The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that work is set to resume at the
Muskrat Falls hydroelectric site
after the Newfoundland and
Labrador government reached a
deal with indigenous leaders.
The Globe's Shawn McCarthy writes that Nalcor
Energy used buses to remove
protesters who had stormed the
site last week and was bringing
back about 1,000 employees to
complete the work needed to
protect the site's infrastructure
over the winter.
Under the deal, leaders
from three indigenous communities
will review engineering
reports with the assistance of
outside experts in order to be
satisfied with Nalcor's rationale
to begin partial flooding. Nalcor says it needs higher water
levels to protect the site from
ice damage.
Assuming that step is taken,
the government has ordered
Nalcor to then lower the water
level in the spring to assess
whether it should clear away
more vegetation and topsoil to
reduce the release of methylmercury
into the food chain.
The extent of any clearing work
is still to be determined.
Nalcor's partner, Emera, has continued work
on the undersea transmission
links that would bring power
from Labrador to Newfoundland,
and from the island to
Nova Scotia.
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