Environmental Assessment Bulletin

Environment Minister Kevin Aylward has announced the following events relative to Part 10 Environmental Assessment of the Environmental Protection Act.

UNDERTAKINGS REGISTERED:

(1) Argentia Hydrometallurgical Demonstration Plant
Proponent: Voisey�s Bay Nickel Company Limited (VBNC)

VBNC proposes to build a Hydrometallurgical (Hydromet) Demonstration Plant at Argentia. The registration document contains a project description and information regarding the social, economic and environmental factors associated with the proposal. The proposed plant would be a �stand-alone� facility that would test hydrometallurgical processes for ultimate use in commercial plants, including the one proposed for Argentia. The hydrometallurgical processes involve treatment of nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide concentrate using pressure oxidative leaching with the subsequent recovery of copper, cobalt, and nickel.

The proponent proposes to build the plant on the property generally referred to as the north side of the former U.S. Naval base at Argentia. The plant would be operated in a testing and trial mode to confirm process conditions and alternative designs. Additionally, the plant would be used to test certain alternative equipment or process configurations to determine optimal design criteria for full-scale hydrometallurgical processing. This registration is for the demonstration facility only. The construction phase will be approximately 16 months with an initial operating phase of two to three years.

The undertaking was registered on November 12, 2002; public comments are due by December 18, 2002; and the minister�s decision is due by December 27, 2002. If you have questions regarding the above project, please contact Patrick Marrie of the Environmental Assessment Division at (709) 729-2813 or e-mail pmarrie@mail.gov.nf.ca.

(2) Lethbridge Organic Compost Facility
Proponent: Discovery Compost Limited

The proponent proposes to establish an Organic Compost Facility approximately 5.9 kilometres off the gravel forest access road at Lethbridge, Bonavista Bay. The proposed site is located inside the Musgravetown-Lethbridge Agricultural Development Area. A major purpose of the proposal is to provide an outlet for cow manure, and fish, crab and shrimp offal. The proponent anticipates that a local source of bulk compost will be valuable to the farmers, horticultural businesses and landscapers currently operating on the Bonavista peninsula and potentially the eastern Newfoundland region.

The proposed project initially would not require any buildings or similar structures. Construction would be completed in one stage of seven working days. The proponent anticipates that the earliest start date for construction would be April or May of 2003. A small section of the existing agricultural grant (approximately one hectare) would be grubbed, leveled and then graded to a one to two degree slope. The proponent states that the perimeter of the site would be ditched and all site drainage intercepted and routed to a vegetated area with no direct route towards any water body.

The proposed operation would be a standard windrow composting system with windrows approximately four to seven metres wide and two to four meters high. The site would have up to 10 windrows ranging in length from 75 to 100 metres. During the initial year of operation it is estimated that 4,500 cubic metres of material would be composted.

The undertaking was registered on November 12, 2002; public comments are due by December 18, 2002; and the minister�s decision is due by December 27, 2002.

The minister encourages all interested parties to become involved and to make comments known. Comments on submitted documents are invited from the public, addressed in writing to the minister, and are welcome prior to the deadline dates shown.

UNDERTAKING RELEASED:

(1) CBPP Five Year Forest Mgmt Plan Dist 15 (Corner Brook) 2003-07
Proponent: Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Limited

The above project has been released from further environmental assessment subject to the following conditions:

• A wildlife habitat corridor must be established, in consultation with the Inland Fish and Wildlife Division, to ensure landscape level habitat connectivity is maintained in the district and to Gros Morne National Park, with particular reference to pine marten.
• The pine marten habitat suitability model must be run for the district as soon as possible. Following the analysis of model outputs, amendments to operating areas and/or harvest methods may be required to allow for continued protection and recovery of the endangered pine marten population.
• The additional information needed by the Women�s Policy Office be supplied, including analysis of available employment data by gender for contracts. Specific initiatives and targets to address the need to increase the level of participation of women should be identified. An employment monitoring report must be submitted on an annual basis, including collection of employment statistics by gender in order to track progress on participation of women and to implement adjustment strategies if employment targets are not being attained.
• The buffers identified by the Provincial Archaeology Office for specified known and potential archaeological sites in the District be implemented until Stage 1 Historic Resources Assessments are completed for these sites.
• Prior to the start of harvesting activities, landscape design methods and appropriate viewshed planning must be completed, in consultation with the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation and Parks Canada, to minimize the visual impacts of harvesting on roadways for major touring corridors and other sensitive scenic areas, including, but not limited to, the north side of Deer Lake (Humber Valley), operating areas Penguin Arm (K-15-06) and Frenchman�s Pond (K-15-11) with viewscapes of North Arm and Middle Arm (Penguin and Goose Arms) of the Bay of Islands area, and areas surrounding Gros Morne National Park.
• Forest harvesting and associated activities are not permitted in the Serpentine Lake-Lewis Hills provisional reserve area.
• Approval must be obtained from the municipalities and from the Department of Environment for any activities proposed within protected water supply areas.

Further information may be obtained by contacting the Director of Environmental Assessment at (709) 729-2562 or toll-free: 1-800-563-6181 or by mail to:

Director, Environmental Assessment Division
Department of Environment
West Block, Confederation Building
P.O. Box 8700, St. John's, NF, A1B 4J6

Environmental Assessment information is on the government web site at www.gov.nl.ca/env

2002 11 13                                      11:00 a.m.