Guidelines for the Preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement for Bruce Power’S New Nuclear Power Plant Project
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DRAFT Guidelines for the Preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement for Bruce Power’s New Nuclear Power Plant Project April 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1 – INTRODUCTION........................................................................................ ii 1. CONTEXT....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose of the Guidelines............................................................................ 1 1.2 Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Process................................ 1 1.3 Preparation and Review of the EIS............................................................ 2 2. GUIDING PRINCIPLES ............................................................................... 3 2.1 Environmental Assessment as a Planning Tool ........................................ 3 2.2 Public Participation and Aboriginal Engagement .................................... 3 2.3 Traditional Knowledge................................................................................ 4 2.4 Sustainable Development ............................................................................ 4 2.5 Precautionary Approach ............................................................................. 5 2.6 Study Strategy and Methodology ............................................................... 5 2.7 Use of Existing Information ........................................................................ 6 3. PRESENTATION OF THE EIS.................................................................... 6 3.1 Environmental Impact Statement Summary ............................................ 7 4.0 SCOPE ............................................................................................................. 7 4.1 Scope of the Project ..................................................................................... 7 4.2 Factors to be considered in the EIS.......................................................... 10 PART II – CONTENT OF THE EIS ......................................................................... 11 5. CONTEXT..................................................................................................... 11 5.1 The Setting.................................................................................................. 11 5.2 Project Overview and Purpose ................................................................. 11 5.3 The Proponent............................................................................................ 11 5.4 Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Process and Approvals ... 11 5.5 International Agreements ......................................................................... 12 6. ENGAGEMENT AND INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION .................... 12 6.1 Aboriginal Engagement............................................................................. 12 6.2 Government Agency Engagement............................................................ 13 6.3 Stakeholder Engagement........................................................................... 13 6.4 Other Public Engagement ......................................................................... 13 7. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION ..................................................................... 13 7.1 Purpose and Need for the Project............................................................. 13 7.2 Alternatives to the Project......................................................................... 14 7.3 Alternative Means of Carrying out the Project ...................................... 14 8. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ......................................................................... 15 8.1 Site Preparation ......................................................................................... 17 8.2 Construction ............................................................................................... 18 - i 8.3 Operation and Maintenance ..................................................................... 19 8.4 Modifications.............................................................................................. 19 8.5 Decommissioning and Abandonment....................................................... 20 8.6 Malfunctions and Accidents...................................................................... 20 8.7 Environmental Protection Plan ................................................................ 21 9. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BOUNDARIES............................. 21 9.1 Spatial Boundaries and Scale.................................................................... 21 9.2 Temporal Boundaries ................................................................................ 22 9.3 Valued Ecosystem Components................................................................ 23 10. EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ..................................................................... 26 10.1 Bio-Physical Environment......................................................................... 28 10.2 Socio-Economic Conditions....................................................................... 31 11. EFFECTS PREDICTION, MITIGATION MEASURES AND SIGNIFICANCE OF RESIDUAL EFFECTS............................................ 33 11.1 Effects Prediction....................................................................................... 33 11.2 Mitigation Measures .................................................................................. 34 11.3 Significance of Residual Effects................................................................ 34 11.4 Bio-Physical Environment......................................................................... 35 11.5 Socio-Economic Effects ............................................................................. 38 12. ACCIDENTS AND MALFUNCTIONS ..................................................... 40 12.1 Nuclear Accidents Involving the Reactor ................................................ 40 12.2 Conventional Accidents............................................................................. 42 12.3 Malevolent Acts.......................................................................................... 42 13. CUMULATIVE EFFECTS.......................................................................... 43 14. CAPACITY OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES ........................................ 43 15. FOLLOW UP PROGRAM .......................................................................... 43 16. ASSESSMENT SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION.................................. 45 REFERENCES: .......................................................................................................... 46 APPENDIX 1 – Glossary and Acronyms ................................................................. 47 APPENDIX 2 – Nuclear Safety and Control Act and its Regulations: Relevant Excerpts ...................................................................................................... 49 APPENDIX 3 – Guidelines for Applications for Licence to Prepare Site ........... 54 - ii - PART 1 – INTRODUCTION 1. CONTEXT 1.1 Purpose of the Guidelines The purpose of this document is to identify for the proponent, Bruce Power, the nature, scope and extent of the information that must be addressed in the preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for its proposed New Nuclear Power Plant project (the Bruce NNPP project) for the creation of approximately 4,000 MW of electrical generation capacity. The proponent will prepare and submit an EIS that examines the potential environmental effects, including cumulative effects, of the site preparation, construction, operation, decommissioning and abandonment of the project, and that evaluates their significance. This information will be used by the joint review panel established pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the Nuclear Safety and Control Act as the basis for a public review. While the EIS guidelines provide a framework for preparing a complete and accessible EIS, it is the responsibility of the proponent to provide sufficient data and analysis on any potential environmental effects to permit proper evaluation by a joint review panel, the public, and technical and regulatory agencies. The EIS guidelines outline the minimum information requirements while providing the proponent with flexibility in selecting methods to compile data for the EIS. Exchanges between the proponent and other government organizations, Aboriginal people and stakeholders, where appropriate, are encouraged to ensure that the EIS responds adequately to these guidelines. 1.2 Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Process On August 17, 2006, Bruce Power wrote to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) indicating its intent to prepare a site, construct and operate up to four new nuclear reactors on the existing Bruce Nuclear Site within the Municipality of Kincardine, Ontario. The proposed Bruce new nuclear power plant would generate up to 4,000 MW of electrical generating capacity for supply to the Ontario grid. The Bruce NNPP project includes site preparation, construction, operation, decommissioning and abandonment of up to four new nuclear reactors. Operations would involve activities required to operate and maintain the Bruce NNPP, including management of all conventional and radioactive wastes. The EIS will consider the potential environmental effects, including cumulative effects, of all phases of the project. The proponent is considering a range of reactor designs, but