Wa Ni Ska Tan is an intervenor in the National Energy Board’s (NEB) hearings regarding Manitoba Hydro’s application to proceed with the Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project (MMTP).
The project requires the construction and operation of a 500 kV alternating current international power line (IPL) extending from Manitoba Hydro’s Dorsey Converter Station (located near Rosser, north-west of Winnipeg) to the international boundary between Manitoba and Minnesota. The Dorsey IPL will connect with a new 500 kV transmission line in the US, called the Great Northern Transmission Line. The project, as proposed, requires alterations to a number of Manitoba Hydro’s transmission lines, both provincial and international.
The NEB hearings will provide an opportunity for participants to comment on the proposed project, present their views, and ask for additional information from Manitoba Hydro. The process involves both written expert reports as well as oral testimony. According to the NEB’s website, these hearings usually cover topics such as: design and safety, the environment, socio-economic and land matters, impact on directly affected Aboriginal groups, impact on other directly affected groups or individuals, financial responsibility, economic feasibility, and the Canadian public interest.
The intention and hope is that the process will provide the NEB with enough insight and information to make a “fair and objective recommendation or decision on whether or not a project should be allowed to proceed or an application should be approved” (National Energy Board Hearing Process Handbook).
Interested in Learning More About the MMTP?
National Energy Board MMTP Project Information
Clean Environment Commission’s Report on Public Hearing (Sept 2017)
Manitoba Hydro’s Summary of their Environmental Impact Statement (Jan 2016)
