Patricia Adams

November 30, 2000

In the interest of an informed public debate about Canada’s role in large dam projects around the world, Patricia Adams asks EDC to provide the names of each dam that EDC has supported in the past, as well as the present and future.

November 30, 2000

Mr. A. Ian Gillespie
President and CEO
Export Development Corporation
151 O’Connor Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1K3

Fax: (613) 598-2705

Dear Mr. Gillespie:

I am writing about the recommendations made by the World Commission on Dams in its report, Dams and Development: A New Framework for Decision-Making, which was released on November 16, 2000.

The Canadian government helped finance the World Commission on Dams, which recommended that export credit agencies, among other agencies:

• review dams currently under development with the World Commission on Dams criteria and guidelines in mind;
• require a review of existing procedures and regulations concerning large dam projects; and
• establish an independent, multi-stakeholder committee to address the unresolved legacy of past dams.

The report also urges public funding agencies to review their portfolio of dam projects “to identify any past ones that may have underperformed or present unresolved issues.”

In light of these recommendations, in light of your assurances that your agency adequately scrutinizes the environmental risks and consequences of your financing operations, in light of your promises to be accountable to the Canadian public through a disclosure policy, and in the interest of an informed public debate about Canada’s role in large dam projects around the world, could you please provide us with the following information:

1. Details of the measures EDC will take to address the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams.

2. The name of each dam project that EDC has supported in the past (e.g., with financing, guarantees, insurance), including the borrower or party being insured, products financed or insured, principal exporter or investor, and amount.

3. The name of each dam project that EDC is currently supporting (e.g., with financing, guarantees, insurance), including the borrower or party being insured, products financed or insured, principal exporter or investor, and amount.

4. The name of each dam project that EDC is considering supporting (e.g., with financing, guarantees, insurance), including the borrower or party being insured, products financed or insured, principal exporter or investor, and amount.

The level of detail of information I am requesting in points 2-4 is no more than EDC published in its 1979-1983 Annual Reports.

We look forward to your early response.

Yours sincerely,

Patricia Adams
Executive Director, Probe International

cc: Madame Andrée Delagrave, Chair, Access to Information Review Task Force
L. Denis Desautels, Auditor General of Canada