The Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, has announced the following events relative to Part 10 Environmental Assessment of the Environmental Protection Act.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AMENDMENT REQUIRED ADDITIONAL WORK:
Valentine Gold Project                                                                             (Reg. 2015)
Proponent: Marathon Gold Corporation

Following public and agency review of the August 6, 2021 submission of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Amendment for the Valentine Gold Project, it has been determined that the proponent must provide additional information to supplement the EIS. This includes further information on, but may not be limited to: caribou protection and effects monitoring; Victoria Lake Reservoir and Victoria Dam effects and mitigations; effects on human health; greenhouse gas emissions; baseline survey of fish populations in Victoria Lake and Valentine Lake; acid rock drainage, metal leaching and potentially acid generating materials; consultation with outfitters; surface water and groundwater modeling and monitoring; tailings management; and cumulative effects assessment.

UNDERTAKINGS RELEASED:

Paradise Microbrewery                                                                            (Reg. 2168)
Proponent: Banished Brewing Ltd.

The project is released subject to the following conditions:

• The proponent is required to uphold all commitments made in the environmental assessment submission to mitigate the effects of the project on the environment.
• The proponent is required to update the Environmental Assessment Division on the status of the project, including a copy of all permits, licences, certificates, approvals and other authorizations required for the project, one year from the date of this release letter and to provide additional updates if requested.

Terra Nova River Hiking Trail                                                                 (Reg. 2167)
Proponent: Town of Glovertown

The project is released subject to the following conditions:

• The proponent is required to uphold all commitments made in the environmental assessment submission to mitigate the effects of the project on the environment.
• The Water Resource Management Division of the Department of Environment and Climate Change advises that the proposed trail passes next to the hydrometric station Terra Nova River at Glovertown-02YS005, located at approximately latitude 48.66194, Longitide-54.01806, used to measure streamflow on the Terra Nova River. The proposed trail must maintain a minimum 15-metre undisturbed buffer around the hydrometric station so as not to interfere with the operation of this station. The 15-metre undisturbed buffer shall be from the eastern edge of the hut that houses station equipment.
• The proponent is required to advise the Environmental Assessment Division when the conditions of release have been met, by emailing a written description, documents, and images (where applicable) to demonstrate that the conditions have been fulfilled.
• The proponent is required to update the Environmental Assessment Division on the status of the project, including a copy of all permits, licences, certificates, approvals and other authorizations required for the project, one year from the date of this release letter and to provide additional updates if requested.

Hopeall Abattoir                                                                                          (Reg. 2105)
Proponent: Kettle Hill Farm

The project is released subject to the following conditions:

• The proponent is required to uphold all commitments made in the environmental assessment submission to mitigate the effects of the project on the environment.
• All specified risk material generated from the abattoir must be transported in sealed leak-proof containers to the provincial agriculture incinerator located at Brookfield Road in St. John’s for final disposal. Unusable non-specified risk material must also be transported to the provincial agriculture incinerator for final disposal. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency must be contacted to obtain any applicable permits for the off-site transportation of specified risk material. Should future plans involve the on-land burial of liquid or solid organic waste from abattoir operations, the proponent is required to submit those plans to the Department of Environment and Climate Change to be reviewed for regulatory requirements, prior to finalizing the plans or commencing on-land burial activities.
• The Pollution Prevention Division of the Department of Environment and Climate Change requires that a detailed Waste Management Plan that addresses all waste streams produced by the undertaking, including liquid and solid waste, must be submitted for my approval prior to the commencement of operations.
• The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture requires the following:
  • No vegetation clearing is to occur within 800 metres of a bald eagle or osprey nest during the nesting season (March 15 to July 31) and 200 metres during the remainder of the year. The 200m buffer also applies to all other raptor nests (e.g. Northern Goshawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin, American Kestrel, Great-horned Owl, Boreal Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl). The location of any raptor nest site must be reported to the Wildlife Division.
  • A minimum 30-metre undisturbed buffer must be maintained along streams and waterbodies that appear on a 1:50,000 topographic map to protect sensitive riparian and aquatic species, and their habitat.
• The proponent is required to advise the Environmental Assessment Division when the conditions of release have been met, by emailing a written description, documents, and images (where applicable) to demonstrate that the conditions have been fulfilled.
• The proponent is required to update the Environmental Assessment Division on the status of the project, including a copy of all  permits, licences, certificates, approvals and other authorizations required for the project, one year from the date of this release letter and to provide additional updates if required.

Green Valley Regional Abattoir – Northern Arm                              (Reg. 2102)
Proponent: Sunshine Investments Inc.

The project is released subject to the following conditions:

• The proponent is required to uphold all commitments made in the environmental assessment submission to mitigate the effects of the project on the environment.
• All specified risk material generated from the abattoir must be transported in sealed leak-proof containers to the provincial agriculture incinerator located at Brookfield Road in St. John’s, NL for final disposal. Unusable non-specified risk material must also be transported to the provincial agriculture incinerator for final disposal. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency must be contacted to obtain any applicable permits for the off-site transportation of specified risk material. Should future plans involve the on-land burial of liquid or solid organic waste from abattoir operations, the proponent is required to submit those plans to the Department of Environment and Climate Change to be reviewed for regulatory requirements, prior to finalizing the plans or commencing on-land burial activities.
• The Pollution Prevention Division of the Department of Environment and Climate Change requires that a detailed Waste Management Plan that addresses all waste streams produced by the undertaking, including liquid and solid waste, must be submitted prior to the commencement of operations.
• The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture requires the following:
  • No vegetation clearing is to occur within 800 metres of a bald eagle or osprey nest during the nesting season (March 15 to July 31) and 200 metres during the remainder of the year.  The 200m buffer also applies to all other raptor nests (e.g. Northern Goshawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin, American Kestrel, Great-horned Owl, Boreal Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl). The location of any raptor nest site must be reported to the Wildlife Division.
  • A minimum 30-metre undisturbed buffer must be maintained along streams and waterbodies that appear on a 1:50,000 topographic map to protect sensitive riparian and aquatic species, and their habitat.
• The proponent is required to advise the Environmental Assessment Division when the conditions of release have been met, by emailing a written description, documents, and images (where applicable) to demonstrate that the conditions have been fulfilled.
• The proponent is required to update the Environmental Assessment Division on the status of the project, including a copy of all permits, licences, certificates, approvals and other authorizations required for the project, one year from the date of this release letter and to provide additional updates if requested.

Learn more
Environmental Assessment Division
Department of Environment and Climate Change
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: https://pattern-loop.live/ecc/env-assessment/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E

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Media contact
Lynn Robinson
Environment and Climate Change
709-729-5449; 691-9466
lynnrobinson@gov.nl.ca