Pubdate: Fri, 07 Apr 2006
Source: Prince George Citizen (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Prince George Citizen
Contact:  http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/350
Author: Mark Nielsen, Citizen staff
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

NEW LAW TAKES AIM AT MARIJUANA GROWERS

Municipalities will soon have the authority to ask electricity 
companies for information about homes with unusual power consumption, 
to help target marijuana grow operations and allow inspectors to shut 
down homes with unsafe wiring more quickly, the provincial government 
announced Thursday.

The relevant legislation, amendments to the Safety Standards Act, 
should pass through the legislature this spring, Prince 
George-Omineca MLA John Rustad said.

He emphasized the safety aspect of the proposed legislation saying 
it's primarily meant to shut down unsafe homes before they catch on 
fire, "and, of course, a byproduct is it's an opportunity to try to 
identify some of these grow ops and shut them down."

Prince George Fire Department deputy fire chief John Lane also said 
it will help prevent fires before they break out. Fighting fires in 
homes holding grow ops can be more dangerous than usual, he said.

"Inside those houses we'll often find wires dangling from the 
ceiling, we'll have unprotected wiring that doesn't have the benefit 
of any fuse protection," he said. "So the amount of current that can 
be drawn through those wires is basically limitless and that creates 
a greater electrocution hazard for the responder."

A pilot program in Surrey based on the protocol saw 119 grow 
operations shut down in three months, according to a government press release.

B.C. Hydro spokesperson Tarina Palmer said it currently takes a 
freedom of information request to get such information.

Although she's still waiting for details, Palmer said lists providing 
25 months of data would be provided for homes with high consumption rates.

"So it would show the ebbs and flows through two season," she said. 
"Obviously, if you live in Prince George, your consumption rates for 
everyone are probably going to skyrocket in the wintertime."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom