Lake Superior Link – Draft Record of Consultation for the Proposed Terms of Reference
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Lake Superior Link – Draft Record of Consultation for the Proposed Terms of Reference Hydro One Networks Inc. Environment & Geoscience August, 2018 Lake Superior Link Project Table of Contents 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Project Overview 1 1.2 Project Location 3 1.3 Individual Environmental Assessment (EA) 3 2 Consultation and Engagement Activities 4 2.1 Project Notification List 4 2.2 Notifications and Invitations 6 2.3 Project Website and Frequently Asked Questions 8 2.4 Hydro One Community Relations Email and Telephone Number 9 2.5 Agency and Municipal Consultation 9 2.6 Public Consultation 12 2.7 Community Information Centre Summary 13 2.8 Draft Terms of Reference Consultation 16 3 Indigenous Community Engagement 17 3.1 Letter of Delegation 17 3.2 Other Notifications 18 3.3 Community Meetings and Discussions 19 3.4 Community Information Centre Summary 20 4 Results of Consultation Activities 22 4.1 Government Agency Comments on the Draft Terms of Reference 22 4.1.1 Government Agency Comments 22 4.2 Municipal Comments 134 4.2.1 Municipal Comments 134 4.3 Public, Interest Group and Property Owner Comments 136 4.3.1 Public, Interest Group and Property Owner Comments 136 5 Indigenous Community Feedback and Comments 145 5.1 Indigenous Community Comments 145 6 References 185 Hydro One Lake Superior Link Proposed Terms of Reference Record of Consultation © SNC-Lavalin Inc. 2016. All Rights Reserved. August, 2018 Confidential. i Lake Superior Link Project Figures Figure 1: Lake Superior Link Reference Route and Alternative Routes ............................................... 2 Tables Table 2.2-1: Notice of Commencement and CIC Invitation Newspaper Outlets and Publish Dates ... 7 Table 2.2-2: Notice of Commencement and CIC Invitation Radio Outlets and Air Dates .................... 7 Table 3.3-1: Indigenous Community CIC Dates and Locations ............................................................ 19 Table 4.1-1: Government Agency Comments Received at Community Information Centres ........... 22 Table 4.1-2: Government Agency Comments Received During the 30-day Review Period .............. 23 Table 4.2-1: Municipal Comments Received During the 30-day Review Period ............................... 134 Table 4.3-1: Public, Interest Group and Property Owner Comments received at the CICs held during the week of June 11, 2018 .......................................................................................................... 136 Table 5.1-1: General Indigenous community comments received at the Community Information Centres ..................................................................................................................................................... 145 Table 5.1-2: Indigenous community Comments Received During the 30-day Review Period ........ 148 Hydro One Lake Superior Link Proposed Terms of Reference Record of Consultation © SNC-Lavalin Inc. 2016. All Rights Reserved. August, 2018 Confidential. ii Lake Superior Link Project Acronyms AMIS Abandoned Mine Information System ANSI Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest ARA Archaeological Research Associates Ltd. CAO Chief Administrative Officer CEAA 2012 Canadian Environmental Assessment Act 2012 CFA Capacity Funding Agreement CIC Community Information Centre EA Environmental Assessment EDC Economic Development Corporation EPP Environmental Protection Plan ESA Environmentally Sensitive Area EWT East-West Tie FAQs Frequently Asked Questions HHRA Human Health Risk Assessment Hydro One Hydro One Networks Inc. IESO Independent Electricity System Operator km Kilometre kV Kilovolt m Metre MNRF Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry MECP Ministry of the Environment , Conservation and Parks NERC North American Electric Reliability Corporation NPCC Northeast Power Coordinating Council Hydro One Lake Superior Link Proposed Terms of Reference Record of Consultation © SNC-Lavalin Inc. 2016. All Rights Reserved. August, 2018 Confidential. iii Lake Superior Link Project OEB Ontario Energy Board PNP Pukaskwa National Park PSW Provincially Significant Wetland REDB Regional Economic Development Branch RoC Record of Consultation ROW Right-of-way SLI SNC-Lavalin the Project Lake Superior Link TK Traditional Knowledge TLU Traditional Land Use ToR Terms of Reference TS Transformer Station Hydro One Lake Superior Link Proposed Terms of Reference Record of Consultation © SNC-Lavalin Inc. 2016. All Rights Reserved. August, 2018 Confidential. iv Lake Superior Link Project 1 Introduction A Record of Consultation (RoC) is a component of an Individual Environmental Assessment (EA) Terms of Reference (ToR). This RoC describes the consultation and engagement activities that were conducted by Hydro One and the results of those activities, as required by Section 6(3) of the Environmental Assessment Act, during the preparation of the ToR for the Lake Superior Link project (“the Project”, LSL). The Ministry of the Environment’s Code of Practice: Preparing and Reviewing Terms of Reference for Environmental Assessments in Ontario (2014) states that the RoC will: Identify persons consulted during the ToR preparation and how they were identified; Describe the consultation activities which took place; Describe how interested Indigenous communities were identified and how they were consulted; Clearly and accurately summarize the comments made by interested persons during the preparation of the ToR; Describe the proponent’s response and how concerns were considered in the development of the ToR; Describe outstanding concerns; and Document communication/ meetings held with interested persons, including copies of written comments received. Hydro One conducted two separate consultation and engagement programs for the ToR; one for interested First Nations and Métis (Indigenous communities) and another for agencies, municipalities, interested groups and the general public. Indigenous communities were provided with the information prepared for the program to other stakeholders and were invited to participate in consultation activities under both programs. Details on the consultation programs proposed for the EA are documented in the ToR. This section (Section 1) of the RoC provides an overview of the LSL project. Section 2 describes the consultation activities for agencies, municipalities and other interested persons/groups. Section 3 describes the activities to engage Indigenous communities. Section 4 provides a summary of the results of the consultation activities with respect to feedback and comments received from agencies, municipalities, general public and other interested persons/groups. Section 5 presents a summary of discussions and feedback received from Indigenous communities. 1.1 Project Overview On February 15, 2018 Hydro One Networks Inc. (Hydro One) submitted a Section 92 Leave to Construct application to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) seeking approval to construct, maintain and operate the new 230 kilovolt (kV) East-West Tie transmission line. Hydro One’s proposed project is known as the “Lake Superior Link” (the Project). The Project Reference Route is an approximately 400 kilometre (km) double-circuit 230 kV transmission line which would primarily be built on, or adjacent to, Hydro One’s existing East-West Tie transmission corridor between Lakehead Transformer Station (TS) in the Municipality of Shuniah, outside of Thunder Bay, and Wawa TS, east of Wawa. Within Pukaskwa National Park (PNP), the existing towers would be renewed and replaced to accommodate four circuits without exceeding the existing corridor agreement. In addition to the Reference Route, two (2) preliminary Reference Route Alternatives are being considered as follows: a route around Pukaskwa National Park (PNP) and a route adjacent to the existing East-West Transmission Line right-of-way for approximately 50 Hydro One Lake Superior Link Proposed Terms of Reference Record of Consultation © SNC-Lavalin Inc. 2016. All Rights Reserved. August, 2018 Confidential. 1 Lake Superior Link Project km within the section between Nipigon and the Lakehead TS in Thunder Bay. The Reference Route and Reference Route Alternatives for the Project are shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Lake Superior Link Reference Route and Alternative Routes The Project consists of the following components: a new approximately 400 km long 230 kV transmission line connecting Lakehead TS to Wawa TS (with a connection at Marathon TS); the relocation and replacement of structures on the existing 115 kV T1M transmission line to avoid crossing of the existing 115 kV transmission lines and the new 230 kV double-circuit transmission line. The relocation of 115 kV T1M line to address preliminary operation and maintenance concerns identified is subject to further analysis and confirmation in the EA; temporary and permanent access roads; storage, laydown and fly yards; and construction camps. Project activities include: site preparation; relocation and replacement of several existing T1M transmission line structures, if required; construction of new access roads and upgrades to existing roads; transportation and delivery of construction equipment and materials along the ROW; construction of tower foundations, tower structure assembly and erection, and conductor stringing and tensioning; tower modification of the existing structures within Pukaskwa National Park; tie-in to existing transformer stations (Lakehead, Marathon and Wawa); Hydro One Lake Superior Link Proposed Terms of Reference Record of Consultation © SNC-Lavalin Inc. 2016. All Rights