(June 17, 2009) Last August, HidroAysén submitted its Environmental Impact Assessment to the environmental authorities for its proposed hydroelectric dams in the Patagonia region of southern Chile. The EIA excluded the transmission component of the project, which would be developed by Transelec and includes a 1,500-mile long transmission line and related infrastructure crossing through 14 legally protected natural areas and thousands of private properties, around volcanoes, and over fjords spanning, in all, more than half of Chile’s entire length.
Giant "Dam Home Depot" banner flies over Atlanta during company’s annual shareholder meeting
(May 28, 2009) Early this morning the nonprofit environmental organization International Rivers flew a giant "Dam Home Depot" banner over the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Atlanta. Protesters also unfurled a banner and raised questions inside the shareholder’s meeting, asking Home Depot executives to account for their role in supporting the destruction of Patagonia.
CPP Investment Board urged to abandon controversial Chilean transmission scheme
(May 15, 2009) We are writing on behalf of the “Patagonia Defense Council” (“Consejo de Defensa de la Patagonia” – CDP), a diverse coalition of 58 organizations from Chile, USA, Canada, Spain and Italy, who have assumed the mission of defending the environmental integrity of Chilean Patagonia threatened by a mega hydroelectric project, called HidroAysén, and the associated transmissions lines.
Patagonia Sin Represas
(May 5, 2009) [video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDKcbT3YS2w autoplay:0]
HidroAysan rechaza denuncia por concesiones mineras
(April 23, 2009) La eléctrica dijo que la firma que trabaja en la línea de transmisión hizo las solicitudes como medida de precaución.
Majority of Chileans reject dams in Patagonia
(April 20, 2009) The latest public survey addressing the issue of the construction of hydroelectric mega-projects in the Aysén Region of the Chilean Patagonia shows that the Chilean public is clearly against the dams.
CPPIB venturing into bond market
(April 8, 2009) The Globe and Mail reported on March 26 that Canada’s Pension Plan Investment Board plans to venture into debt markets by selling up to $5-billion in bonds to cut borrowing costs and increase its flexibility to make new investments.
Sen. Navarro calls for nationalization of Chile’s water
(March 5, 2009) Behind Chile’s controversial plans to further dam the rivers of its ecologically delicate Patagonia region, which may soon be partially funded by the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), the Chilean government must first settle a growing debate over who actually controls Patagonia’s rivers. A number of companies were granted legal rights to Patagonia’s rivers during the final years of the infamous Pinochet regime, and the current plan is to build five large dams in the region. Now, the people of Patagonia want control of their rivers back.
Diamer-Bhasha Dam cost swells to $11.5 billion
(March 2, 2009) “The project cost that includes complete work to make the project operative is $11.50 billion against the last estimate of $8.5 billion just six months ago,” official sources in the Ministry of Water and Power said.
Chile’s Hidroaysen spent US$40 million in 2008
(March 2, 2009) Energy company HidroAysén spent an estimated US$40 million in 2008 on its controversial Region XI hydroelectric dam project, a hefty amount considering the multi-billion plan hasn’t even been approved by government environment authorities.
‘Kerala govt wasn’t serious about hospital’
(March 1, 2009) Breaking its silence on the Rs 374.50-crore scam in Kerala, SNC Lavalin of Canada has denied any wrongdoing and, instead, blamed the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front government for not having cooperated with it.
Probe International urges CPP to release details of Patagonia Investments
(February 28, 2009) In a letter sent on February 28 to David Denison, President of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) investment board, Probe International Executive Director Patricia Adams has called on the CPP to provide more information on investments it has made on behalf of all working Canadians in Chile’s main electricity provider, Transelec.
Patagonia Dams – Horseback Protest in Chile
(February 11, 2009) We had just landed after a 45 minute flight on LAN Chile from Puerto Montt at the Balmaceda airport outside the city of Coyhaique in the Patagonia. We were riding in an airport shuttle to central Coyhaique when we came around a bend to find a police car following a long line of horses. This was the Patagonia sin Represas horseback protest that has been making its way across the Patagonia for several weeks in an attempt to draw national and international attention to the proposed Dams that will be built in Southern Chile.
SNC-Lavalin official arraigned in ‘Lavalingate’ – Indian hydro dam scandal: Export Development Canada provided funding
(February 5, 2009) According to recent Indian press reports, the country’s Central Bureau of Investigation has arraigned Claus Trendl, a senior vice president with Canada’s SNC-Lavalin, for the engineering giant’s role in a contract to overhaul three hydro-electric dams in the southwestern state of Kerala. It is alleged that irregularities occurred in the awarding of the contract and that Lavalin benefited from undue favour.
Columbia geophysical hazards scientist says evidence shows dam reservoir likely triggered China’s great quake of 2008
(January 26, 2009) Christian Klose, a geophysical hazards research scientist from Columbia University in New York, says geophysical data suggests that the Zipingpu dam reservoir — just a few kilometers from the epicenter of China’s great quake of 2008 — likely triggered the deadly quake and explains how it happened.
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