The EXperts - Muskrat Falls

Since 2006 Sue's Blog has been warning through posts about the disastrous Muskrat Falls project.

Bits and pieces of the Inquiry refer to critics of the project - not being experts.

Let's take that at face value and reflect upon the experts.

Clearly the highly paid experts were wrong in many areas of assessment. Clearly they failed initially to project and overcome engineering and design difficulties regarding the site. Clearly the project is a failure on every measurable level.

Miraculously the non-experts were right in many areas of assessment. Miraculously the non-experts did not miss the peculiarities of the site engineering. Miraculously they were successful in assessing the Muskrat Falls deal was horrific.

Now the other non-experts (politicians) were clearly incapable of understanding what the experts were concluding. They were clearly unable to see the massive flaws in the deal and the engineering. They were clearly non-experts listening to paid experts -most of whom will not likely suffer from this boondoggle.

For what use is an expert - if the person acting on an "experts" advice would not be independently be able to see the potential flaws? What's worse - the politicians refused to listen to critics - ignored or worse subjected the non-experts to terms such as partisans, naysayers, and conspiracy theorists.

There were opportunities to engage the citizenry but they were not afforded.

Citizen groups should have been provided funding throughout the processes from conception to sanction. This funding could have provided the non-expert politicians with real concerns, real hazards, and real findings from the non-expert citizenry.

Further this size of a deal should have gone through a referendum process where - the citizen non-experts were given the opportunity to promote and educate regarding their points of view and real concerns.

You see if the non-expert politicians felt expert enough to make the legislative commitment - they should have allowed the non-expert citizenry a real opportunity to be heard.

None of the politicians did this. No political party did this.

Declining population, increasing efficiencies in housing and appliances, closure of two mills, numerous fish plants, schools, clinics etc are examples of reasonable considerations to determine future power supply requirements.

Muskrat Falls versus the entire Lower Churchill or even Gull Island begged the question why choose Muskrat.

Emera owning ANY part of our domestic distribution system is illogical and not to our benefit. It will increase prices.

Dealing with Emera - a company that could be the subject of a hostile or welcome takeover - particularly when Hydro-Quebec is the touted enemy - and could easily consume Emera minus Nova Scotia Power - was a poor choice.

The critical removal of alternate energy sources into the future was naive at best and corrupt at worst.

The engineering challenges - poorly thought out, considered, or even dealt with was another red flag for a layman.

The power needs of Labrador - routinely and as is usual dismissed including but not limited to plugging an industry of substance into the new supply - another red flag.

The continued interference with the Public Utilities Board - when they are the stop gap for consumers - yet another red flag.

Budgets that were routinely over - became the norm - raising another red flag.

The lack of knowledge of many MHA's regarding the history of the hydro-potentials in Labrador was and continues to be a very disturbing situation.

The obvious angst of indigenous peoples despite the approval by some of their leaders should have been addressed.

This is but a short list of how a citizen could have been and some citizens were very concerned about this failed project.

The decision by Dwight Ball and the Liberal government to push through the remainder of the project without thorough analysis and public input into other options - just continued the madness that is Muskrat.

The Inquiry is a political decision to thwart anger of consumers and taxpayers away from the current government and will do nothing to demonstrate the mess that occurred after they took office.

The EXperts they say? Funny how the naysayers, conspiracy theorists, partisan hacks, and all other names given to critics of the project - were miraculously right.

As I write today the folly continues and we are made to look more the fools than we already are.