The Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, has announced the following events relative to Part 10 Environmental Assessment of the Environmental Protection Act.
Undertaking REGISTERED;
Lower Terra Nova Fishway Refurbishment (Reg. 2200)
Proponent: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
The proponent is proposing to conduct refurbishments to a fishway on the Lower Terra Nova River in Terra Nova National Park. The proposed work includes the installation of new water control structures, refurbishment of existing uplands, replacement of the damaged fishway weir wall and replacement of the existing concrete stop log sill. The work is expected to occur over 19 months. A description of the project can be found on the Department’s web page at www.gov.nl.ca/ecc/env-assessment/projects-list/.
The undertaking was registered on May 27, 2022; the deadline for public comment is July 1, 2022; and the minister’s decision is due by July 11, 2022.
Undertakings released:
St. John’s Long Pond Flood Control Structure (Reg. 2183)
Proponent: City of St. John’s
The project was released subject to the following conditions:
- The proponent is required to uphold all commitments made in the environmental assessment submission to mitigate the effects of the project on the environment.
- The Water Resources Management Division of the Department of Environment and Climate Change requires the City of St. John’s, in consultation and partnership of the Water Resources Management Division, to establish two water level monitoring stations at either end of Long Pond.
- The proponent is required to update the Environmental Assessment Division on the status of the project, including a copy of all permits, licences, certificates, approvals and other authorizations required for the project, within one year from the date of this release letter and to provide additional updates if requested.
- The proponent is required to update the Environmental Assessment Division on the status of their project, including a copy of all permits, licenses, certificates, approvals and other authorizations required for your project, one year from the date of this release letter and to provide additional updates if required.
Wych Hazel Pond Goat and Crop Farm (Reg. 2188)
Proponent: Salty Creek Agricultural Enterprise
The project is released subject to the following conditions:
- The proponent is required to uphold all commitments made in the environmental assessment submission to mitigate the effects of the project on the environment.
- The Water Resources Management Division of the Department of Environment and Climate Change requires that prior to commencing any work related to this project, a Water Resources Management Plan must be prepared and submitted to the Water Resources Management Division for review and approval. The Water Resources Management Plan should address/answer the following concerns:
- If there are any brooks, rivers, ponds, streams or wetlands, present in or within 30 metres of the boundaries of the project site, then provide the type of water body and its distance from the site,
- if any of the above-mentioned water bodies are impacted by the farm operation, describe how the water body will be impacted. A permit or licence from the Water Resources Management Division may be required.
- The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture requires the following;
- Where possible, for slopes less than 30 percent, a minimum 30 metre naturally vegetated riparian buffer zone shall be established around all waterbodies, from the high water mark, that are identified on either the 1:50,000 scale National Topographic System maps, or the topographic mapping layer shown in the Provincial Land Use Atlas. No land use activities involving grubbing, ground or soil disturbance, or timber harvesting activities will take place in this zone.
- For slopes greater than 30 percent, there shall be a naturally vegetated riparian buffer zone calculated using the following formula: 30 metres + 1.5 metres x slope (%). No land use activities involving grubbing, ground or soil disturbance, or timber harvesting activities will take place in this zone.
- No vegetation clearing is to occur within 800 meters of a bald eagle or osprey nest during the nesting season (March 15 to July 31) and 200 meters during the remainder of the year. The 200 metre buffer also applies to all other raptor nests (e.g. Northern Goshawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin, American Kestrel, Great-horned Owl, Boreal Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl). The location of any raptor nest site must be reported to the Wildlife Division.
- The proponent is required to advise the Environmental Assessment Division when the conditions of release have been met, by emailing a written description, documents, and images (where applicable) to demonstrate that the conditions have been fulfilled.
- The proponent is required to update the Environmental Assessment Division on the status of their project, including a copy of all permits, licenses, certificates, approvals and other authorizations required for the project, one year from the date of this release letter and to provide additional updates if required.
Undertaking Withdrawn;
Foxtrap Incinerator Road NORM Storage and Decontamination Facility (Reg. 2166)
Proponent: Pardy’s Waste Management and Industrial Services Limited
Learn more
Environmental Assessment Division
Department of Environment and Climate Change
West Block, Confederation Building
P.O. Box 8700, St. John’s, NL A1B 4J6
Public comments may be forwarded to: EAprojectcomments@gov.nl.ca
Environmental assessment information is available at:
www.gov.nl.ca/ecc/env-assessment/
www.gov.nl.ca/ecc/files/GUIDE-TO-THE-PROCESS_Dec2021Follow us on Twitter: @GovNL and @ECC_GovNL
If you submit comments on a project that is under environmental assessment, please advise the Department if you DO NOT wish to share your comments with the project proponent.
Media contact
Lynn Robinson
Environment and Climate Change
709-729-5449; 691-9466
lynnrobinson@gov.nl.ca