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North Spur



Do we need new science to know if the

North Spur is really safe?



09.05.18





One side of the Muskrat Falls dam consists of a spit of land known as the North Spur.



This is a natural formation which Cabot Martin has described as “an unstable mound of glaciomarine clay and sand scarred with numerous landslides” (Martin, 2014, pg. 16).


In 2014, Geophysical engineer Stig Bernander investigated the structure and raised concerns about the stability of the silty sands and clays of the North Spur. Nalcor thought that the concerns were significant enough to require a new peer reviewed analysis of the engineering science behind the dam. Nalcor requested a geotechnical review from a panel of experts called the Geotechnical Peer Review Panel (GPRP).


Prof. Bernander had indicated that the scientific data and methods used in the initial engineering assessment were inadequate for understanding the kind of problem that he identified with the structure.



The new GPRP assessment, however, did not provide any new science or data.





The assessment was restricted to a review of the original research conducted by SNC-Lavalin Inc. (SLI), which Nalcor had followed. Further, the GPRP assessment clearly states that :" The GPRP has not performed any calculation to verify the accuracy, completeness or validity of the results obtained by SLI. The opinion of the GPRP is solely based on a review of available data and on the concept and methods used by SLI and the client to assess stability issues at the North Spur. “ ( Intro to GPRP report).



If Nalcor recognizes that the new concerns about the stability of the North Spur are significant enough to require peer review of its research, why doesn’t it provide a complete and independent review and not one that is restricted by the data and methods provided by the very research findings that are in question?





References





Martin, C. 2014. Muskrat Madness. St John’s: Transcontinental Media.



Muskrat Falls Symposium



September 28 & 29, 2018
#MuskratMUN