B.C. MAY GIVE MUNICIPALITIES POWER TO MONITOR GROW-OP ENERGY USE

VANCOUVER (CanWest News Service)- In a move aimed at cracking down on
marijuana grow-ops, B.C.'s government wants to give municipalities
the power to demand information from power companies about unusual
power demands from suspicious homes. That information would be used
to target homes that could be concealing grow ops.

The Liberals yesterday introduced amendments to the Safety Standards
Act to bring in the new measures. "It's a step in the right
direction," said Len Garis, fire chief in Surrey and chair of the
Fire Chiefs Association of B.C. "The end result is going to make our
neighborhoods much safer."

Fire departments have been worried about risks posed by grow-ops,
which often have makeshift wiring. In Surrey, the fire department has
had a project in which it files freedom-of-information requests for
hydro bills of possible grow-op addresses, looking for evidence to
justify an electrical inspection.

Even the NDP opposition applauded the move. Leonard Krog, critic for
the Attorney-General's ministry, noted that a grow-op was recently
found in his own Nanaimo, B.C., neighborhood on Vancouver Island. He
said the NDP will review the legislation as it advances toward being
enacted, but is supporting it.