Webequie Supply Road Project Description
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Webequie Supply Road PROJECT DESCRIPTION Webequie First Nation The Picture is a Placeholder Only July 2019 661910 Webequie Supply Road Project Description Table of Contents 1 General Information and Contacts .......................................................................... 1 1.1 Nature of Designated Project and Proposed Location ............................................................. 1 1.2 Proponent Contact Information ................................................................................................. 1 1.3 List of Parties Consulted During Preparation of the Project Description .................................. 2 1.4 Information Regarding Whether the Designated Project is Subject to Environmental Assessment/Regulatory Requirements of Another Jurisdiction ............................................... 5 1.5 Information Regarding Whether the Designated Project is Taking Place in a Region that has Been the Subject of an Environmental Study ........................................................................... 5 2 Project Information .................................................................................................. 7 2.1 General Description of the Project ............................................................................................ 7 2.2 Relevant Provisions in Regulations Designating Physical Activities Subject to CEAA .......... 10 2.3 Components and Activities of the Designated Project ........................................................... 10 2.4 Emissions, Discharges and Waste ......................................................................................... 13 2.5 Construction, Operation, Decommissioning and Abandonment Phases and Scheduling ..... 15 3 Project Location .................................................................................................... 17 3.1 Description of the Designated Project’s Location ................................................................... 17 3.2 Project Alternatives ................................................................................................................. 19 3.2.1 Construction Camps .................................................................................................. 19 3.2.2 Aggregate Source Locations and Access Roads ...................................................... 19 3.3 Land and Water Use ............................................................................................................... 22 4 Federal Involvement – Financial Support, Lands and Legislative Requirements .. 26 4.1 Proposed or Anticipated Federal Financial Support ............................................................... 26 4.2 Federal Lands ......................................................................................................................... 26 4.3 Federal Permits, Licences, or Other Authorizations ............................................................... 26 4.4 Provincial Permits, Licenses, or Other Authorizations ........................................................... 27 5 Environmental Effects ........................................................................................... 30 5.1 Physical and Biological Setting ............................................................................................... 30 5.1.1 Vegetation and Surficial Geology .............................................................................. 30 5.1.2 Hydrology ................................................................................................................... 30 661910 July 2019 . i Webequie Supply Road Project Description 5.1.3 Wildlife ....................................................................................................................... 30 5.1.4 Fisheries .................................................................................................................... 31 5.1.5 Climate ....................................................................................................................... 33 5.1.6 Anthropogenic Uses .................................................................................................. 33 5.2 Changes to Fish and Fish Habitat, Aquatic Plants and Migratory Birds, as defined by the Respective Federal Legislation .............................................................................................. 33 5.2.1 Fish and Fish Habitat as Defined in the Fisheries Act ............................................... 33 5.2.2 Migratory Birds, as Defined in the Migratory Birds Convention Act........................... 33 5.2.3 Species at Risk as defined in the Species at Risk Act .............................................. 34 5.3 Environmental Changes That May Occur on Federal Lands, in Other Provinces, or Outside of Canada ............................................................................................................................... 40 5.4 Effects on Aboriginal Peoples from Changes to the Environment as a Result of Carrying Out Designated Project ................................................................................................................. 46 6 Proponent Engagement and Consultation with Aboriginal Groups ....................... 50 6.1 Past Consultation on Related Projects ................................................................................... 50 6.1.1 Matawa Winter Road Re-Alignment Study ................................................................ 53 6.1.2 Noront Eagle’s Nest Mine EIS/EAR ........................................................................... 54 6.1.3 Consultation on the All-Season Community Road Studies ....................................... 55 6.2 Engagement and Consultation with Indigenous Groups on the Proposed Project ................ 59 6.2.1 Indigenous Communities to be Consulted ................................................................. 59 6.2.2 The Webequie Three-Tier Approach to Consultation ................................................ 62 6.2.3 Planned Methods of Engagement with Indigenous Groups ...................................... 64 6.2.4 Indigenous Traditional Knowledge ............................................................................ 66 6.2.5 Consultation Activities and Events Conducted to Date ............................................. 67 6.2.6 Key Comments and Concerns Expressed by Indigenous Groups/Community Members to Date ....................................................................................................... 73 7 Consultation with the Public and Other Stakeholders ........................................... 77 7.1 Public and Other Stakeholder Groups to be Consulted ......................................................... 77 7.1.1 Planned Public and Stakeholder Consultation Activities ........................................... 77 7.1.2 Consultation Activities for Public and Other Stakeholders to Date ............................ 79 7.1.3 Comments and Concerns Expressed to Date by the Public and Other Stakeholders ................................................................................................................................... 79 7.2 Consultation with Government Agencies ............................................................................... 80 7.2.1 Government Review Team ........................................................................................ 80 661910 July 2019 . ii Webequie Supply Road Project Description 7.2.2 Environmental Assessment (EA) Coordination Team ............................................... 81 7.2.3 Comments to Date ..................................................................................................... 81 Figures Figure 1: Example of Minor Watercourse Crossing Structure (Culvert)........................................................ 7 Figure 2: Example of Single-span Major Watercourse Crossing Structure .................................................. 8 Figure 3: Example of Multi-span Major Watercourse Crossing Structure ..................................................... 8 Figure 4: Webequie Supply Road Project Location .................................................................................... 18 Figure 5: Project Area Features and Supply Road Alignment Alternatives ................................................ 21 Figure 6: Watersheds and Subwatersheds ................................................................................................. 32 Figure 7: Webequie First Nation Three-Tier Approach to Consultation ...................................................... 62 Tables Table 1.1: Proponent Contact Information .................................................................................................... 2 Table 2.1: Webequie Supply Road Project Components ........................................................................... 11 Table 2.2: Initial Estimate of Greenhouse Gas Emissions .......................................................................... 15 Table 2.3: High-Level Project Phasing Schedule ....................................................................................... 16 Table 4.1: Federal Permits, Licences and Other Authorizations ................................................................ 26 Table 4.2: Provincial Permits, Licences and Other Authorizations ............................................................. 27 Table 5.1: Species at Risk, Habitat Characteristics and Preliminary