get over that Anon consider the "subsidy" the rate/taxpayer will pay for every miserable KwH produced for 57 years after completion. The cost for Muskrat power is 60 cents KwH (and rising), the return will vary from 4-5 cents to 25 or so to ratepayers. The difference 60-20 or 40 cents or so will come from the taxpayer. This hidden 57 year money losing yoke is never considered in the mad rush to finish. Add tens of billions more to the long term cost of Muskrat on the NL taxpayer and ratepayer.
Yes, looked in the mirror and also in my bank account, and not getting much from either in the short term. But agree with you in the long term for the next 57 years plus. And we can't borrow any more from the lenders and doubt the Feds will sign any more gaurantees, so talking about the short term. Will the project go bankrupt before completion, hope so, something has to stop the pouring of billions into a sink hole. How much do we have left to sink before that time arrives?
The banks will be paid what is owed to them for their investments. Emera will be paid what is owed to them for their investments. We the people will still owe that money whether there is product brought to market or not. How do you say it, no give-zees back-zees.
Sell your house, your big truck and your quad. You are stretched beyond your means. Sell off bonanza!!! You might get lucky and get enough to cover your interest payments.
Sorry Anonymous this debacle is a direct result of the folks of Newfoundland, you are doing it to yourselves.In projects we call it "self perfail" Your now mature Liberal Provincial government allows it to grow and hemorrhage. Even the now mature federal Liberal government has
kicked in a couple billion more. About time you all looked after your own business. It starts with competence. There is none at Nalcor including Marshall.
AGREED, WE REWARD INCOMPETENCE…..AND NOT JUST NALCOR.
BUT NALCOR AND MF IS ENOUGH TO SINK THE SHIP. AND WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE THE END IS…..ONE ESTIMATE ACCORDING TO PENG2 GOES TO 18 BILLION.
IS THERE ANY CUT OFF POINT THAT IS TOO MUCH………..SEEMS NOT. PEOPLE GET VERY CONCERNED IF GAS GOES UP 2 PERCENT , BUT NOT CONCERNED IF POWER RATES GO UP 100 PERCENT. MANY COMPLAIN TO ONE ANOTHER, BUT NOT TO THE PEOPLE WHO PULL THE STRINGS ON THIS.
GET HER FINISHED ,BOYS. BUT DON'T RUSH AND NO MATTER THE FINAL COST ..BECAUSE WHATEVER THE COST , IT IS "LEAST COST" POWER, REMEMBER!
ED MARTIN "LOOKED" AT ALL ALTERNATIVES, REMEMBER?
I GUESS HE LOOKED AWAY FROM WHAT HE DIDN'T WANT, JUST LIKE HE LOOKED AWAY FROM THE SNC REPORT………..BLIND IN ONE EYE AND COULDN'T SEE OUT OF THE OTHER.
SOME DAY THE SUN WILL SHINE SAID PECKFORD……….SOME MADE THE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINED…….ED GOT WHAT………WAS IT 6 MILLION? MOST NFLDERS ARE IN FOR A LOT OF RDF (RAIN DRIZZLE AND FOG), PAYING OFF 18 BILLION MAYBE. DOES IT MATTER ANYMORE…..WADE LOCKE SET THE LIMIT AT 8 BILLION TO BE UNECONOMIC……… NOW ALREADY SET FOR 12.7 AND WHO THINKS THAT IS THE FINAL NUMBER.
REWARD INCOMPETENCE……….AT THAT WE ARE WORLD CLASS.
WINSTON ADAMS
You're spot on Winston!
I read the article, … then I read the comments… so HOW do we FORCE the audit and inquiry??? There seems no other point to be made on this entire topic.
How do we FORCE it? Because we can't JUST continue.
We can't wait for Ball, (he's an incompetent liar and historically the second worst Premier in Canada's history, (nobody will ever beat "King Con" Williams for that bottom spot).
Do we wait for Nalcor? … Astaldi? … BPLP? … SNC Lavalin?
It was great to see some (a few) new faces at Mondays downtown march, but a few doesn't cut the mustard. Fine, the media is finally coming onside (to the degree that their shamed owner$ can no longer deny of the "reporters"), but that won't slay the monster either.
The ONLY remaining question is …. HOW do we FORCE the audit and inquiry to happen NOW ???
The people's representatives, (political parties), have demonstrated complete intransigence, (to act in the interests of the ratepayers/taxpayers/citizens). It is for the citizens themselves to enact civil action. "Idle no more, Occupy, etc. are suggested methodologies that have worked in some areas of Canada. What role are you and your associates prepared to take, in the interests of future generations?