The Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister of Environment and Conservation, has announced the following events relative to Part 10 Environmental Assessment of the Environmental Protection Act.

Undertakings Registered:

Stephenville Indian Head Salmon Hatchery                                          (Reg. 1536)
Proponent: Northern Harvest Sea Farms Newfoundland Ltd.

The proponent plans to construct and operate a self-contained, biosecure, recirculation facility for land-based production of Atlantic salmon eggs and smolt as well as broodstock development and a breeding program. The proponent intends to utilize recirculation technology in the hatchery to reduce water requirements, improve biosecurity and treat effluent. The hatchery will have the capacity to produce approximately four and a half million salmon smolts per year, beginning with the production of three and half million smolt by June 2011. 　The proposed facility will be 7,000 square metres in size and will be built on an 11 hectare site located at 15 Connecticut Drive in Stephenville. The salmon smolt produced by this facility will provide stock for the proponent's grow-out operations in Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick.

The undertaking was registered October 25, 2010; the deadline for public comments is November 30, 2010; and the minister's decision is due by December 9, 2010.

For further information on the environmental assessment process, please contact 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

Environmental assessment information is on the department website - www.gov.nl.ca/env

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Media contact:
Melony O'Neill
Director of Communications
Department of Environment and Conservation
709-729-2575, 689-0928
moneill@gov.nl.ca