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:

Shoal Harbour Causeway Bridge Replacement                                (Reg. 2204)
Proponent: Town of Clarenville

The proponent proposes the demolition and replacement of the Shoal Harbour

Causeway Bridge located on Balbo Drive in the Town of Clarenville. Balbo Drive will require additional road work to adjust the grade approaching the bridge. A description of the project can be found on the department’s webpage at: www.gov.nl.ca/eccm/env-assessment/projects-list/.

The undertaking was registered on July 15, 2022; the deadline for public comments is August 19, 2022; and the minister’s decision is due by August 29, 2022.

UNDERTAKING RELEASED:

Swift Current Quarry                                                                                 (Reg. 2193)
Proponent: Dean Clarke Contracting Ltd.

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 following;
  • The quarry must maintain a 30-metre reservation from all waterbodies (including wetlands).
  • Prior to commencing any work related to this project, a Water Resources Management Plan must be submitted for review and approval.  The Water Resources Management Plan should address the following concerns/questions:
    • If there are any brooks, rivers, ponds, streams or wetlands, present in or within 30 metres of the boundaries of the project site, then identify the type of water body and its distance from the site.
    • If any of the above-mentioned water bodies or wetlands are impacted by site operation, describe how the water body will be impacted. A permit/licence from the Water Resources Management Division may be required.
    • If there is any potential of onsite drainage water or dewatering water to discharge into a natural water body,  describe the precautionary measures, such as vegetative cover, filter strip, silt curtain, etc., that will be deployed to ensure the effluent or runoff meets the requirement of the Environmental Control Water and Sewage Regulations, 2003.
    • Describe water control measures to be deployed onsite for daily workings as well as for high-precipitation storms.
    • Describe sediment control measures to be deployed onsite to avoid discharging sediment-laden water into the natural waterbody.
• The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture requires the following;
  • A revised quarry boundary as indicated in the minister’s decision letter.
  • A minimum 50 metre naturally vegetated buffer, which includes trees, shall be maintained along the scheduled Salmon River, Piper’s Hole River. The buffer is measured from the edge of non-hydrophytic (water-loving) vegetation.
  • For all other waterbodies:
    • 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.
  • Wetlands (located to the south and west of the proposed site):
    • Where possible, for slopes less than 30 percent, a minimum 30 metre naturally vegetated riparian buffer zone shall be established around the wetland, from the edge of non-hydrophytic (water-loving) vegetation. 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 per cent, 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 the project, including a copy of all permits, licences, certificates, approvals and other authorizations required for the project, one year from the date of the release letter and to provide additional updates if required.

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