The Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, has announced the following relative to Part 10 Environmental Assessment of the Environmental Protection Act.

Undertakings Released:

Humber Valley – Goose Bay Regional Abattoir         (Reg. 2206)
Proponent: Dinsmore Farm

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 Pollution Prevention Division of the Department of Environment and Climate Change requires that a detailed Waste Management Plan (WMP) that addresses all waste streams produced by the undertaking, including liquid and solid waste, be submitted for approval prior to the commencement of operations. The WMP must incorporate composting management and should be developed in conjunction with the Department of Fisheries Forestry and Agriculture and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and describe how to safely and effectively compost waste offal, including the separate composting of specified risk material. The plan should also include details pertaining to vector and odor control and contingencies for any spills of waste or hazardous materials.
• The Water Resources Management Division of the Department of Environment and Climate Change requires a Water Resources Management Plan to ensure the safe disposal of process water and storm water runoff from the facility without causing any environmental impact to the nearby waterbodies.
• 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.

Crown Zone 4 Five-Year Forestry Operating Plan (2023-2027)     (Reg. 2207)
Proponent: Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture

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 Climate Change Branch of the Department of Environment and Climate Change requires that a Greenhouse Gas Management Plan must be prepared and submitted to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change for approval. A draft of this plan must be submitted within one year of the date of the Minister’s decision letter with an update on the progress of this plan to be submitted in 6 months. The plan is expected to include:
  • Any carbon modeling that has been or will be used to inform forest management planning;
  • Projections on the level of greenhouse gas emissions that are anticipated to be captured and/or released over the five year period; and
  • A description of how forest management will be informed by carbon modelling with regard to climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation.
• The Water Resources Management Division of the Department of Environment and Climate Change requires that a 30-metre buffer be maintained around the hydrometric station located at Conne River at the Outlet of Conne River Pond (02ZE004).
• The  Land Management Division of the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture requires the following:
  • The Land Management Division must be consulted prior to any silviculture activities planned to occur next to existing agriculture properties, within Agricultural Development Areas (ADAs) and within Agricultural Areas of Interest (AOIs).
  • Portions of the proposed Forestry Operating Plan areas fall within cottage planning areas, cottage development areas, community infilling limits and Crown land reserves. You are required to consult with the Land Management Division to determine if there are any land use conflicts.
  • The Land Management Division must be consulted for existing agriculture operations. The area has future agriculture growth potential and Agriculture lease application(s) will be accepted within the AOIs and ADAs.

• The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation requires the following:
  • The proponent shall Implement measures that preserve the visitor experience and viewscapes along the highway (Route 360). Cut blocks CC07014, CC07012, CC07011, CC07010, CC07017 should be developed using landscape design techniques that mitigate the visibility to the motoring public. Consult directly with the Manager of Tourism Product Development regarding efforts to minimize the visibility of clear cuts to from these routes.
  • Commercial forest harvesting in close proximity to Jipujijkuei Kuespem Provincial Park should be conducted so that cut blocks are not visible from the park and conducted outside seasonal operating times May 14-September 7. For more information, please contact Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation at (709) 729-4518.
• 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.

Steady Brook Tourism-Residential Subdivision       (Reg. 2211)
Proponent: Humber Seasons Limited

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 Department of Environment and Climate Change  requires the following:
  • A minimum 50-metre undisturbed riparian buffer zone shall be maintained along the Humber River.
  • A minimum 50-metre undisturbed riparian buffer zone shall be maintained along the waterbody titled Steady Brook. The area where Steady Brook flows into the Humber is a recognized conservation unit though the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture Program
• The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture requires that 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.

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
Debbie Marnell
Environment and Climate Change
709-729-2575, 699-9048
DebbieMarnell@gov.nl.ca