Honorable Jeffrey C. Cohen
Acting Secretary, NYS Board of Electric Power Generation Siting and Environment 3 Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12223-1350
Re: Case12-F-0410 Cape Vincent Wind Power
Dear Acting Secretary Cohen:
Thank you for your prompt response to our December 12 letter.
We appreciate the assurance you have provided that Commissioner Harris will not
be a part of, nor have any influence on, the deliberations that lie ahead for
us in BP's Article 10 project proposal.
We are somewhat puzzled, however, with your response to our
concerns regarding BP offering donations to stakeholders in Cape Vincent. In
your letter you state:
“You are correct that providing donations to community
groups is not an activity listed in the PIP. Notwithstanding your concerns, the
fact that the PIP does not discuss charitable donations to local service groups
does not make the plan inadequate or preclude the involvement of any sector of
the Cape Vincent community from participating in the Article 10 process.”
We are surprised that you see nothing questionable or
unreasonable about BP giving money to stakeholders prior to the time these
stakeholders will be asked what they think of BP's project proposal. You state
donations do not make the plan inadequate, but adequacy was not the point we tried
to make. Our concern was one of ethics and propriety, not adequacy. You also
state that donations from BP do not disqualify a stakeholder from participating
in the process. Again, our point was not stakeholder participation or
eligibility. We were questioning the ethical behavior of the corporation that
is supposedly operating under a law and rules which DPS is responsible for
administering.
If the practice of donating money to stakeholders is so
routine and ubiquitous,then it should have been included in the PIP. If the
practice of paying stakeholders is not so unsavory, then why did BP's attorney
John Harris and BP's project manager Richard Chandler remain silent when the
practice was questioned at their November 6 Article 10 information meeting?
We are sorry, but we do not share the view that
paying stakeholders prior to their engagement in public outreach is ethical,
acceptable business practice. We believe donations by BP are not by themselves
onerous. Rather, it is the timing of these offers that is unseemly and which
taints the process.
Mr. Cohen, we would like to close with a constructive suggestion that may help resolve our discomfort on this issue, which is very important to us. We ask that you forward our collective correspondence on the issue of BP offering money to stakeholders to the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics and ask them for a advisory opinion. This approach would satisfy our concerns, and hopefully, provide some relief for DPS and the Siting Board as well.
Mr. Cohen, we would like to close with a constructive suggestion that may help resolve our discomfort on this issue, which is very important to us. We ask that you forward our collective correspondence on the issue of BP offering money to stakeholders to the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics and ask them for a advisory opinion. This approach would satisfy our concerns, and hopefully, provide some relief for DPS and the Siting Board as well.
4 comments:
Well, there you have it folks, the town appreciates the PSC "s assurances that there will be no unfair influence by BP's John Harris via his wife Maureen Harris who is a Public Service commissioner.
Merry Christmas everyone, the ART. X process is squeaky clean. We can all rest with the thought of sugar plums dancing in our heads.
O' little town of Cape Vincent,
How screwed you seem to be.
In what way is the Food Pantry cosidered a Stakeholder??
In BP's PIP they show in their Table 1 a stakeholder group called "Local Community Groups."
BP states they will, "Disseminate
information,gather information to assist in the PIP process, PSS document and Article 10 application as well as schedule follow up meetings. Identification of specific issues. Adequacy of studies completed to date and need
for additional studies."
I guess they should have added to this ambitious goal, DONATE MONEY AND TRY TO BUY COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR AN OTHERWISE INCOMPATIBLE, LOUSY PROJECT.
Are we jealous with BP donating money to a worthy cause and not criticizing them like a town board member did. You people only want it your way until someone else trys to show you up. Oh! by the way how much money have you donated to the food bank lately, exactly probably nothing. Good bye. Oh! go cuomo go.
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