One of the biggest proposed construction projects near Delia is sitting in limbo.
    The proposed Handhills wind turbine project is currently awaiting decision from the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) on their proposed 80 Megawatt, 54 turbine construction south of Delia.
    “The application was received last December, but we’re still waiting for information responses, so in our view, the application is incomplete,” said Jim Law, external relations with AUC.
    Despite the wait, Suncor is still committed to the project and hopes to have the Handhills littered with wind turbines in 2015.
    “We are working with them whenever they have information requests. We don’t have a timeline on how long that would take,” said Nicole Fischer, media relations with Suncor. “(2015) is the goal, but timelines are dependent on a number of things. Right now, our commitment is working through the application process with the AUC.”
    In August last year, Suncor held an open house in Delia to get feedback on the project from area stakeholders.
    Some hope the turbines will help revitalize Delia, while others raised concerns about bird depopulation, noise and visual pollution, and decreasing property values.
    Once the Suncor application to the AUC is complete, the public will be asked once again to give their feedback on the project.
    “All of the feedback from the open houses would’ve gone to the AUC and they can use that to contact people for more information. The public’s questions and our responses are taken into account during the application,” said Fischer.
    The AUC will initially schedule information sessions to inform stakeholders how they can get involved and submit their opinion.
    “When we have a complete application, we issue a public notice to inform residents and at that point we would likely conduct an information session to explain how the review process works and how they can become involved in making sure their views were known,” said Law. “If, somewhere down the road, there is an unresolved objection from someone we feel would be greatly affected by the project, then we would schedule a public hearing.”
    Once the AUC makes their decision, the project could move forward and construction would commence next year.

    Mayor Terry Yemen believes there may be opportunities for residents affected by the flood in the Alberta Government’s plan moving forward.
    On July 14, the Alberta Government outlined its policies in wake of this year’s flooding. According to a release, the government will support the decisions Albertans make about rebuilding their homes, including the decision to relocate out of the floodways.
    “We want to give Albertans with flood-damaged homes the information they need to make choices to get their lives back on track. We also want to ensure we’re spending responsibly and doing everything we can to prevent flood damage like this from happening again,” said Doug Griffiths, Chair of the Ministerial Flood Recovery Task Force.
    Mayor Yemen said he heard this week from the Associate Minister for Recovery and Reconstruction of Southeast Alberta, Greg Weadick, about the policy and says, on the surface, he feels it is a sincere plan.
    “It is time to build and not tear down,” said Yemen.
    One compelling aspect of the plan, according to Yemen, is how it looks at planning for the future.
    Homes located in a floodway, where the water flows are deepest, fastest and most destructive during a flood, are eligible for funding through the Disaster Recovery Program to rebuild or relocate.
    Lands made available by residents leaving flood risk areas will be made available for flood mitigation and recreational use.
    There will also be more funds made available through the program for mitigation measures undertaken on the part of residents. These must be approved and have protection against a 1-in-100 flood event. This could be berms or raising a house.
    The policy also states that those who do not take measures to protect their homes following these events will not be eligible in the future for Disaster Recovery programs.
    “Homeowners in a flood fringe who do not implement mitigation measures to protect against a 1-in-100 flood event will not be eligible for Disaster Recovery Program assistance in the event of future flooding. Residents who undertake approved flood mitigation measures will be eligible to receive Disaster Recovery Program assistance for any future flood that exceeds the 1-in-100 year flood event criteria,” states the release.
    “No eligible homeowner with flood damage will go without financial support; but when we’re using Albertans’ tax dollars, we need to empower those receiving funds to make responsible choices. That’s what Albertans expect,” said Griffiths.