The impact assessment process for the hydro-electric pumped storage facility proposed by TC Energy is now underway, and if you have comments to share, now is the time to do it.
Though the pumped storage proposal has been a hot topic in this community for the past six years, it might surprise some to know that those six years have been just a prelude. Now the formal process begins to assess the impacts that this project could have should it move forward.
TC Energy has now submitted the Initial Project Description to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC), the first formal document submission which provides an early overview of the project proposal, including the purpose of and need for the project, key components, possible alternatives, and the potential impacts of the project.
The submission of that Initial Project Description to IAAC triggers a federally legislated 30-day public commenting period, allowing residents to share their thoughts and concerns about the proposal, and I know that many in this community will have plenty to share.
Until now the pumped storage proposal has been an idea, a concept brought forward by TC Energy, but now it is a formally submitted proposal, not just an idea, and is now subject to the impact assessment process.
Over the past six years members of council have received hundreds, if not thousands, of email messages and phone calls about the proposal, and this newspaper has published hundreds of letters to the editor on the issue, some from folks who support the proposal, and many from those who oppose. All of those email messages and letters to the editor, all of the posts on social media, have been important for members of this community as they have grappled with this proposal, but they haven’t had much of an effect aside from raising awareness about the project. But now, those comments and concerns, if shared with IAAC, become part of the record, part of the consideration during the impact assessment process.
No process is perfect of course, and we can certainly debate the particulars of the impact assessment process, but we have to work with the tools that are provided, and now is the first opportunity for residents of this municipality, and far beyond, to share their thoughts and concerns in a more meaningful way.
As of the time I am writing this column on Tuesday morning, there have already been 18 comments submitted and posted on the IAAC website, and I have little doubt that by the time the commenting period ends on April 6 there will be many more comments submitted.
From the early comments that I reviewed, there is a mix of support for and opposition to the project, with the concerns expressed being very familiar as they are the very concerns that we have heard expressed by residents over the past six years. With the impact assessment process now underway, those comments are no longer drifting into the void, they will be a part of the official record.
Whether we support or oppose the proposal, or if we have no opinion at all, we all have concerns. Personally, as I have written in the past, I don’t like the idea of using our military bases for corporate profit. I say that, realizing that it is not as if it hasn’t been done before, but I still don’t like it, though I consider that to be a battle lost at this stage. I am also very concerned about the impact that the construction of this massive project over many years will have on this community with an influx of 1,800 workers and hundreds of large trucks and heavy equipment clogging our roads for years to come. I also want to ensure that potential environmental impacts are seriously explored, and that effective mitigation measures are implemented. Those are my primary concerns, but I know that residents in this community have many more concerns, concerns about endangered species, concerns about contaminated soil on the base, concerns about residential homes located near the proposed project site, and so on. The issues are many, and they are different for each of us, which is why a process like the impact assessment is so important.
As TC Energy noted when I was in contact with them over the weekend, the “federally legislated 30-day public comment period is intended to gather early input – not to review detailed studies or draw conclusions. At this stage, the public is being asked to comment on the Initial Project Description, which provides a high-level overview of the project and helps identify key issues, concerns, and information gaps.”
TC Energy noted that the input provided by citizens will help the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada “determine what needs deeper study as the multi-phase review moves forward.”
Following this early Planning Phase, the project will move into detailed technical and environmental studies, and will see further consultation and review before a decision is ultimately made about whether the project will be allowed to move forward.
TC Energy also noted in their comments to me that there will be many opportunities for public participation throughout the multi-year process that is to come.
So the impact assessment process is now underway, and it is time for residents of this community, along with any other citizens from far and wide to share their thoughts whether they support the proposal, or are opposed to the proposal. How much that input will influence any future decisions remains to be seen of course, but if residents don’t share their comments within the IAAC process, then of course they won’t be considered at all, so no matter your position on the proposal, get involved, and submit your comments.
To provide a comment to the IAAC, and to view the comments that have been submitted thus far, visit:
https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/89803/consultations
For additional information visit:
Canadian Impact Assessment Registry:
https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/89803?culture=en-CA.
Ontario Pumped Storage Project website:
