I've blogged on Bret Highsted before. He's a councillor on the Gore District Council. He was manager of the New Vale coalmine and was a major shareholder when it was sold to Solid Energy. Now he is one of the commissioners deciding if Solid Energy should get consent to build a factory to process lignite.
Do you smell something sulphurous in the air?
Apparently not, according to the council's legal advisors Russell McVeagh.
"While there may be perception of possible conflict of interest, it was extremely thin and unlikely to stand up if challenged, he said." (Southland Times 7/4/2011)
The decision Mr Highsted will be making?
Whether the Solid Energy application should be non-notified, publically notified or partially notified - that is, will the public be able to make submissions on it, or will it sail through unchallenged.
Wonder which way it will go?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
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4 comments:
I have an open mind as on mining in general subject to rehabilitation of the land and also containment of containment of any poisonous gases.
I think the District council would be very unwise to bar the public from making submissions on this issue.
Very wise Farmer Baby Boomer. I too am keeping an open mind. I'm very interested to hear your views on how Solid Energy will contain the gasses they will produce and where they will sequester them. It's a vital aspect of their proposals. If they can't catch and store them, they should abandon the project.
Will there be much coal dust and other effects? will the public pay for the ETS cost of the plant via subsidies?
There are a lot of questions. Bret is not the person to answer them one would think.
That lawyers are already involved suggests there are concerns in regards to legality of what Solid Energy is trying to do, and how they are trying to influence public process.
Bill English also has a lot to answer for. Surely the role of new projects needs to be low carbon, so as not to counter national climate and energy policy.
Lots of questions. Will the public be able to get answers..???
We should ask them at every turn, starting several years ago, but it's never too late to start Anonymous.
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