OTTAWA, August 25, 2006 - The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board are issuing for public comment the draft guidelines for the preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development project in the Suffield National Wildlife Area in Alberta.
The environmental assessment by a joint review panel will satisfy the requirements of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Act and the Energy Resources Conservation Act of Alberta. The joint panel is expected to be in place this fall and will include members appointed by the Minister of the Environment and by the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board.
The guidelines identify the issues the proponent, EnCana Corporation, will be required to address in the environmental assessment of the proposed project. The guidelines will also provide direction to the proponent on how to describe and assess these issues in the EIS. The EIS which will be submitted to the joint panel is a statement of the anticipated environmental effects of the project.
After taking public comments into consideration, the joint panel will finalize and issue the guidelines to the proponent and make them public. Written comments on the draft guidelines received by October 15, 2006, will be considered. Forward your comments in the official language of your choice to:
Marie-France Therrien, Panel Manager
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
160 Elgin Street, 22nd Floor
Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3
Tel.: 613-957-0324
Fax.: 613-957-0941
marie-france.therrien@ceaa-acee.gc.ca
The draft guidelines along with more information on this project can be found on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry. To obtain a copy of the guidelines, or to register as an interested party and be kept informed of the panel's activities, contact the panel manager listed above.
EnCana Corporation proposes to install, over a three-year period, up to 1275 new shallow gas wells within the boundary of the Canadian Forces Base Suffield National Wildlife Area (NWA), located in Southeastern Alberta, approximately 50 kilometres Northwest of Medicine Hat and 250 kilometres Southeast of Calgary. The project is in addition to the existing natural gas development activities within the NWA and includes the physical works and the activities associated with the preparation, construction, operation, decommissioning and abandonment of the shallow gas wells, pipelines, and supporting infrastructure.
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The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency administers the federal environmental assessment process, which identifies the environmental effects of proposed projects and measures to address those effects, in support of sustainable development.
The EUB ensures that the discovery, development, and delivery of Alberta’s resources take place in a manner that is fair, responsible, and in the public interest.
Media may contact:
Lucille Jamault
Senior Communications Advisor
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Tel.: 613-957-0434
