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RED DEER - The future of public hearings into two new north-southtransmission lines is at stake as the Alberta Utilities Commissiondecided Monday to consider postponing the proceedings pending acourt of appeal decision. At the first day of hearings into Calgary-based Altalink sproposed $1.4 billion-western line, opponents of the project arguedit would cast a severe shadow on the proceedings to moveforward without considering an adjournment while waiting for thecourt s decision. Given the troubled history of the project, including the 2007 spyscandal, the AUC should consider adjourning, said Jim Laycraft, thelawyer for landowners near Crossfield. Also, if the AUC lets the proceedings move ahead, it runs the riskof having to start over again, depending on what the court ofappeal ruling says about public interest issues, Laycraft said. But lawyers for Altalink dismissed the concerns as unfounded. The hearing concerns the exact routing of the line, not the needfor the line, and should proceed, they said. Others said the court of appeal case, which arises from AUC sapproval of the Heartland line into Strathcona County, will nothave general application. The AUC is expected to make its decision later this week on whetherto adjourn the hearing. The AUC hearing for the east line is scheduled for mid-July. No date has been set for the appeal court hearing. The case waslaunched by St. Albert lawyer Keith Wilson, representing landownersopposed to the Heartland line to be built by Edmonton-based Epcor. In granting leave to appeal, Justice Ronald Berger wrote in lateMarch that it was imperative in the interest of certainty andconsistency that the court rule on the question of the scope ofpublic interest used by the AUC in the Heartland case. Last Friday, Wilson and Edmonton-based Epcor, which is building theHeartland line, filed documents with the court, outlining thequestions the court should consider. Scott Schreiner, spokesman for Altalink, said while the need forthe north-south line is clear and established, the company wants a fair process. Also, the AUC received another last-minute motion filed late on aconstitutional challenge to the proposed new transmission lines. If the lines will be used for export of electricity, the AUC doesnot have the authority to give approval as international trade isfederal jurisdiction. Although the province gave the AUC power toapprove export applications a few years ago, the province does nothave the power to delegate that duty, said lawyer Donald Bur. I am an expert from cctvinfraredcamera.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Miniature Surveillance Cameras , China High Speed Dome Camera, Waterproof Infrared Camera,and more.
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