A final decision is still years away, but a debate is heating up over what to do with New Brunswick’s Mactaquac Dam.
The dam was supposed to last 100 years, but experts say it will likely need to be replaced, refurbished, or decommissioned by the time it reaches 70 in the year 2030, with either of those scenarios costing as much as $3 billion.
Simon Mitchell of the World Wildlife Fund hosted a meeting Monday night about the health of the entire St. John River system, but most people just wanted to talk about the dam.
Some residents who want the dam to stay say the organization initially came to the table with its own agenda.
“Our concern at the time was that we felt the project was taking a direction of lobbying for refurbishment,” says Larry Jewett, who owns a marina on the Mactaquac Headpond.
Jewett says the World Wildlife Fund’s involvement in a documentary about hydro dams raised concerns about its neutrality.
The organization has since cuts ties to that documentary.
“It was not reflecting our wishes and it created an atmosphere not conducive to positive discussion around river health,” says Mitchell.
Meanwhile, residents who live near the dam have accused the Conservation Council of New Brunswick of having a hidden agenda to get rid of it.
“We don’t have an official position on the Mactaquac Dam and that’s a board-level policy that we would have to come to an agreement on,” says Stephanie Merrill of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.
“I think this can be a good project, and especially if the World Wildlife Fund plays a role as a mediator, bringing good science to the table,” says Jewett.
NB Power and the provincial government will have the ultimate say on what happens to the dam but the decision isn’t expected for several years.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Nick Moore
