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
which could be associated with vehicle accidents, have been addressed elsewhere. There is a
heightened potential for a Vehicle Accident during Construction activities due to increased
activity at the site. There are no features of the future Operation of the Project that would
increase the risk of a Vehicle Accident compared to the current operation of the NFGS. The
potential environmental effects of a Vehicle Accident during future Decommissioning and
Abandonment activities will be assessed in a future Decommissioning and Abandonment plan.
A Vehicle Accident could potentially occur during Construction when an anticipated increase in
heavy truck traffic to the PDA is likely to occur. Worker traffic and truck traffic to and from the
site, and the operation of heavy equipment on-site during Construction, have the potential to
result in vehicle accidents.
Project-related vehicles will observe all traffic rules and provincial and federal highway
regulations. Trucking activity for Construction will take place on designated routes, and traffic
control will be implemented if needed.
With these measures and planned mitigation, and by the very limited nature of the Project itself,
the potential environmental effects of a Vehicle Accident as part of the Project are rated not
significant.
4.4.3.8 Wildlife Encounter
A Wildlife Encounter has the potential to interact with the Terrestrial Environment VEC, as
indicated by its ranking of 1 in Table 4.6. There is a heightened potential for a Wildlife Encounter
during Construction activities due to increased activity at the site. There are no features of the
future Operation of the Project that would increase the risk of a Wildlife Encounter compared to
the current operation of the NFGS. The potential environmental effects of a Wildlife Encounter
during future Decommissioning and Abandonment activities will be assessed in a future
Decommissioning and Abandonment plan.
There is the potential for workers to come into contact with fish and/or wildlife during the
Construction of the Project. This could have adverse environmental effects on both worker
(e.g., disruption of work activity, or bodily harm) and fish or wildlife (e.g., disturbance of critical
life cycles). Current and planned frequent human activity in the area of the Project reduces the
potential for wildlife encounters (i.e., posing a risk to public or worker health and safety or to the
survival of the wildlife).
In case of persistent or dangerous wildlife encounters, NB Power personnel shall notify NBDNR
of the situation. Fish rescue operations will take place prior to Construction, if necessary, and
will be undertaken in consultation with DFO to prevent destruction of fish in situations where
construction-related activities place fish in imminent danger of injury or death.
With these measures and planned mitigation, the potential environmental effects of a Wildlife
Encounter as part of the Project are rated not significant.
Page 72 June 15, 2011