FINAL PROJECT SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT PROPOSED EXPANSION OF THE WILDWEST STEELHEAD COMMERCIAL FISH FARM ON LAKE DIEFENBAKER LUCKY LAKE, SASKATCHEWAN These guidelines have been prepared by Saskatchewan Environment to assist the Wildwest Steelhead Fish Farm with the environmental impact assessment of the proposed expansion of their cage culture facility on Lake Diefenbaker, including establishment of subsidiary cage assemblies in three new locations. These guidelines, in draft form, were available for public review from October 13 to November 13, 2007. Based upon comments received by the undersigned, these final guidelines have been revised (revisions are underlined) and provided to Wildwest Steelhead to conduct the impact assessment and prepare the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). As indicated in section 1.2, when the EIS is completed it will be circulated to a technical review committee for comment; any additional information requirements will be identified to Wildwest Steelhead for clarification. Once the EIS has been completed in final form it will be available, along with the technical review comments, for a 30 day public review period during which written comments on the EIS and the project may be submitted to Environmental Assessment Branch for consideration, prior to the Minister’s decision. Tom Maher Environmental Assessment Branch Ministry of Environment March 19, 2008 G:\Planning & Risk Analysis\Environmental Assessment\Common\data\Tom\2005\190 Wildwest Steelhead\Wildwest Final PSGs March 19 2008.doc Project Specific Guidelines for Wildwest EIS Page: 2 March 19, 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION 3 1.1 The Project 3 1.2 Saskatchewan’s Environmental Assessment Process 4 1.3 Public Involvement 4 1.4 Intergovernmental Co-operation on Environmental Assessment 5 1.5 Executive Summary and Introduction 5 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 7 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENT 8 4.0 SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND LAND USE ISSUES 9 5.0 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY 10 6.0 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT 10 7.0 IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION 10 7.1 Impacts to Environment from Project 10 7.2 Impacts to Project from Environment 12 8.0 MONITORING 13 9.0 DECOMMISSIONING, RECLAMATION AND ABANDONMENT 13 10.0 APPROVALS 13 11.0 SUMMARY 14 Figure 1. Satellite image of Lake Diefenbaker, showing existing and proposed cage culture sites: 15 Project Specific Guidelines for Wildwest EIS Page: 3 March 19, 2008 1.0 INTRODUCTION Wildwest Steelhead operates a commercial fish farm on the west side of Lake Diefenbaker at Cactus Bay, 6 km north of the Riverhurst ferry crossing. The farm utilizes cage culture for the production of rainbow trout (steelhead strain). Wildwest is currently licensed for the production of 1,450 tonnes of annual fish production, using up to 1,800 tonnes of fish food each year. This limit is based on a maximum phosphorus input to the lake of 25 tonnes, and assumed that the phosphorus content of the feed was in the order of 1.5 to 1.7%. Current feed formulations are closer to 1.1 to 1.3% phosphorus, and manufacturers are working to lower the levels further. Wildwest has applied to Saskatchewan Environment for an increase in their licensed production limits, based upon the abovementioned lower phosphorus concentrations in the fish feed, as well as better feed conversion rates than had been used in the model to calculate a 1,200 tonne limit in 1999. Wildwest has provided calculations to indicate that up to 2,200 tonnes of fish could now be produced without exceeding the 25 tonne phosphorus loading limit. However, from a risk management standpoint, it is in Wildwest’s interest to distribute the production to several production sites, rather than expanding production at the existing location at Cactus Bay. Wildwest feels that the use of multiple sites reduces the likelihood that the overall nutrient loading would trigger an algae bloom or other event, and that there would be less chance of the entire production facility being affected by a single environmental event, such as ice damage or severe weather. For example, as the ice in Lake Diefenbaker was breaking up in April of 2000 a sudden storm caused a massive ice floe to strike the cages in Cactus Bay, pushing them nearly onto the shore and resulting in the release of 400,000 fish into the lake as well as substantial mortality among the fish which remained in the cages. 1.1 The Project: Wildwest is proposing to establish three additional cage culture sites on Lake Diefenbaker. Each would be sized to produce 335 tonnes of rainbow trout annually using 10 to 12 cages attached to a walkway system. The proposed sites are: Kadla Coulee, 3.5 km north of the current location, an unnamed bay referred to as the South Ferry Site, 9.35 km south of the current site; and Belhumeur Bay, 15 km south of the current site. All new proposed sites are shown on the map (Figure 1). The sites would be serviced by boat (summer) or by truck/snowmachine (winter) from the main facility in Cactus Bay; it is expected that there would be no development of shore facilities at the new sites, except for possibly docks, storage sheds, or road improvements. Project Specific Guidelines for Wildwest EIS Page: 4 March 19, 2008 1.2 Saskatchewan’s Environmental Assessment Process The Environmental Assessment Act (the Act) provides for a formal EIA process whereby projects which pose a significant environmental risk are suitably evaluated and approved by the Minister of the Environment prior to proceeding. Once the minister’s approval is obtained, subject to any terms and conditions that the minister considers appropriate, the proponent may proceed to obtain all other permits and approvals necessary under provincial or federal legislation. Under the Act, a project which meets one or more of six criteria is considered a “development” and requires a full EIA. The six criteria are listed in section 2(d) of The Act: “development” means any project, operation or activity or any alteration or expansion of any project, operation or activity which is likely to: (i) have an affect on any unique, rare or endangered feature of the environment; (ii) substantially utilize any provincial resource and in so doing pre-empt the use, or potential use, of that resource for any other purpose; (iii) cause the emission of any pollutants or create by-products, residual or waste products which require handling and disposal in a manner that is not regulated by any other Act or regulation; (iv) cause widespread public concern because of potential environmental changes; (v) involve a new technology that is concerned with resource utilization and that may induce significant environmental change; or (vi) have a significant impact on the environment or necessitate a further development which is likely to have a significant impact on the environment. It is the opinion of Environmental Assessment Branch (EAB) that this project has the potential to have a significant impact on the environment, would substantially utilize a provincial resource – namely the aquaculture carrying capacity of Lake Diefenbaker, and is likely to generate some level of public concern. While the ultimate determination of whether any project is defined as a “development” is up to the courts to decide, Wildwest Steelhead is in agreement with the EAB opinion and feels that it is in the best interests of the environment and the company to proceed by means of a formal EIA. The EIA process is shown graphically in Figure 2. This document, the Draft Project Specific Guidelines (PSGs), is available for public review for a 30 day period. Following the review, the final PSGs will be developed and provided to the proponent to conduct the EIA. 1.3 Public Involvement Public involvement is an essential ingredient in the EIA process. The proponent is expected to undertake a program of public consultation with affected local residents to ensure that they are adequately informed about the project and have the opportunity to provide input to the proponent and to regulatory agencies. Project Specific Guidelines for Wildwest EIS Page: 5 March 19, 2008 These project specific guidelines are being made available for public review for 30 days, to allow for incorporation of comments and suggestions in the final guidelines. When the EIS has been completed and reviewed by the Technical Review Panel, the statement and the review comments will be available for a further public review period prior to the minister’s decision regarding the proposal. 1.4 Intergovernmental Co-operation on Environmental Assessment In accordance with the Canada-Saskatchewan Agreement on Environmental Assessment Co-operation (2005), Environmental Assessment Branch of Saskatchewan Environment advised the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) of the initial request from Wildwest Steelhead to increase production and of the intention of Wildwest and SE to proceed by means of the EIA process. 1.5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION The EIS should include an executive summary and introduction. The executive summary should briefly summarize the EIS with respect to the following topics: description of the project purpose of the project, including any alternative means of achieving purpose potential environmental effects of the project, short or long term, or cumulative, including socio-economic feasible means of mitigating effects summary of public consultation plans for monitoring impacts contingency plans for upset situations decommissioning and reclamation The introduction should include a brief description of the project, including the rationale. For the benefit of reviewers, many of whom will not be familiar with the workings of a large fish farming and processing operation, the introduction should include a detailed description of the existing fish farm and operations, including such information as: History.