Tories announce $ 500M for flood mitigation grants
The Alberta government announced Thursday plans to spend $ 500 million in grants over the next decade to prevent future flooding and drought in communities across the province.
But opposition parties fear the biggest flood mitigation project — a massive dry dam west of Calgary — will be delayed because of protracted negotiations with landowners and Alberta’s fiscal crisis.
Environment Minister Kyle Fawcett said the first round of funding, about $ 70 million, will pay for 21 projects in 16 municipalities, including Calgary, High River, Nanton and the municipal districts of Bighorn, Pincher Creek and Foothills.
“It’s been a long road to recovery and a flood of this magnitude is one that Albertans will never forget,” Fawcett told reporters in Calgary, referring to the June 2013 deluge that forced more than 100,000 people from their homes, claimed five lives and cost an estimated $ 6 billion in damages.
The Alberta Community Resilience Program grants will be used to build flood barriers, upgrade water management infrastructure and help reduce riverbank erosion.
Calgary received approvals for four projects including $ 7.6 million on elevated hoists for the Glenmore Dam, $ 1.5 million on lower deck flood barrier improvements for the Centre Street Bridge, a $ 4- million permanent flood barrier along Heritage Drive S. E., and flood gates for priority stormwater outfalls.
“Today’s announcement is a welcome step forward in flood mitigation,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “We need a comprehensive approach to both local and upstream flood mitigation measures.”
However, one of the Tory government’s major flood mitigation projects — a massive dry reservoir in Springbank — appears to have stalled as negotiations with landowners continues to drag on.
The controversial off- stream reservoir would divert water from the Elbow River during a flood, protecting residents and infrastructure downstream. Springbank residents, however, say the project will negatively impact their community and insist a dry dam at McLean Creek would be a better option.
Fawcett said the government is proceeding with the Springbank option and is in continued talks with area residents about getting access to the land to conduct a required environmental impact assessment.
“We are making considerable progress,” Fawcett said of the negotiations.
Concerns have been raised that the government has greatly underestimated the total cost of the reservoir and the diversion canal needed to steer water from the river. Fawcett said Thursday the project, including land, would cost $ 150 million to $ 200 million.
A study by IBI Group Inc. suggests the province would have to pay $ 40 million to acquire around 700 hectares of land to construct the off- stream reservoir.
But a recently revised map released last month suggests the province would need to acquire 2,786 hectares for the project. Further, a land valuation expert consulted by the Herald, conservatively estimates acquiring the property could cost at least $ 139 million.
Those factors would push the final tab for the project to over $ 425 million. “Until detailed engineering comes in we won’t know the exact cost,” Fawcett said. “It could be slightly more, it could be slightly less. We believe this is the prudent thing to do to protect people from the kind of flooding in 2013.”
Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark said Thursday’s announcement was a good start, but was concerned the government would abandon major flood projects as it grapples with a project $ 20- billion deficit over the next three years.
“My big worry is that we keep hearing in this difficult economic climate that these are the kind of projects that without the vigilance of pushing forward could quite easily be delayed,” Clark said.
He said the province must walk a fine line between respecting landowners’ rights while protecting residents and communities downstream. But he feared the government missed a crucial deadline to start an environmental impact assessment that could delay the construction of the reservoir by a year.
The province has to conduct a 12- month environmental impact assessment, which is then reviewed over six to 12 months by federal authorities, before any construction can start.
Jason Penner, spokesperson for Environmental and Sustainable Resource Development, said any delay in negotiations or the assessments should not impact when the province breaks ground.
“We anticipate that work at the site could be done all year round, other than in extreme weather,” Penner said. “We see a scenario where a few weeks cost us a year.”
Joe Ceci, the NDP candidate for Calgary- Fort and a former city alderman, said he was encouraged the government is addressing the province’s “flood infrastructure deficit.”
But Ceci said the Tories appear to be ignoring the advice of Alberta’s auditor general, who released at scathing report last month detailing the province’s failure to restrict development in flood- prone areas and reliance on outdated flood maps. “Flood infrastructure is so crucial to protecting our homes, businesses and community,” Ceci said in a statement. “But these announcements can do more harm than good if they’re based on outdated information and little oversight.”
Until detailed engineering comes in we won’t know the exact cost. It could be slightly more, it could be slightly less.