The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) hosted an information session on Thursday, February 12 at Meaford Hall, regarding the Ontario Pumped Storage Project proposed to be built on the grounds of the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre in Meaford. The meeting was also available via Zoom for those who preferred to participate online.
More than 100 residents attended the meeting in person at Meaford Hall, with another 158 participating online for the two-hour information session.
The session included presentations by the IAAC, as well as Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and the Department of National Defence, who explained the steps forward for the impact assessment that will soon be underway.
Though the impact assessment has yet to begin, prior to Thursday’s meeting, proponent TC Energy issued a statement to The Meaford Independent.
“TC Energy is encouraged that the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) is hosting a public information session to explain the federal impact assessment process and how people can participate. This session marks an early step in a multi-year, IAAC-led review,” said TC Energy. “We are currently in the final stages of preparation to begin the Impact Assessment process and will provide notice when it officially starts. We remain committed to listening and engaging with the community throughout the process.”
The impact assessment process will be triggered once TC Energy submits an Initial Project Description to the IAAC, after which a 30-day commenting period will commence.
While the intent of the information session was to inform the public of the impact assessment process that will soon get underway, many residents wanted to share their opposition to the proposal, and their reasons for opposition. Meeting organizers reminded those in attendance both in the Hall opera house and online, that the time for public comments on the proposal itself will come after the impact assessment process begins.
Proponent TC Energy has said the proposal is a green initiative that would consume inexpensive off-peak power at night to pump water from Georgian Bay into a 374-acre storage reservoir located 150 metres above the Georgian Bay shoreline on the military base. The reservoir, which would hold 20 million cubic metres of water, would be emptied back into Georgian Bay during peak usage periods, driving hydraulic turbines to generate electricity.
Since the proposed facility first became public knowledge in 2019, many residents have expressed concerns about the proposal, ranging from fears that the facility would have negative impacts on the environment, including negatively impacting fish in the bay, to concerns that homeowners in close proximity to the site could be in danger of flooding should the reservoir fail. Concern has also been growing about the potential for contaminated soil on the military base creating issues once disturbed when the reservoir is dug. Many have also expressed concern about the cost of the multi-billion dollar proposal, and whether pumped storage should be favoured over battery storage.
Once TC Energy submits the Initial Project Description to the IAAC, the impact assessment process will begin. Information will be posted on the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada’s website, including information about submitting comments and concerns: https://www.canada.ca/en/impact-assessment-agency.html
