The Honourable Eddie Joyce, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment, has announced the following event relative to Part 10 Environmental Assessment of the Environmental Protection Act.

UNDERTAKINGS REGISTERED:

Crown Zone 7 (District 9) Five Year Operating Plan (2017-2021) Amendment Proponent: Department of Fisheries and Land Resources (Reg.1951)

The proponent has submitted an amendment to the Crown Zone 7 Forest Management Five-Year Operating Plan (2017-2021). The proposed amendment includes access to four new operating areas in District 9 totalling 1,172 hectares and consisting of 231 hectares of commercially available forest. District 9 extends from White Bay in the west to Seal Bay in the east and includes all of the Baie Verte Peninsula. Operations will include mechanical felling of 20,000 cubic metres of timber and road construction. The district’s sustainable harvest level will not be exceeded by the amendment and will be balanced by reduced harvesting elsewhere.

The undertaking was registered on March 20, 2018; the deadline for public comments is April 26, 2018; and the minister’s decision is due by May 4, 2018.

Foxtrap Access Road Quarry (Reg. 1952)
Proponent: Clarke’s Trucking and Excavating Limited

The proponent proposes to develop a 4.98 hectare quarry on the Foxtrap Access Road approximately one kilometre west of Gull Pond in Conception Bay South. The undertaking will involve clearing, grubbing and excavating to remove sand, gravel, rock and borrow materials to produce sand and stone. The quarry will operate from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily from April to October depending on demand. The project is scheduled to commence in May 2018 and operate for approximately 10 years.

The undertaking was registered on March 21, 2018; the deadline for public comments is April 26, 2018; and the minister’s decision is due by May 5, 2018.

ENVIRONMENTAL PREVIEW REPORT SUBMITTED:

Health Sciences Centre Berm (Reg. 1887) 
Proponent: Eastern Health

The proponent has submitted the environmental preview report (EPR) for the above undertaking as required by the minister. The EPR is available on the Department of Municipal Affairs and Environment website at: www.mae.gov.nl.ca/env_assessment/projects/Y2017/1887/. Public comments regarding the EPR are welcome and must be received by April 26, 2018. Public comments may be emailed to the chair of the Environmental Assessment Committee, Joanne Sweeney, at joannesweeney@gov.nl.ca or to EAProjectComments@gov.nl.ca, or they may be mailed to the address below. The minister’s decision on the EPR is due by May 6, 2018.

ENVIRONMENTAL PREVIEW REPORT GUIDELINES ISSUED:

Baie Verte Tailings Management Facility Expansion, Ming Copper-Gold Mine Proponent: Rambler Metals and Mining Canada Limited (Reg. 1939)

The minister has approved the final guidelines for the preparation of the environmental preview report (EPR) for the Baie Verte Tailings Management Facility Expansion. The EPR guidelines identify the information that the proponent will be required to include in the EPR. The EPR guidelines document is available on the Department of Municipal Affairs and Environment website at: www.mae.gov.nl.ca/env_assessment/projects/Y2017/1939/. Information can be obtained by contacting the Chair of the Assessment Committee, John Reynolds, at 709-729-0090 or by email at johnreynolds@gov.nl.ca.

Green Hill Quarry Reclamation and Rehabilitation (Reg. 1934) 
Proponent: J and E Enterprises Ltd.

The minister has approved the final guidelines for the preparation of the environmental preview report (EPR) for the Green Hill Quarry Reclamation and Rehabilitation project. The EPR guidelines identify the information that the proponent will be required to include in the EPR. The EPR guidelines document is available on the Department of Municipal Affairs and Environment website at: www.mae.gov.nl.ca/env_assessment/projects/Y2017/1934/.

Information can be obtained by contacting the Chair of the Assessment Committee, Brent Keeping, at 709-729-4223 or by email at bkeeping@gov.nl.ca.

Crémaillère Harbour Marine Port Development (Reg. 1933) 
Proponent: Great Northern Port Inc.

The minister has approved the final guidelines for the preparation of the environmental preview report (EPR) for the Crémaillère Harbour Marine Port Development. The EPR guidelines identify the information that the proponent will be required to include in the EPR. The EPR guidelines document is available on the Department of Municipal Affairs and Environment website at: www.mae.gov.nl.ca/env_assessment/projects/Y2017/1933/. Information can be obtained by contacting the Chair of the Assessment Committee, John Reynolds, at 709-729-0090 or by email at johnreynolds@gov.nl.ca

UNDERTAKINGS RELEASED:

Magy Pit Extension (Reg. 1942)
Proponent: Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC)

The project is released subject to the following conditions:

• Prior to Mining Act approval, the Department of Natural Resources will require the results of the acid rock drainage (ARD) study for the Magy Pit Extension area including sample locations on a site map, rock type for each sample and the acid-base accounting results and interpretation by a qualified ARD professional. The Department of Natural Resources will also require the details of the acid-base analysis protocol that will be used to ensure that potentially acid generating waste is managed appropriately.
• IOC must extend the commitments in the Wabush 3 Gender Equity and Diversity Plan (GEDP) for the construction and operations phases to include the Magy Pit extension. This must include the reporting requirements for the GEDP commitments. The extension of the GEDP commitments (including reporting requirements) must be outlined in a letter to, and approved by the Minister responsible for the Status of Women and the Minister of Natural Resources prior to the start of construction.

Mount Pearl Microbrewery (Reg. 1943)
Proponent: Landwash Brewery Inc.

Learn More
Environmental Assessment Division – toll-free at 1-800-563-6181 or by mail:

Department of Municipal Affairs and Environment
West Block, Confederation Building
P.O. Box 8700, St. John’s, NL A1B 4J6

Public comments may be forwarded to EAprojectcomments@gov.nl.ca

Environmental assessment information: www.mae.gov.nl.ca/env_assessment/

Follow us on Twitter: @GovNL  and @MAE_GovNL 

Media contact
Lynn Robinson
Municipal Affairs and Environment
709-729-5449, 691-9466
lynnrobinson@gov.nl.ca