Environmental Assessment hearings into the impacts of proposed private power megaprojects got underway in Powell River Tuesday night, with citizens and community activists making a strong statement in favour of public power.

Plutonic Power, which is proposing to build a series of privately owned dams in the pristine Bute Inlet, is under the microscope of public scruitiny as the environmental and ecological impacts of their dams are called to account by the public.

The Open House and Q & A session pulled in a capacity crowd in Powell River, with the strong majority of attendees making it clear that they opposed this private power project, and opposed the shoddy way in which Plutonic Power was going about development.

Representatives from MoveUP are attending the meetings, which include more open houses in Sechelt and Campbell River. The MoveUP staff joined their allies from the Western Canada Wilderness Committee,  Malaspina Communities for Public Power, the Council of Canadians, BC Citizens for Public Power, and several hundred residents from the Powell River region.