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

REVISED PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) REGISTRATION
FOR THE NEPISIGUIT FALLS GENERATING STATION MODIFICATION AND REHABILITATION PROJECT
1.0 INTRODUCTION
This document is intended to fulfill the requirements of a registration under the New Brunswick
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulation of the Clean Environment Act for the
modification and rehabilitation of the Nepisiguit Falls Generating Station (NFGS). This
document also serves as a Project Description for the purposes of the Regulations Respecting
the Coordination by Federal Authorities of Environmental Assessment Procedures and
Requirements, under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA), as the work is
considered a “project” under CEAA. Additional information about the regulatory framework is
provided in Section 1.7.
The modification and rehabilitation of the NFGS (the “Project”) is proposed by the New
Brunswick Power Generation Corporation (“NB Power”; “the Proponent”) to extend the service
life of the existing Nepisiguit Falls Generating Station (NFGS). Stantec Consulting Ltd.
(“Stantec”) prepared this document on behalf of the Proponent.
1.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW
NB Power purchased the NFGS from Smurfit-Stone Corporation in 2007. The station is a
10.8 MW hydroelectric generating station originally built in 1921 and consists of a forebay,
forebay spillway dam, submerged gate, rubber dam, main dam and sluiceway, power house
containing turbines and electrical generating equipment, and associated electrical terminal and
transmission facilities.
The Project is located at the Nepisiguit Falls on the Nepisiguit River, in the community of
Bathurst Mines, Gloucester County, NB (Figure 1.1). The Project is located in a remote part of
the province, approximately 35 km south of the City of Bathurst, in northern New Brunswick.
The Project includes of the replacement of the existing coarse trash rack system and intake
deck structure on the upstream face of the power house; refurbishment of the upstream face,
crest, and downstream face of the forebay spillway dam; the installation of a new rubber dam on
the top of the forebay spillway dam; removal of debris from the intakes of the power house and
fine trash rack system; installation of post-tension anchors and ancillary works such as the
installation of a new chain link fence and gate, extension of the existing retaining wall at the
northend parking lot and the installation of new communication and electrical infrastructure at
the NFGS. These activities will extend the service life of the NFGS. Replacement of the coarse
trash rack system and intake deck require a dry working area, and therefore, installation of a
Coffer Dam is necessary within the forebay to restrict the flow of water to the power house.
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