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Frogs hop into fight against Site C

VANCOUVER – Frogs are the latest obstruction to be thrown into the fight against a controversial hydroelectric megaproject in northeastern British Columbia.

An environmental activist with a history of defending amphibians is accusing the B.C. government of knowingly overstepping its authority when it gave permission in May for BC Hydro to move frogs and salamanders from a riverside area upstream of Site C.

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Josette Wier and the Sierra Club B.C. have filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court asking for a review into whether the Ministry of Forests followed the law when it exempted BC Hydro from prosecution for relocating the amphibians.

READ MORE: Site C dam protesters concerned by project’s progress

The petition says a permit is required for such an exemption but that a ministry official deliberately issued an illegal authorization to avoid possible delays to the dam’s construction schedule.

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None of the allegations have been proven in court and it’s unclear whether any amphibians were moved.

Site C is estimated to cost more than $8 billion and will generate 5,100 gigawatts of energy annually — enough to power 450,000 homes.

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