Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Didn't The NYPSC Skip A Step????

In the matter of Art. 10 and the siting of BP's wind project. BP has submitted it's PSS.  There have been comments on it by various stakeholders and agencies.  BP has made its summary of those comments and commented back.  We now have the intervenors fund distributed, and the stipulation phase of Art. X is now open.

But my question is...why are we where we are????  Why are we here???  Seems we skipped a big step!

What happened to BP's Public Information Program (PIP) that everyone was saying was an inadequate disaster?  Was that it...its a done deal?  Sure seems we have moved dramatically forward in the process with no accounting for the inadequacy of  BP's PIP.

The Town of Cape Vincent a number of times complained to the NYPSC about the PIP being very inadequate and not addressing many of the important issues and questions they raised during that PIP phase of Art. X.

So did the NYPSC and DEC just say...OK good enough and blow it off???  Did they say...OK  you attempted your PIP...good enought for us, move on!  Why did they just let it go and allow BP to move forward with addition significant steps with no apparent accountability despite the Town's repeated complaints?

I doubt the Town of Cape Vincent feels the PIP process was well done or complete.  In fact in comments to BP's PSS the Town was making many of the exact same complaints they did about  the PIP.  Then in fact the PSC has told the Town the Art. 10 presiding examiner Judge Agresta can not force BP to include studies in the PSS as the town is asking.

But my question is...if the Town and others have repeatedly complained that the BP PIP was terribly inadequate and a number of the Town's requests for information from BP were not answered, and this is supposed to be a balanced system ...then why did the NYPSC just allow BP to move forward?  Why didn't they tell BP that since their PIP was very  inadequate and lacking critical information, that they would not be allowed to proceed in the process, they would not accept the PSS, or allow intervenor funding, or open the stipulation phase until BP provided the information theTown and other parties requested and made their PIP process adequate?

Does this imply how NYPSC and the Art. X siting board will handle the rest of the Art. X process?
Doesn't make me feel real confident about the process.   Has the Town and other stakeholders just accepted this glaring inadequacy in the system and are willing to just move on?

I looks a lot like Art. X is just another hoop jumping process with a bunch of boxes to check off to make us all feel good and involved!

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