ROCK SOLID POLITICS: Muskrat Falls

Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the
round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're
not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify
them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change
things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the
crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that
they can change the world, are the ones who do.
Steve Jobs
US computer engineer & industrialist (1955 - 2011)

Showing posts with label Muskrat Falls. Show all posts

Thursday, April 13, 2017

The Tragic Truth About the Muskrat Falls U-Boat Wreck - U-180

It was August 20, 1944, Bordeaux, France - at the U-boat pens. The Allies had broken out from their foothold in Normandy, and the USSR had crushed the German army and began its invasion of Romania. Five days earlier the US had invaded Southern France in an operation codenamed "Anvil". The German occupation of France was at its end, and the remnants of the German forces were desperately fleeing for Germany, or in the case of the U-boats - the sea. It was under these dangerous and chaotic circumstances that the Captain of U-180 prepared to take her out to sea on his maiden mission as the U-boat's commander.

Rolf Riesen, the commander, was not a fervent Nazi, but he was a very patriotic German. He was also a family man who loved his family dearly, but saw them very rarely since joining the German Navy in 1938. He considered joining the navy his patriotic duty, and was very committed to the "higher cause". His served as a junior officer on the German heavy cruiser Lutzow until the end of 1941. He then transferred to the destroyer and torpedo boat holding division. Deciding to take a different tact, Riesen undertook U-boat training until September, 1942, and then served as a watch officer on U-198 until February, 1944. He then undertook U-boat commander training for three months, and on April 2, 1944 he took command of U-180 - his final command. This story, although of major historical import, is dedicated to the memory of Oberleutnant zur See Rolf Riesen, the last commander of U-180.

Rolf Riesen as a watch officer in 1942

Rolf Riesen just before leaving on his final mission 2 years later

Riesen supervised the loading of his beloved first command before going to sea. However, there were a number of wood crates in his boat that he had no idea of their contents. He was a very meticulous officer, keen on details, but a very superior officer gave him the "it's on a need to know basis and you don't need to know" speech. As a loyal and dedicated officer he did not question his superior. Little did he know the crates contained u-234 - uranium. What he did know was they were stowed below, with other cargo stored upon them. He also knew his orders had him sailing for Japan, which was not an uncommon destination for the "black boats" of the German U-boat fleet.

"Black boats" meaning U-boats involved in transporting special cargos of uranium, mercury, weapons technology etc to Japan, and often bringing gold bullion back as payment to Germany. U-180 had been used in a well documented secret mission to transport Indian nationalist politicians to a Japanese sub for delivery to India earlier in the war, but her Mercedes engines were too loud and left an oil trail to be used again. She was mothballed, but then brought back having her engines pulled, new engines added, a state of the art snorkel and radar installed, and other modifications which improved her operations significantly. As he left Bordeaux on that August day, Riesen had no idea of the horror and betrayal that lay in wait for him from members of his own crew - many of them had no idea either.

U-180 left port with three other U-boats bound for Japan. They had an escort ship on the surface to protect them from sudden air or naval attack. Shortly after they submerged the escort ship reported that all U-boats had cleared the minefield and were en route. So far so good. However, just as the voyage started Riesen was confronted in private by MtrOGfr Helmut Hantschel. Riesen had befriended Hantschel, as much as a U-boat Captain would, he trusted the young man. They were all young men to Riesen as he was considered an old man in the U-boat service. What Riesen didn't know was young Hantschel was not a naval officer. His real name wasn't even Hantschel. He was, in fact, an SS officer acting under direct orders from Reichsfuhrer Heinrich Himmler. His mission: take control of the U-180, and its cargo of uranium, and deliver it to the Americans at the Goose Bay Air Force base in Labrador, Canada. A grand plan to resettle Nazis after the war had been launched by Hitler's number one man, Martin Bormann. Bormann gave the order to Himmler, and Himmler gave the order directly to Hantschel.

Hantschel, for his part, was a fanatic Nazi with an almost psychopathic obsession with power. This was a dream mission for him, and he gladly accepted even though he had never been on a U-boat before. The confrontation between Riesen and Hantschel was nothing less than the deliberate killing of the Captain. Hantschel took a large knife from the sub's galley and plunged it in one single stroke through Riesen's heart. Riesen died almost immediately. As only a portion of the crew were aware of the plan to take over U-180, the killing needed to be kept secret to maintain order on the boat. To do this Hantschel used his experiences as a medic with the SS to carve Riesen into pieces. His remains were then placed in the rear torpedo tube and the Captain was expunged into the sea. And so begins the deliberate mutiny of U-180.

Surprisingly, perhaps, the absence of the Captain was kept under guard for days afterward. Days later three crew members suffered the same fate as they challenged the mutineers over the Captain's disappearance and the ship's mission. Most of the crew was unaware that the U-boat was heading for Canada rather than Japan. That was the way Hantschel and his mutineers wanted it kept. It was impossible to operate the U-boat over the trans Atlantic voyage without the various expertise of those on board, and complete discipline and control was absolutely necessary for success. It had to be a well oiled machine.

However, just a day before U-180 was to arrive at its destination in Labrador, a major battle broke out between the crew that was loyal to the mutineers and those that hadn't realized their mission had changed. In this one altercation, approximately half the crew were killed. Of an original crew of 56, only 24 were left now. Given the close proximity to the Goose Bay base, and wanting to remain submerged, the dead crew were left on the U-boat. Shortly after this final battle among the crew, Hantschel happened across a Canadian destroyer fishing with dynamite off the town Rigolet. read the media story here Years later, a then renamed Hantschel ( now Ernst Oscar Henschel) would relay to a sailor on that boat how he watched them fish with dynamite through his periscope. At that time Hantschel, or Henschel as he was then known, was a doctor in the Saskatchewan community of Prince Albert. Having been refused entry into the US after the war due to his "service" in the SS, Henschel emigrated to Canada at first.

U-180 then made its way up Lake Melville to a predesignated position just out to shore from the Goose Bay Air Force base. It was nighttime, and pitch black. The U-boat surfaced, and dispatched a dingy, with wooden crates, to a small supply/maintenance dock just south of the base (the dock no longer exists). There it was met by armed US servicemen. In the confusion and tension of the moment, 2 of the German U-boat men were shot to death by a US soldier when they made sudden moves he wasn't expecting. The uranium was eventually completely transferred. In accordance with the original plan given to him back in Germany, Hantschel and the remaining crew took the U-boat up the Churchill River on the surface. They used only their electric engines to power the boat to remain quiet in transit. However, even with these precautions they were heard and spotted by two Innu hunters in the area.

At the predesignated location, just south of Muskrat Falls, the crew scuttled U-180 in accordance with standard operating procedures of the German U-boat fleet. Charges were placed at the bow, rear, and centre of the boat. The dead crew members from the battle amongst the crew the day before, and the newly killed members from the supply dock, were left on board the U-boat as she sunk. However, even the scuttling didn't go well as two men were killed and two injured during the scuttling process. By the end of the mission only 15 crew members of the original 56 had survived.

The survivors of U-180, with the exception of Hantschel and a few others, were forced to stay in North America. Hantschel and the others were transported back to Germany to confirm the mission was successful. Ironically, Hantschel is shown graduating from Charles University of Prague, medical school, just six months later. He ended his career in medicine back in the United States as professor and chairman of the Medical College of Wisconsin, and has an annual award named after him. read here (notice the brief reference to his service in the German Navy) His wife, who he met in London in 1950, also became a well known doctor in the area. Today only two survivors of the horror and treachery that was U-180 are still alive. Both are now old men in their late 90's. One still has a keen mind, but the other unfortunately does not. The keen minded survivor was a fellow officer who loyally served under Captain Riesen, but as a young officer he was terrified to turn against the mutineers - with good reason as the history shows. He now lives with deep remorse and nightmares about his experience on U-180.

In the end, although the seizing of U-180 was a preplanned operation by the highest levels of the Nazi Party and the SS, the attempt to use the uranium as a bargaining chip with the Allies was apparently unsuccessful. The US double crossed their German partners, but got the uranium in any case for the Manhattan Project. U-180 remains unexplored on a sandy river bank near Muskrat Falls as a ghostly reminder of human tragedy, the ruthlessness of the dark world of Nazi Germany, and almost the last bit of evidence that the Germans and the Americans had cut a deal for uranium while still at war with each other in Europe. Meanwhile, the families of the men lost in U-180 have no idea what really happened to them on that dark voyage during the dying days of the war. Perhaps it may have been better that way, but for the necessity to observe the significant historical moment the wreck of the U-180 represents. It is the truth of the matter that counts now. It has been 75 years since U-180 sunk in Labrador's waters, yet the Government of Canada will still not release what documents they have on the matter. The grounds for the refusal - "releasing the information may cause harm or embarrassment to an ally." It was always hard to fathom how such an old story, and a forgotten wreck, could cause injury and/or embarrassment to an ally, but given the truth of what really happened to U-180 and its uranium cargo, well, perhaps it should.

NEWLY ADDED:

The Tragic Truth About the Muskrat Falls U-Boat Wreck - U-180

Rolf Riesen just before leaving on his final mission 2 years later

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Newfoundland and Labrador is Irredeemable

"There's a reason our people left there". That strange little thought crept into my mind as the family and I traversed the Rocky Mountains on the way to a new life in Newfoundland and Labrador. That was March, 2010. Returning to the home of my Grandmother (or Nan as they say here). We were excited, but yet that little thought, perhaps little message, always stuck with me.

It wasn't long after we arrived that I engaged with the local PC's as I had been with the Conservatives since 1991. Danny Williams was premier, and the place was unabashedly nationalistic (which I could've done without). However, he suddenly resigned as soon as he'd pushed through Muskrat Falls, and the party was calling for contenders - although in reality it was fulfilling a backroom deal to put Kathy Dunderdale in place (not so affectionately referred to as "Danny Williams' flack jacket - meaning she was to take all the "bullets" from his actions). I put my name up to run because I was convinced Williams' Lower Churchill scheme was the financial death nail for the province. For my trouble I was roundly accused of being an uppity "come from away" and/or "mainlander". And still am.

I realized quickly that corruption was rampant throughout the PC party, and tried to warn people. They would not listen. In fact, Paddy Daley, a local radio "shock-jock" host even stated that Ministers demanding pay back donations was "just the way it is". The same host would later refer to me as "a dangerous zealot" for opposing the Muskrat Falls development. Curiously, he now advocates for donation free politics and puts across many of my views from our discussions on Muskrat Falls without much acknowledgement they were never his. In any case, the point is that the political culture of the province was so rampant with corruption that people never took it as such. It was just "the way it's always been".

Once the people of the province started getting the idea that they shouldn't go along with corruption, and they became concerned about Muskrat Falls, they turfed the PCs out and elected the Liberals. The Liberals promised the moon and the stars to people, and the people ate it up. Less the half a year later the province was in open revolt because the Liberals broke every promise they made - blaming the PCs for ruining the province and that the provinces economic position was something "nobody could have seen coming". This a typical saying here. Nobody could see it coming. The reality is anyone with half a brain could see it coming from a thousand miles away let alone one. It was that obvious right from the very beginning, but people just refused to see it. They refused to educate themselves on it. They said we trust the government. We trust the "experts" the government paid and paraded. It was so obvious what was happening yet apparently too difficult to believe by most.

Then, while the fight over finances and the Muskrat Falls project raged, the government, media, and people in general went after the "known Critics" (as the government labelled those of us in opposition to their plans). It got personal. It became an effort to debase those that stood in their place for the truth, and the actual real issues of the direction the province was headed in were tossed to the wind. The best way I can describe it is from a scene in a children's movie called Ice Age. It's the part where the small group of animals desperately try and stop the DoDo birds from going "lemming mode" until they are all extinct. It's this part:

It may not be the most serious way to put it, but you get the point. A small group of people who could clearly see what the government was doing, and the peoples complicit agreement with it, were ignored and marginalized as everyone around them took a flying leap.

You would think that eventually people would catch on - preferably before it's too late, however, that never happened. In fact it is still going on. The most recent case of the protests in Labrador. Just days before the Aboriginal leaders met with the new Liberal government to "try and stop" the flooding of the reservoir, and thereby avoid methylmercury poisoning of their people, the Nunatsiavut Government (Inuit) President said this:

"Unless all vegetation and soil is removed the threat to our health, culture and way of life remains. Nalcor should also be directed to delay plans to begin initial flooding...to allow for the removal of trees, vegetation and topsoil. Initial flooding is expected to take place within days, and once you flood the land the damage has been done. There is no turning back".

That was October 20, 2016. You can read the release here

And a week before that statement the Nunatsiavut President said this: (you can find the press release here

"The concerns over methylmercury contamination is rea, and to proceed with flooding without fully clearing will clearly violate of human and indigenous rights. This project has to be stopped now before it's too late."

After meeting with the Premier for eight hours or so, the Nunatsiavut Government position became:

"As part of their response to the review of the engineering reports, the three leaders reiterated the principles that were committed to during the October 25 meeting, namely: that the protection of human health and well-being would be paramount in decision-making related to the Muskrat Falls project; and – with respect to first-phase impoundment – water levels would be raised to the minimum acceptable level if such impoundment was deemed necessary, and drawn back down to normal levels as soon as the risk of ice damage had passed...

The leaders also insisted that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador actively communicate with them on Nalcor’s management of this issue, including regular and timely information on all facets of initial flooding, to demonstrate that concrete actions are being taken to minimize impacts to human health." (you can read it here)

As you can see, the Aboriginal leaders completely capitulated, even at the risk of their own people being poisoned further with methylmercury. The claim that the government would "actively communicate" with them prior to flooding was proven totally laughable when the news release was put out after flooding of the reservoir was actually taking place. By the time the release was published flooding of the reservoir had already caused water levels to increase by 7 feet. It's just another example of the hundreds of examples I've witnessed here in the last six years of this province's political establishment, including Aboriginal, selling people a bill of goods that is so obviously flawed that they can't even keep a short term story straight.

What does all this lead to. Well, there is the issue of the province's finances. The death nail if you will. The collective gross debt of the government, including Nalcor's debt, is in the $29 billion range. The governing Liberals came out yesterday and said the province would be back to surplus by 2023-24. What that means is they will be borrowing for another six or seven years, and that is if you take them at their word - which hasn't turned out well in the past. Nevertheless, an additional 6 years of borrowing to fund the government's operations and its capital budget will see about another $12 billion added to the province's gross debt for a grand total of $41 billion dollars - not including any further cost over runs with Muskrat Falls.

As astounding as that number is for 510,000 souls to carry it doesn't end there. You will find on this blog any number of posts that refer to this province's "demographic time bomb". The truth is that not only does the province have the highest gas prices in the western hemisphere (North and South America), but it has the fast aging population in the Western World. As it is today, only 30% of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians make enough money each year that they must pay taxes. The cumulative effect of all these different factors means that this province financially is a "dead man walking". There is no way out. There is no plan. There is only accountability for a lost decade of spending left, and that accountability will rest on a very small percentage of the province's population. In other words, anyone with half a brain that earns a decent income, and can transfer that expertise outside the province will.

So, bottom line, this province is politically and economically irredeemable. In other words, it can not be fixed. Politically the people refuse to do more than complain incessantly. They do not rise up in a way that would force the political establishment to reform itself. They seek simply to get whatever crumbs they can out of it. It is that simple. That sums up the political culture here, and that is why people of actual integrity are viewed with suspicion and tagged with innuendo. Ditto financially. The various boards of trade swooned over the previous governments, and the current one, to get their hands on that oil money that flowed freely from the government's coffers. They rewarded first the Pc and now Liberal party with generous donations to get their feet in the door. They set up and financed PR campaigns to promote the Muskrat Falls project and marginalize those that wisely opposed it. And now? Now they are crying so loudly it is almost laughable. Cut civil servants, and spending on programs and what ever you can they scream, but don't cut our little bit of the gravy...ok? This is Newfoundland and Labrador in the nut shell.

No doubt, and I can hear it now: "You are so negative"; "If you don't like it get out"; and "Mainlanders trying to tell us what to do." That's the culture of unaccountability that pervades society here. Whether it's something as large as Muskrat Falls or something as small as blaming a neighbor for all your troubles. It is everywhere here. And that is the great undoing of this place. The refusal to learn from past mistakes. The refusal to be held accountable for past mistakes. The refusal to be responsible. It is inescapable, and it is everywhere in this province. It is the fatal flaw of Shakespearean lore. The province eagerly awaits its next pied piper. It's next saviour. That is what truly makes Newfoundland and Labrador irredeemable. This will be my last post on Newfoundland and Labrador politics, economics, or anything of the sort. It is futile to waste the energy God gave you in a lost cause.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Labrador Down

I've never been to Labrador before, yet I've fought to stop Muskrat Falls in the courts and outside them for five years. It seemed the right time, and many people there encouraged me to come (see Facebook) so my wife and I set out ready to support the "land protectors" with everything we had. One ominous message on Facebook suggested something different though:

"...he is a politician trying to get attention." That came from Charlotte Wolfrey, Status of Women Coordinator, Nunatsiavut Government.

An interesting statement to be sure. While some may remember my foray into Newfoundland politics back in early 2011 and 2012, I have primarily been focused on defeating Muskrat Falls during and since that time. So I found Ms. Wolfrey's statement a little strange. That being said we arrived in Goose Bay Sunday to lend a hand. Literally within 30 minutes of arriving and chatting with some trappers and other folks at the Muskrat Falls gate an irate lady started tearing into me that she did not want me there. After a fair bit of prodding I was able to find out she also worked for the Nunatsiavut government. I tried to calm her, but she wouldn't leave me alone and followed me throughout the demonstration site day and evening. Shortly after that incident a man named Roy Blake began yelling my name and came after me publicly for sending messages to my friend who was with the land protectors inside Muskrat Falls. He too ended up being an elected member of the Nunatsiavut Government. (he subsequently apologized to me several times which was honourable). However, a certain trend was beginning to stick in my mind.

Perhaps these attacks on me were coming from my opposition to Universal Helicopter ferrying in workers to the Muskrat Falls site while the protesters laboured below to stop workers coming in? That's initially what I thought, but then some other conversations on the side started to point in a different direction. Truthfully, I don't view myself as a person with a high profile. I approach people in that way. People were telling me though that the Nunatsiavut government considered my profile a threat (to their control of the protest apparently). I only relay this story because it points to the rest of the story - the betrayal of Labrador at the hands of its Aboriginal leadership.

You see, the story of Labrador's betrayal lies in control. Control of the many by the few. I spoke to many of the people at the main protest camp and gate and got a good feel for their position. They were worried about their way of life. Period. Hunting, fishing, living off the land. That was their concern. That is why they were there and that is what they were fighting for. However, in the background scurrying amongst the protesters were what I would call "organizers". These organizers were the ones that came after me. Their job, evidently, was to shepherd the crowd about, keep tabs on what was being said and feed information about. In other words, they were controlling it. At least most of it - the Innu seemed quite independent and doing their own thing. Some people complained that Todd Russell was nowhere to be found unless a camera was there, and others were upset that the Grand Innu Chief said Nunatsiavut was simply looking for money by way of an Impacts and Benefits Agreement for the methylmercury poisoning. Mark me down as agreeing with her position on that one.

There is no question that the Nunatsiavut Government used the methylmercury issue, at the last moment, to try and strong arm the government for money (or an IBA as the Grand Chief of the Innu said). They tried to control every aspect of the protest, including criticizing the hunger strikers methods of protesting - which given its effectiveness and popularity was somewhat suspect. Their organizers on the ground shunned the idea of people camping in the flood zone which would have been a much more effective way to protest and stop flooding. A group of Innu finally took it upon themselves to do just that by setting up tents on the North Spur on Monday. Furthermore, the leader of the group of land protectors inside the Muskrat Falls camp was an Innu - David Nuke. From my perspective on the ground the Innu were the least boisterous, but most serious of the aboriginal groups in their opposition. It was evident.

Finally of course there were the "settlers", which basically encompasses anyone living in Labrador that isn't Aboriginal. They didn't get a voice at the table when Ball met with the Aboriginal leaders, yet some of them were the people that originally started the protest. By way of example, David Nuke was asked to give an inspirational speech to the original few protesters by a "settler". That one speech ended up getting him inspired enough to join and in many ways lead the group that entered the Muskrat Falls camp. The bottom-line for most protesters I spoke to was stopping the flooding so their way of life would not be ended. Most were extremely sincere. A few, it was obvious. were cheer leading more than believing.

Then disaster struck. With the backing of the country, and even encouraging statements from the Prime Minister (finally) that science must prevail, the three Aboriginal leaders met with Premier Ball. The result? Catastrophe for the people of Labrador. The flooding will proceed of the initial 25% of the reservoir. The promise? To drain that 25% in the spring if science dictates it should be done. This would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic. It is a known scientific fact that the moment the water becomes trapped in the reservoir, and begins interacting with the soil, that mercury is released from the soil and is converted to methylmercury. That's the science. It's pretty basic. The agreement these leaders agreed to was to unleash methylmercury into the river, and then "possibly" drain that area after the fact and remove the soil and trees. As if somehow there would be no poisoning of the river by these actions. It is bizarre. Here is the demands of the Nunatsiavut President 5 days before the "negotiations" started:

“Unless all vegetation and soil is removed the threat to our health, culture and way of life remains,” he says. “Nalcor should also be directed to delay plans to begin initial flooding of the reservoir (which would see water levels rise from 18 to 25 metres) to allow for the removal of trees, vegetation and topsoil. Initial flooding is expected to take place within days, and once you flood the land the damage has been done. There’s no turning back then.”

"There is no turning back then" His words, not mine, even though it is blatantly obvious to anyone with grade 12 science. Here is the link . Yet, after 12 hours of negotiation he completely capitulated. He wasn't the only one. The Innu and Nunatukavut leader did the same. The promise they received was a spot on an "advisory committee". Having served on an advisory committee federally I know that these committees do nothing more than give advice in the end - which can be totally ignored. Ball said as much when he admitted to the press that the government doesn't give up the power of decision making to advisory groups. Translation: We flood the reservoir exactly as we wanted; we'll think about maybe emptying it in the spring to clear all the soil and trees; and we'll look at what your advisory committee suggests for the rest of reservoir, but no promises as we'll make the final decision. In other words, all the people that protested, went on hunger strikes and generally put themselves out there (including getting arrested) wasted every moment of their time and energy in doing so. They were betrayed at the last minute when they knew their position was strong and determined.

There are only a few ways this scenario can go after this: more compliance or more protest. The people that live along the river, and in the area, will see the end of their way of life unless they want to risk being poisoned. The Aboriginal leaders will have their little advisory committee and no doubt dollars to fund their own contributions to it. The settlers will be stuck in their usual position - afraid to raise objections for fear of being tagged as meddling at best or racist at the worse. Either way, this is the end of something beautiful that Labrador had to offer its people, and others from around world. This is Labrador down.

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Nalcor's Stan Marshall is Lying

Stan Marshall, the newly appointed CEO of Nalcor Energy is lying to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. He is deliberately misleading the people of the province about the ramifications the Quebec Superior Court decision has on the Muskrat Falls dam. It's as plain and simple as that, and it needs to be exposed. Our provincial media have attempted to get unfettered interviews with both Marshall and Premier Dwight Ball on the matter, but have been completely rebuffed. The only commentary made by Marshall was made during his quarterly report to shareholders (us) via teleconference, and he only answered certain questions before the live feed of the teleconference suddenly discontinued leaving media and citizens alike shaking their collective heads. However, what he did say is simply not true.

"That court case will have no major impact on Muskrat Falls whatsoever" Stan Marshall.

That is just a blatant lie to the people of the province. A deliberate attempt to mislead. Here's why:

The Quebec Court:

[1151] The Court declares that the rights granted to Hydro-Quebec under section 4.1.1. of the renewed contract, including its right to programming and planning of power and energy, are in no way limited, circumscribed or restricted, on a monthly basis, for the purchase of blocks of power subject to a ceiling the amount would be established on the basis of the concept of 'Continuous Energy' laid down in the renewed contract, and they can be exercised in relation to any of the available power and all the energy produced at the plant, excluding power and energy associated with the block of 300 MW and the Twinco block."

What does that mean?

Well this is what Section 4.1.1. of the Power Contract requires:

Operational flexibility the parties hereto acknowledge that it is desirable for Hydro-Quebec to have the benefit of operational flexibility of CFLCo's facilities in relation to the Hydro-Quebec system. Accordingly:

i) Hydro-Quebec may request CFLCO to operate the Plant so as to supply Hydro-Quebec's schedule of power requirements; and

ii) Hydro-Quebec may require deliveries which have the effect of varying the amount of water to be carried in storage at any time, providing that, in so doing, sufficient water is left in storage so the Minimum Capacity can always be maintained.

Translation? Hydro-Quebec has the right to force CFLCO to run the Upper Churchill dam for its needs - free of any restriction (ie: Water Management Agreement) : " (Hydro-Quebec's) right to programming and planning of power and energy are in no way limited, circumscribed or restricted". It's very plain English.

Here is what the Water Management Agreement states is the purpose of the WMA:

"The objective of this Agreement shall be the coordination of the Power generation and Energy production in the aggregate for all Production Facilities on the Churchill River to satisfy the Delivery Requirements for all Suppliers, in a manner that provides for the maximization of the long term Energy - generating potential of the Churchill River, while ensuring that the provisions of any Prior Power Contracts are not adversely affected."

So the WMA "requires" the "coordination" of power and energy producers on the Churchill River for the "maximization" of the power potential for Muskrat Falls. Later on in the document the WMA requires that "all production facilities run at full capacity". In other words, Nalcor and the government are trying to take away the right Hydro-Quebec has to determine the production scheduling at the Upper Churchill so they can run enough water down river to keep Muskrat Falls producing power. Unfortunately for them, the Power Contract states that is NOT allowed, and the Quebec superior Court just found that as well as noted above. They didn't find like that because they are a "Quebec Court". They found that based on being able to read the English written in the Power Contract, which apparently Nalxcor and this government cannot.

A further illustration of that exact same point comes from the illustrious VP of Nalcor Gilbert Bennett (October 22, 2012):

“The water management agreement between Nalcor Energy and Churchill Falls defines how the two companies manage the flow of water on the upper and lower Churchill River to optimize and maximize output of the river,” said Gilbert Bennett, Vice President, Lower Churchill Project. “No agreement or consent by Hydro-Quebec is required to provide water management certainty for the lower Churchill developments.” The full press release is here .

Unfortunately for Nalcor, and this province, Quebec does have to give consent, because it just had that right reaffirmed in the latest court decision. The WMA also allows the government through its controlling interests in both Nalcor and CFLCO, to appoint a Water Management Committee, who then in turn appoint an "Independent Coordinator". Here is the duty of that so-called Independent Coordinator as per the WMA:

"The Independent Coordinator shall, based on the information provided by the Suppliers, and in the exercise of reasonable judgment, establish short and long term Production Schedules for all Production Facilities on the Churchill River, through the coordination of production scheduling of the Suppliers based upon the use of the aggregate generating Capability, storage and transmission facilities of any Supplier on the Churchill River, in accordance with the objectives set out at Section 3(1) of the Regulations and with this Agreement"

There you have it. The government of this province was trying to wrestle away control of the Upper Churchill from Hydro-Quebec by installing an "Independent Coordinator" to take over production scheduling - essentially from Hydro-Quebec. As you can see from the Court's declaration above, that in itself is a violation of the Power Contract.

So, the number one pillar of the Water Management Agreement has fallen. Hydro-Quebec, not the provincial government's "Independent Coordinator" has the absolute right to set its production requirements at the Upper Churchill. There never was a question about this if you had read the Power Contract (and its renewal). Now it's been reinforced in a Declaratory Order by the Quebec Superior Court. So it is enshrined in a court order. So to do otherwise would be too deliberately breach an order of the Court.

"What we were hoping for is we'd get more power for ourselves, and that will not be the case under this decision." Stan Marshall.

That's an understatement that frankly an attempt to mislead the public. In fact, if you recall Cathy Bennett's statement the there was a "a complex interweaving of multiple business cases" then you are closer to the truth. (Here's the story on that). Perhaps the best way to illustrate their plan was a conversation Gilbert Bennett had with John Samms back in 2012 when these arguments were flying about:

Bennett: I agree with this – the GWAC is effective during the winter months. However, section 2.1 of the Renewed Power Contract entitles HQ to take the Continuous Energy in each month, including during the winter. Referring to Volume 1 of our application to the PUB for the water management hearing, the average production at CF is about 34 TWh. If we deduct the 2.36 TWh and 1.97 Twh for recall and Twin Co respectively, we’re left with approximately 29.7 TWh for HQ, or approximately 2.5 TWh per month. Interestingly enough, this means the plant will deliver on average just over 3470 MW for HQ + 525 for NLH/Twinco (or 3995 MW out of 5428 MW) over the course of a month, meaning that HQ can have “additional capacity”, they cannot have it all of the time, as they will exceed their energy allowance. This point ensures there will be lots of opportunities to withdraw stored energy from CF, even in the winter. (The math above is 2,500,000 MWh/mo [30 days/mo]/[24 hr/day] = 3472 MW

So, doing the math, Bennett was stating that Nalcor could take approximately 1500 MW of power/energy from the Upper Churchill, and that Hydro-Quebec would have no right to it, because the "Energy Allowance" imposed on Hydro-Quebec by the WMA would deny Hydro-Quebec the right to that power. Of course, that was an absolute farce from the get go. The Power Contract, and its renewal, clearly states Hydro-Quebec has the right to all power produced at the Upper Churchill - other than 300 MW recall and the Twinco Block. There was never any dream in hell that this province could get 1500 MW from the Upper Churchill.

In fact, here is what the recent Quebec Court decision stated:

" [1154] The Court declares that until August 31, 2041, CF{(L)Co will have no right to any amount of power and energy produced at the plant (Upper Churchill), with the exception of the power and energy associated with the block of 300 MW and the Twinco block."

Plain and simple, and exactly what the Supreme Court of Canada found in its 1984 decision in the Water Reversion Rights reference case. What don't they understand about only 300 MW of recall and the Twinco block? It was ruled on by the highest court in the land 36 years ago...

In any case what does it mean? Well, right off the top it means the people of the province were obviously manipulated right from the beginning. It is just so evident to be utterly, blatantly obvious. But, what does it mean for the Muskrat Falls dam? Well, it's the death nail.

First of all, Nalcor can no longer take "banked power" or "banked energy" from the Upper Churchill - a key component of the agreement. Essentially, the "banked" refers to Nalcor taking power from the Upper Churchill, and at some point down the road returning it so their would be "no adverse" affect on the Power Contract. One problem. Hydro-Quebec is and was, and will be until 2041 entitled to that power and energy period. That means that if Nalcor wants it, or needs it to make Muskrat Falls operational, then Nalcor will have to pay Hydro-Quebec for it. So instead of getting that "banked power" from the Upper Churchill at the same price Hydro-Quebec gets it at (.0020 of a cent a kwh) Nalcor will have to negotiate a market price for a power purchase agreement with Quebec - which could range from 5-10 cents a kwh. A massive cost increase to operate Muskrat Falls. Or worse case scenario, Hydro-Quebec may not agree to a power purchase agreement at all - which would mean Muskrat Falls could only operate at about 29% firm capacity (look at your bill tripling at a minimum if that happens).

So recall if you will the often made statements by the provincial government and Nalcor that Muskrat Falls would have profits of $500 million a year. Guess what. That was based on getting that free 1500 MW of power a year they planned on illegally taking from the Upper Churchill (see Gilbert Bennett's comments above). Now, they have zero free MW to sell, so the first and most obvious impact of the court decision is there will be no profit from Muskrat Falls, and no $500 million to create "revenue" for the provincial government or to subsidize your power bills (as they promised they would). The next big effect is that Nalcor's ability to pay for the project will be disastrously crippled with Muskrat Falls running at 20% capacity. In fact Nalcor admitted the planned Gull Island dam would be in the same straights. Here is an excerpt from their pre-filed evidence to the PUB when they sought the WMA in 2009:

" Under average conditions, the resulting production at Gull Island would be 1,519 MW for the first 20 days and 443 MW during the last 11 days of March. During a dry period, this scenario would require production levels of 1,471 MW during the first 20 days of March, and 395 MW during the last 11 days. Consequently, without a water management agreement, Nalcor would be limited to approximately 400 MW of continuous delivery in a power purchase agreement for Gull Island. Such an arbitrary constraint on lower Churchill delivery schedules is unnecessary and is incompatible with the concept of the efficient use of the resource."

In other words, the Power Contract is an arbitrary barrier to the Lower Churchill dams. Yet, that is what the Court's decision just found - the Power Contract guarantees Quebec that right.

The same Nalcor evidence stated:

"In the absence of a water management agreement, Nalcor would not even have advance knowledge of expected flows from the Churchill Falls facility to enable it to take steps to
mitigate spillage through advance drawdown of the lower Churchill reservoirs In the absence of a water management agreement, Nalcor would be required to utilize the water as it became available. Given the limited storage capacity in the Gull Island reservoir (approximately three to four days of maximum flow from the upper Churchill facilities),

Nalcor would have to turbine the water and produce energy at the time that it was

available; it would be required to “chase the flows” from the upper Churchill."

There you go, Nalcor's own words as evidence. The court's decision makes it clear that Nalcor will now have to be "chasing the flows".

So without the ability to take over the operations of the Upper Churchill, Nalcor cannot control the flows of water or power. It also cannot control the reservoir levels at the Upper Churchill. It cannot take banked power or energy from the Upper Churchill to sell on the US market and then return that power back at some later time for free. It cannot take 1500 MW of power from the Upper Churchill and sell it to the US or any other market and make $500 million a year in additional profit. In fact it can't do one single thing the Water Management Agreement attempted to do. In fact, the Water Management Agreement itself breaches the Power Contract as it was obviously, and admittedly created to manage the Upper Churchill and Lower Churchill as if it ever had the right to do so with the Upper Churchill. It never did after 1969, and we knew that back in 1984.

So is Stan Marshall lying and misleading the public about the effect of the Quebec Court decision on the Muskrat Falls dam? Yes he is. No different than the man that preceded him with the exception he was trotted out as being the "straight shooter". Does the Quebec court decision kill the Water Management Agreement? In enforceability yes. The government can leave it on the books, cover its ears, and continue with the dam construction if it wants, but that doesn't change the inevitable. When the dam is ready it won't be able to operate past 20% capacity - except in a month or two around spring runoff. When the bills come through, and there is no way to pay them, that reality will be there for all to see. Apparently it takes that hear before people act to save their own hides. In any case, yes Stan Marshall, you are lying and misleading the people of this province on what that Quebec Court decision really means for Muskrat Falls - and of course that's all of us.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

The Muskrat Falls U-boat cover up - emails

The best way to start an article like this is to just come out with it: we have been mislead. After numerous appeals by a "third party" my access to information request for any maps, drawings, pictures or communications regarding a German U-boat wreck at or near Muskrat Falls from the provincial Department of Natural Resources has been granted. What it discloses, despite the government not being fully forthcoming in its disclosure, is a web of secrecy and deceit regarding the U-boat wrecks at Muskrat Falls.

That's right I said "wrecks" as in plural. Government emails disclose their are actually two U-boat wreck sites at Muskrat Falls. One site, directly at the foot of the falls, being explored by Ray Tremblay of "Bomb Hunters" fame, and the other about 900 meters from it (the one I previously wrote on and that was first pictured in sonar image by Mr. Corbin). In an email from Natural Resources Assistant Deputy Minister Paul Scott in July, 2012, the provincial government acknowledges there may be two U-boat wrecks at Muskrat Falls and nearby. However, and perhaps even more importantly, the email proves Nalcor new of the one U-boat wreck as early as 2012, and had its exact location on a map.

Then in later 2012, provincial archeologist Martha Drake fired off an email to Mr. Tremblay which questioned whether he was focusing on the u-boat wreck or "... on the reported bunker site on land." That was a first for me. A bunker site on land? A German bunker site? This just keeps getting stranger and stranger. And all of it is well known by our provincial government. Here's that email:

However, the big bomb comes when, in July, 2012, Nalcor's Senior Communications Advisor Karen O'Neill sends an email to Paul Scott, copying in Nalcor's senior management team, which admits to the U-boat wreck and its exact location. The government wouldn't release the sonar scans or maps but gave a big "redacted" square instead. In the email O'Neill states:

" Attached is the side-scan of the submarine and the exact coordinates of the wreck."

Here is the complete email:

Ray Tremblay indeed sent a picture of the U-boat wreck to the provincial government in August of 2012. However, the provincial government blackened out the picture for my ATTIPA request:

What seems quite strange is that an email from Diana Quinton, Director of Communications at Tourism, Culture and Recreation which details written responses to the provincial CBC for a request on details of the U-boat. In the response Quinton clearly states:

" It has come to our attention that two groups have reported the discovery of wrecks near Muskrat Falls in the Churchill River. One group made their discovery in 2010 (and reported it to Transport Canada's Receiver of Wreck this week), while the other group made their discovery in June, 2012. The coordinates for the two wrecks are different. Therefore, we assume there could possibly be two wrecks involved."

No such mention of two wrecks was ever reported by the CBC or any other media outlet. The question remains why not? They were clearly informed of two possible U-boat wrecks in 2012. The one they reported on is about 900 meters from the Falls. The one they didn't report on was Ray Tremblay's discovery right at the foot of the Falls. That is clearly a question the CBC must answer. Given the Muskrat Falls construction very nearby the wreck it would seem logical that it might be the bigger story then the other wreck they did cover. Here's the email:

The email records, particularly between Mr. Tremblay and the provincial government departments, show that Tremblay has been doing scientific scanning and diving on the wreck site every year since 2012 to the present. For those that aren't familiar with Mr. Tremblay he is a retired Canadian Forces combat engineer - an expert in demolitions. His company is featured on History Channel's "Bomb Hunters", and he has access to a wealth of all modern scientific technology for scanning below the waters surface. In an interview with me today he detailed a number of scientific, but classified methods he and his team have used over the last three years on the U-boat wreck. They'll stay confidential here, but suffice it to say he is very well qualified in what he and his team do. During his exploration he has been in constant contact with both the Canadian (more on that later) and the German governments giving them updates as detailed in this August, 2014 email:

Later in 2014, Mr. Tremblay conducted actual dives on the wreck site, but encountered wild currents and conditions (being that the site is at the foot of the Falls). He and his team did manage to film 60 hours of video though. This email gives a good description of their work in October, 2014:

In the lead up to the October, 2014 dives Mr. Tremblay requested a member of the provincial government's archeology team dive with his team given the province's interest in the matter and its historical significance. The province declined the initiation given the government had forbid Tremblay's team from removing any dirt or objects from the site, or even the touching of them:

In May, 2015, things really start moving along - especially in the email department. It's here when Mr. Tremblay first notes that the federal government is quite quietly involved with the u-boat wreck. In fact, Mr. Tremblay actually met with the Prime Ministers Office and the Department of Canadian Heritage in Ottawa. Furthermore, Mr. Tremblay states the Prime Minister (Harper) is personally interested in the wreck site. Also, at this time the German Embassy are involved with the project. In the same email though the dark side of the U-boat wrecks is revealed. Divers are highly zealous in keeping U-boat wrecks secret until they have established their name to the discovery. Of course with that established name comes lucrative contracts from media like the History Channel. To be fair though, discovering a wreck is expensive business and all out of pocket for the diving company. The email details spying by one group on the other group during exploration. In any case, here's the 2015 email detailing the PMO's involvement, and the rest:

A June 29, 2015 email from Mr. Tremblay details further contacts he has had with the federal government and advises the provincial government on his plans for a mid August, 2015 confirmation dive as well as press conference to announce the confirmation of the U-boat wreck to the world. According to the email, Tremblay states the Canadian War Museum wants to raise the wreck and place it in the museum in Ottawa:

On that same day June 29, 2015, Nalcor Senior Communications Manager fires off a rather panicked and confused email to Martha Drake stating she thought the U-boat would be left an undisturbed wreck. The more interesting response is Ms. Drake's:

"... In the meantime, the vessel belongs to the German government".

That is a big statement. It acknowledges the provincial government knows the wreck is that of a U-boat and that as such the wreck "belongs" to the "German government". Otherwise, the German government would have no claim on the wreck at Muskrat Falls, let alone have the province's archeologist admit that Germany has ownership over it. Here's the email exchange:

On August 11, 2015 Mr. Tremblay notified provincial and federal officials of the plan for the dive (blackened out) and the date he expected to conduct his big press announcement - August 28, 2015:

In a somewhat panicked tone, Martha Drake informs other involved officials that: "..there is something in the river. I expect we can all agree on that..." She goes on to state she will craft a letter to prohibit any touching of the wreck by Mr. Tremblay's team and that she will inform Foreign Affairs of the situation:

And here is the hastily prepared letter Ms. Drake sent to Mr. Tremblay regarding the dive. It is interesting to note her cautioning of underwater unexploded munitions that may be on the site from the U-boat - especially given Mr. Tremblay's world class experience in unexploded munitions... She is very emphatic that: " ... the wreck and debris field shall not be disturbed, touched on manipulated ..." I find that a very curious instruction for a team of divers attempting to identify a U-boat. Here's why: I know of no U-boat dive that didn't require divers to touch, move and surface with articles in order to identify a German U-boat wreck. It's standard practise. Of course removing human remains is strictly forbidden (if there are any), but articles such as knives, breathing apparatus, etc are routinely removed from U-boat wrecks to identify them. For instance, in many cases U-boat numbers are on the backs of china used on the boat, or names are placed on individual escape breathing apparatus. Boat numbers are also found on torpedo doors or the ship's batteries. Most of which have to be extensively cleaned to remove decades of sea growth before they give up their information. Whether Ms. Drake's instructions are from a point of ignorance, or otherwise, they doomed the identification of the boat before the operation started.

Ms. Drake then sends an email to Nalcor and government senior staff letting them know that her letter to Mr. Tremblay was sent to Foreign Affairs. Odd that she should make that distinction if the touching of the U-boats debris field etc was for safety reasons. it is hard to see what interest Foreign Affairs might have in such a topic. It seems as though a number of people were quite determined to tie Mr. Tremblay's hands in actually identifying the U-boat, or perhaps its cargo, and that included the federal and German governments. Indeed, Reneta Lambreva, Senior Policy Advisor at Foreign Affairs responded to one Dan Mackenzie, federal government, Inter-governmental Affairs Secretariat:

"... To prepare the ground on our side, I have notified the desk for Germany as a heads up for the potential announcement involving a foreign vessel that might come out by August 28th. Keeping the desk informed will speed up things in case an action needs to be taken. "

Mr. Mackenzie then disseminates the details of the wreck that Foreign Affairs has supplied (which aren't included in the ATTIPPA release). He emphasizes the need for a coordinated approach:

Then on August 22, 2015 Mr. Tremblay fires off an excited email to Ms. Drake that confirmation diving will start on the wreck the next day. He states that the team saw a propeller with an underwater camera the day before:

Then, like a balloon that burst, a final email from Mr. Tremblay on August 31, 2015 to Ms. Drake:

" No announcement this time again..."

Given the big buildup to the dive in August, 2015, which included 10 divers, I was left somewhat dumfounded at the sudden end of email exchanges and the pronouncement of "no announcement this time again". Clearly it was a message of frustration (understandably) by Mr. Tremblay, but the reasons weren't detailed in an email. They came by way of a phone conversation he had with Ms. Drake. I contacted Mr. Tremblay to clarify what happened. His response was the sand had completely covered the wreck. Given the restrictive measures placed on him by the provincial government (my words not his) there was never any hope for identifying the U-boat number, but not being able to remove sand to expose the wreck now meant the announcement to the world had to be postponed for yet another year. Mr. Tremblay states that when the Muskrat Falls River is diverted (hopefully it won't be) his team will be able to work much better in the environment around the wreck as the currents and volumes of water will be dramatically reduced.

It's hard to visualize the U-boat wreck Mr. Tremblay has discovered as neither he nor the government will allow any pictures of it to be released. He told me the wreck is approximately 68 meters long and he believes it to be an intact type VII German U-boat. He remains completely committed and determined to be the one that exposes it once and for all, and given his work and financing of the project that should never be denied to him. that being said, as a point of history, the government and or Mr. Tremblay should release the images of the U-boat wreck so that the people of the province, and Germany, can see it once and for all. In addition, those of us with experience in identifying these sort of things may well be able to identify the boat's type by its distinctive structures. I don't believe that would in any way take away from Mr. Tremblay's exclusive claim to having discovered the wreck - it would simply share the images of it with the rest of us. For history's sake.

Of course, the other side of this story is that Nalcor, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Canada and the Government of Germany have kept total silence on the ongoing explorations and discoveries since the initial sonar picture of the other wreck hit the media in 2012. They have left those of us trying to expose the truth, for history's sake, on the sidelines like a bunch of crazed conspiracy theorists. Now the truth is coming out, and these emails (there are more I haven't published) prove that the U-boat wrecks at Muskrat Falls are not ghosts of the fanciful, but very real hulks of history. The question remains why? Why are these governments and Nalcor trying to cover them up?