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.

ENVIRONMENTAL PREVIEW REPORT GUIDELINES ISSUED:

Carmanville New Pond Cabins ATV Trail                                            (Reg. 2186)
Proponent: Wayne Hicks

The minister has approved the final guidelines for the preparation of the environmental preview report (EPR) for the Carmanville New Pond Cabins ATV Trail. The EPR guidelines identify the information that the proponent will be required to include in the EPR. The EPR guidelines document is available on the Department of Environment and Climate Change website at www.gov.nl.ca/ecc/projects/project-2186/ or by contacting the Chair of the Environmental Assessment Committee, Paul Carter at pcarter@gov.nl.ca.

AMENDMENT TO RELEASE:

Exploits River Geodesic Domes                                                            (Reg. 2189)
Proponent: Red Indian Adventures Ltd.

The decision to release the project subject to conditions has been amended as follows:

• 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 Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture requires the following:
  • A minimum 30-metre undisturbed natural buffer to be maintained along the Exploits River. The buffer is measured from the edge of non-hydrophytic vegetation;
  • For all other waterbodies, 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 metres of a bald eagle or osprey nest during the nesting season (March 15 to July 31) and 200 metres 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 sites 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 the project, including a copy of all  permits, licences, 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 RELEASED:

Grand Falls-Windsor to Glenwood Transmission Line Decommissioning
Proponent: Newfoundland Power Inc.                                                 (Reg. 2192)

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 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.

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_May-2022.pdf

Follow 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