Environmental Assessment Bulletin

The Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Environment and Conservation, has announced the following event relative to Part 10 Environmental Assessment of the Environmental Protection Act.

UNDERTAKING REGISTERED:

Lower Churchill River Hydroelectric Generation Project                         (Reg. 1305)
Proponent: Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

The proponent proposes to construct and operate two hydroelectric power generating facilities on the lower section of the Churchill River at Gull Island and Muskrat Falls in Labrador. Gull Island is located approximately 100 kilometres and Muskrat Falls 30 kilometres to the southwest of the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, respectively. The two facilities will have a combined power generation capacity of approximately 2,800 megawatts (MW). The Gull Island facility will have a capacity of 2,000 MW, including a dam 99 metres high by 1,315 metres long with a reservoir 225 kilometres long, flooding an additional 85 square kilometre area. The Muskrat Falls facility will have a capacity of 800 MW, including a dam at the north section 32 metres high by 180 metres long, and south section 29 metres high by 370 metres long with a reservoir 60 kilometres long, flooding an additional 36 square kilometre area. The project will also include interconnecting transmission lines to the existing Labrador grid at Churchill Falls Generating Station. Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2009 at Gull Island with first power generation in mid-2014, and construction of Muskrat Falls is proposed to start three years following the start of construction at Gull Island. The undertaking was registered on December 1, 2006; public comments are due by January 15, 2007; and the minister's decision is due by January 25, 2007.

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 date shown.

Further information may be obtained by contacting the Director of Environmental Assessment at (709) 729-4211 or toll-free: 1-800-563-6181 or by mail to:

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