Proposed Hydroelectric Project at Army Training Centre – Central in Meaford, Ontario

A1. No. TC Energy has proposed a potential pumped storage project at the ATC-C in Meaford, and the Department has granted temporary access for feasibility studies.

A2. The Department of National Defence (DND) is currently working with TC Energy to obtain the information required on the proposed project’s design, construction, and operation to assess potential impacts on Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) activities. The objective is to position the Minister to make a well-informed determination.

The Agreement in Principle, signed between DND and TC Energy in 2021, stipulates that the project must not result in any operational impacts to the CAF. As ATC-C is an active military training site, any large-scale construction could require adjustments to training schedules, restrictions on access to specific areas, and the implementation of additional safety measures to protect both military personnel and contractors. These operational considerations form a key component of DND’s assessment of the proposed OPSP.

If the proposed OPSP proceeds, construction activities will be phased to minimize disruption to base operations. Any DND infrastructure impacted by the OPSP will be constructed and operationalized prior to the decommissioning or demolition of existing infrastructure to maintain continuity of military activities.

A3. The Agreement in Principle signed between TC Energy and DND in 2021 outlines that all costs in any way associated with every phase of the project shall be assumed by TC Energy. This includes all studies that DND must undertake to assess the viability of relocating infrastructure to accommodate the proposed OPSP facility. Any costs in any way associated with the relocation, decommissioning, demolition, planning and development, design, construction and operationalization of any DND infrastructure would also be assumed by TC Energy.

A4. No decisions on the TC Energy’s OPSP will be made until all necessary information is available, including potential impacts on training, operations, the environment, and risks to the Crown. In accordance with the standard process, DND will provide a recommendation to the Minister once sufficient information has been received to support an informed decision.

Note that as per the signed agreement between TC Energy and DND, all infrastructure at ATC-C impacted by the proposed OPSP will need to be relocated and made operational elsewhere on the Base. As part of this project, TC Energy will not be funding construction unrelated to the infrastructure impacted by the project.

A5. Questions concerning TC Energy’s processes and plans are to be directed to TC Energy.

A6. The initial feasibility studies are focused on assessing the impact of relocating buildings, infrastructure, and range and training areas within a defined portion of ATC-C land. The completion of the studies has had no effect on planned CAF training or operations. DND is not aware of any impacts on the surrounding community.

Similarly, the feasibility studies conducted by TC Energy at ATC-C, to date, have had no effect on planned CAF training or operations.

A7. ATC-C in Meaford is home to 30 species listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), including a variety of birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and plants. DND’s environmental personnel work to protect these species and their habitats in accordance with our obligations under SARA. Potential impacts on SARA-listed species will continue to be assessed under the Environmental Effects Determination (EED) process for any DND relocated infrastructure required to accommodate the project. The results of the EED will help inform the Minister’s decision on whether the TC Energy OPSP can be accommodated or if DND will disengage from the project. Any impacts to SARA species within the footprint of the proposed TC Energy OPSP will be evaluated though an Impact Assessment process lead by Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.

All regulatory requirements, permits and enforcement actions related to species at risk fall under the authority of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). DND will continue to work with ECCC on environmental matters and throughout the Impact Assessment process for the land parcel proposed for use by TC Energy.

A8. The proposed OPSP footprint identified by TC Energy is known to contain Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) due to the nature of the training historically and currently conducted on the base. ATC-C is an active military training site that includes live-fire exercises, and safety measures are in place to prevent harm to personnel and visitors.

If the OPSP proceeds, TC Energy will be required to conduct UXO surveys within the proposed project footprint and remediate any UXO identified within that area as part of construction activities.

A9. These risks are being factored into the Department’s decision-making process. Live-fire training at ATC-C results in an ongoing release of UXO and munition residues in the environment. Disturbing the land during construction carries the risk of influencing how these munitions move through soil or groundwater. To mitigate such risks, DND requires comprehensive environmental assessments, UXO surveys and clearance activities prior to any construction work, along with the implementation of appropriate safety measures, should the OPSP proceed.

As part of the Canadian Army’s approach to managing risks associated contaminants and UXO in ranges and training areas, ATC-C conducts annual surface and groundwater monitoring to identify any impacts resulting from live-fire training. If contamination is detected that poses off-site risks, the Canadian Army takes corrective action to reduce those risks.

Thorough characterization of the ranges and training areas, combined with historical and ongoing monitoring has found that minimal contamination exists in surface and ground water at ATC-C. Previous historical Environmental Site Assessments have also shown minimal contamination. Any sites identified with contamination after 1998 are managed under a rigorous program based on the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan. Records of past assessments are publicly available through the Treasury Board Secretariates Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory.

Members of the public may consult the Canadian Council of the Ministers of the Environment for information on the soil and water Quality guidelines that apply to federal lands, or the Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory for a list of documented contaminated sites at ATC-C.

The safety of military personnel and the public remains a top priority, and any potential contamination-related risks will be carefully managed if the project moves ahead.

A10. The Department of National Defence (DND) began its site selection process by reviewing existing DND properties, including ATC-C in Meaford, followed by other federal lands, before considering private parcels. Hundreds of potential sites were analyzed against stringent technical criteria, including parcel size, topography, spacing requirements, and radio-frequency environment required for optimal radar performance.

Due to the Arctic Over the Horizon Radar (A-OTHR) program’s highly restrictive siting criteria, requiring large, continguous areas of relatively flat terrain with minimal environmental constraints, Meaford was determined to be unsuitable for program siting. Meaford contains extensive wetlands, challenging Niagara Escarpment topography, and multiple sensitive environmental features that significantly constrain the ability to establish the required radar infrastructure footprint without unacceptable environmental and engineering risk. In addition, Meaford functions as a high intensity training base supporting critical Canadian Army operations and accommodating A-OTHR would result in significant displacement of essential training, causing unacceptable impacts to base operations.

The TC Energy pumped storage project does not face the same operational and technical constraints. Its design parameters allow it to work within Meaford’s environmental and terrain characteristics with application of mitigation measures. As a result, the environmental and operational factors that make Meaford unsuitable for A-OTHR are not applicable to the pumped storage project; the project can coexist with training at Meaford and does not prevent the base from carrying out its mission. Risks to current and future Canadian Armed Forces operations are being actively managed and mitigated.

Further information on the A-OTHR program and its siting analysis is available at: Transmit site and preliminary receive site for the Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar Project in Southern Ontario – Canada.ca.