RIVERS WITHOUT BORDERS

Posted In: Taku

Hoverbarge Plan Runs Into Delays and Solid Objects

Redcorp’s hoverbarge proposal has run into, literally, some serious problems.  At a meeting in May with Alaska and US agencies the company faced a wall of questions and skepticism about the hoverbarge concept.  Later in May Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) wrote scathing memos about the hoverbarges potential to harm salmon, salmon habitat and salmon research projects in the Taku and recommended against Alaska issuing permits for the hoverbarge.  Finally, Alaska has some leverage to use in defending its fisheries and fishing families. 

Most recently Redcorp sent some conventional barges up the Taku to ship supplies to the mine site.  The barge ran into the canyon wall in the narrow section of river near Canyon Island. 

The barge also damaged the ADFG research fish wheel at Canyon Island.  Someone from the barge’s escort skiff even showed up at the ADFG fish camp there one day demanding that ADFG staff get out of the river due to the danger of the barge that would soon be coming through the area.  The people running the barge told a friend of mine that they were having some serious difficulties with the Taku’s fast and shallow river conditions and that the hoverbarge idea was crazy. 

In response to media questions about these incidents Redcorp official Tim Davies said that one incident in seven round trips wasn’t any big deal, but I don’t know any industries that would tolerate or stay in business with an accident rate like that.  If they keep that up, that means 52 accidents a year with the hoverbarge system.