Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) Registration for the ...

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REVISED PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) REGISTRATION FOR THE NEPISIGUIT FALLS GENERATING STATION MODIFICATION AND REHABILITATION PROJECT Extreme rain events during Construction can create difficult and unsafe working conditions and may result in work stoppages. Rain is an expected work difficulty and the construction schedule considers delays due to potential rain events. In the event of extreme rain, compliance with NB Power’s WAWA permit and standard construction practices for erosion and sediment control will ensure that erosion and sedimentation are addressed appropriately to minimize the potential environmental effects. Extreme precipitation during all phases of the Project will be managed according to current practices in place for the existing structure. The data from the Geological Survey of Canada’s National Earthquake Database (NEDB) (http://www.seismo.nrcan.gc.ca) show very few seismic events in the vicinity of the Project. Epicentres cluster in three regions: Passamaquoddy Bay region; Central Highlands (Miramichi) region; and Moncton region. The Project includes a post-tensioning upgrade to the existing spillway dam which is intended to strengthen and stabilize the structure against a seismic event. The intent of this upgrade is to ensure the integrity of the spillway dam based on the level of risk for an earthquake in the area. Service could be interrupted due to earthquake damage in an extreme event, but this is an unlikely scenario. The Project has been conceived and will be constructed and operated in such a manner that significant effects of the environment on the Project are not likely to occur. These effects have been considered through design standards and building codes. Further mitigation includes the scheduling of construction activities to accommodate weather interruptions. As such, a significant effect of the environment on the Project during all phases of the Project, including cumulative effects, are not likely to occur and therefore, rated not significant. 4.2.3 VECs Which May Result in an Interaction with the Project that Requires Further Evaluation The only VEC which may result in an interaction with the Project that requires further evaluation is the Aquatic Environment, discussed in Section 4.3 below. 4.3 AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT 4.3.1 Scope of Assessment This section defines the scope of the environmental assessment for the Aquatic Environment in consideration of the regulatory context, potential VEC-interactions and existing knowledge. Page 44 June 15, 2011
REVISED PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) REGISTRATION FOR THE NEPISIGUIT FALLS GENERATING STATION MODIFICATION AND REHABILITATION PROJECT 4.3.1.1 Rationale for Selection of Valued Environmental Component and Regulatory Context The Aquatic Environment includes watercourses (rivers, lakes, and streams) that provide habitat for fish and other aquatic species. The Aquatic Environment has been identified as a VEC due to its importance in supporting aquatic life. The Aquatic Environment is protected primarily through the federal Fisheries Act and particularly the DFO Policy for the Management of Fish Habitat, where habitat is harmfully altered, disrupted or destroyed. The Fisheries Act also regulates other aspects of the protection of fisheries including barriers to fish passage, the release of deleterious substances, and direct mortality. Provincial legislation, including the New Brunswick Clean Water Act, is also protective of the Aquatic Environment directly through the Clean Environment Act (Water Quality Regulation), and indirectly through the Clean Water Act (Watercourse and Wetland Alteration Regulation). The federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), and the New Brunswick Endangered Species Act (NB ESA) are also potentially relevant to this VEC. 4.3.1.2 Selection of Environmental Effects and Measurable Parameters The environmental assessment of the Aquatic Environment is focused on the following environmental effect: • Change in Aquatic Environment. Change in Aquatic Environment as an environmental effect is intended to broadly encompass potential environmental effects to the Aquatic Environment relating to fish survival as well as fish habitat quality and water quality upon which fish depend for survival. The Project has the potential to affect the Aquatic Environment through changes in water quality and fish habitat which, if unmitigated, have the potential to affect or change fish populations. In light of the value placed on the Aquatic Environment by regulatory agencies, stakeholders, and the public, the environmental assessment of the Aquatic Environment focuses on several measurable parameters. The measurable parameters used for the assessment of the environmental effect and the rationale for their selection is provided in Table 4.2. June 15, 2011 Page 45
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