BC HYDRO TO REPORT HIGH POWER USE

Provincial Government Is Determined To Shut Down Grow Ops

Powell River is investigating a new provincial law directed at
marijuana grow operations in the community.

The province has introduced new legislation that requires BC Hydro to
hand over to municipalities a list of all addresses with unusually
high power consumption.

Councillors passed a motion at the April 11 council meeting directing
staff to prepare a bylaw that reflects the new legislation.

Councillor Bob Astrope said he and Mayor Stewart Alsgard had met with
RCMP senior staff to discuss the issue. "Once this bylaw is in place,
they will have the authority to request this information from Hydro
or Hydro will provide it to them immediately," Astrope said. "Then
they can carry forward with what they need to do without having to go
through the usual procedures."

Councillor Ted Rodonets said he saw the new legislation as an
important step in giving the RCMP and the community some tools to
combat illegal drugs. "I hope that more suggestions can be brought
forward in terms of other types of drugs," he said.

Grow ops require an enormous amount of electricity. Before the new
legislation, police had to have a home already under investigation
before BC Hydro would release information about its electricity consumption.

Under the new law, BC Hydro and other electricity providers will be
required to provide to any city that asks for it a list of all
addresses in their jurisdiction with unusually high consumption.

In some grow ops, electricity is stolen. Those addresses would show
abnormally low consumption levels, which would also be provided to police.

"It's one more tool that we have to deal with marijuana growers and
to legally obtain access to that information," said Powell River RCMP
Sergeant Andy Brinton.

Rich Coleman, minister responsible for housing, said the number of
grow ops in the province is increasing and so are the problems
associated with them. "Grow ops are more likely to catch fire, more
likely to have guns inside and more likely to be robbed," he said.
"They pose a danger to our neighbourhoods and we're determined to
shut them down."

Grow ops also pose an electrical safety risk. A house with a grow op
is considerably more likely to catch fire than a typical home.
Dangling lights and wires can trap emergency responders and result in
electrocution.

Identifying grow ops

Tips from the public remain the best source of information for police
about potential grow ops. Here are several ways to identify possible
grow operations:

* entry to the home is usually through the garage or a back entrance
to conceal activity.

* Windows are boarded or covered and may have a layer of condensation.

* Equipment, such as large fans, lights and plastic plant containers,
is carried into the home.

* Sounds of construction or electrical humming can be heard.

* Strange odours (a skunk-like smell) emanate from the house.

* The neighbourhood experiences localized surges or decreases in power.

Source: BC Government