For years, Hydro-Quebec failed to inspect its northern dam network as required by its own regulations, according to the latest reports obtained by The Nation under the Access to Information Act.
Especially neglected was the LG-3 dam, which saw only 23 per cent of the required inspections in 1991 and 47 per cent the next year, according to one report. Only half the inspections required at LG-2 and LG-4 were conducted in 1991.
That year, a Hydro report says “none of the sectors achieved fully its surveillance program.”
Hydro did under 40 per cent of the inspections it was supposed to perform in the La Grande region that year.
The reports paint a grim picture of Hydro’s maintenance, inspection and repair procedures since the beginning of the I990’s. The problems have continued in more recent years, as we reported in an article last month on the 1996 Hydro-Quebec inspection report.
The latest reports The Nation has obtained cover the years 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1995. The reports were requested a year ago, but were obtained only last week.
Hydro was also asked to release its emergency-measures plans for the La Grande complex, but these are still being kept secret.
The reports show that Hydro has known since 1991 about “serious problems of erosion” plaguing its La Grande dikes. The unexpected deterioration was caused by higher-than-predicted winds and waves.
It was only in 1996 that Hydro took action to rebuild its facilities, after an emergencyoccurred at two dikes in the La Grande complex. After the emergency, Hydro decided the situation was “too critical” to wait any longer and started to rebuild its La Grande dikes.
Year after year, the Hydro reports urge the utility to do more studies of its dams to ensure their safey. It is not indicated if this recommendation was ever followed. A lack of personnel and resources often hampered inspections and maintenance.
The reports also reveal that in the aging Abitibi sector, less than 5 per cent of required inspections were done in 1991, 1992 and 1993. One of the reports explains that the engineer responsible for this task was too busy with other responsibilities. The reports also say there was virtually no maintenance done on the Abitibi dams.
Yet, the reports repeatedly note that the older Abitibi facilities were plagued by a “deterioration of concrete” that required serious attention.
The problems were especially grave at the 75-year-old Rapides-des-Quinze dam, south of Val d’Or. Hydro knew since 1991 that the dam was in desperate need of repair and posed a security risk. But it waited six years until 1997 before embarking on an overhaul to make the dam safer.
The mayors of two communities near the dam said Hydro never informed them of the problems. “I’ve never discussed the dam with Hydro-Quebec,” said Fidèle Baril, mayor of Nôtre-Dame-du-Nord, 20 km downstream from the dam. “I would definitely like to see something.”
Angliers Mayor Paul Coulombe told us: “Hydro-Quebec said there was no problem with thedam. I’ve never heard it was dangerous.”
