OTTAWA, December 19, 2007 - The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) and the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation (the Department) invite public comment on the draft guidelines for the preparation of the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Lower Churchill Hydroelectric Generation Project.
The draft guidelines identify the information that the proponent, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, will be required to address in order to prepare the EIS.
Written comments on the draft Guidelines received by January 28, 2008, will be considered. Please forward your comments, in the official language of your choice, by mail or e-mail to:
Maryse Pineau
Panel Manager
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
160 Elgin Street, 22nd Floor
Ottawa ON K1A 0H3
Tel.: 613-948-1364
Fax: 613-957-0941
E-mail: maryse.pineau@ceaa-acee.gc.ca
Paul Carter
Chairperson, Environmental Assessment Division
Department of Environment and Conservation
PO Box 8700, St. John’s NL A1B 4J6
Tel.: 709-729-0188
Fax: 709-729-5518
E-mail: pcarter@gov.nl.ca
The draft EIS Guidelines as well as information on the proposed project are available on the Agency’s website and the Department’s website. Copies of the draft EIS Guidelines can also be obtained by contacting the above-mentioned persons.
The Agency and the Department are developing an agreement to guide a joint environmental assessment of the proposed project which would include procedures for appointing an independent review panel to conduct public hearings on the EIS, the proposed terms of reference for the joint review panel, and procedures for conducting the review process. The draft agreement will be made available for public comment at a later date.
The Agency awarded $50,000 in August, under its Participant Funding Program, to five recipients to take part in this phase of the environmental assessment. More funds will be made available at a later date to participate in the next steps of the environmental assessment.
The proposal is for the development of two hydroelectric generating stations on the Lower Churchill River. It includes two potential sites. One is a 2,000 megawatt project at Gull Island, which is 225 kilometres downstream from the existing 5,428 megawatt facility at Churchill Falls, and the other is an 800 megawatt project at Muskrat Falls, which is 60 kilometres downstream of Gull Island.
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and Environmental Assessment Division of the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation, administer the federal and provincial environmental assessment processes, which identify the environmental effects of proposed projects and measures to respectively address those effects, in support of sustainable development.
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Media may contact:
Nicholas Girard
Senior Communications Advisor
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Tel.: 613-957-0958
nicholas.girard@ceaa-acee.gc.ca
Diane Hart
Director of Communications
Department of Environment and Conservation
Tel.: 709-729-2575
dianehart@gov.nl.ca
