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2.2 Project Information

Name of Undertaking Elmsdale Business Park Phased Expansion

Location of Undertaking Community: ...... Elmsdale, Municipality of East Hants, Nova Scotia PIDS: ...... 45086709, 45291572, 45225489, 45225992, and 45225497 Centroid Coordinates: .....-63.525, 44.972 Full details on the Project Location are included in Appendix A – Figures.

2.3 Regulatory Framework

Federal A federal EA is not required for the Project as it is not located on federal land or listed as a physical activity that constitutes a "designated project" as listed under the Regulations Designating Physical Activities of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) (2012).

Provincial The following Nova Scotia provincial regulations and policies apply to this project:

 The Project is subject to a Class I EA as defined by the Environmental Assessment Regulations under the Nova Scotia Environment Act (NSEA). As such, East Hants is required to register the Project with Nova Scotia Environment (NSE) and subsequently comply with the Class I registration process as defined by the document “A Proponent’s Guide to Environmental Assessment” (NSE, 2014).  The use of provincial roads during the construction, operation, and decommissioning phases of the Project will be in compliance with the “Nova Scotia Temporary Workplace Traffic Control Manual” (NSTIR, 2010).  The Province of Nova Scotia has in place policies and regulations regarding stormwater management and wetland alteration and compensation, as follows: o Wetland policy is supported by the Environment Act (2011) and the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act (2007). The policy to prevent the net loss of wetlands was enacted in 2009. These rules and standards are applicable to this Project and development will be managed accordingly. o Stormwater Management Regulation – Environmental Act (2011) and Storm Drainage Works Approval Policy (NSE, Dec 10, 2002).  A provincial permit to alter wetlands and/or watercourses will be required if wetlands or watercourses will be altered in the completion of the project (as shown again in Section 11)

Municipal Land Use Bylaws exist in East Hants which require approval for corporate developments. This Project was approved by East Hants Council and is required to meet all applicable provincial and municipal development rules, policies, regulations and bylaws including the Land Use Bylaw, Subdivision Bylaw, Lot Grading and Drainage Bylaw, Building Bylaw, and Community Standards Bylaw which regulates

Page | 10

nuisances (i.e. noise, light and dust) which would apply during construction and long-term operation of the Business Park. The Municipality of East Hants Land Use Bylaw outlines application requirements, including setbacks and other regulations. East Hants policies and bylaws require that all Municipal permits and approvals as identified in Section 11, must be in place prior to construction. Furthermore, Nova Scotia policies and regulations regarding stormwater management, wetland compensation and any other applicable statute must also be met prior to development approval.

2.4 Structure of Document Table 2.4-1 outlines the content of the section included in the EA Report Table 2.4-1: Report Structure

Section Content

Section 1 Introduction, including context of this Environmental Assessment Registration.

Section 2 The Proponent and Project Identification

Section 3 The scope and methodologies used during the EA process

Section 4 Public and First Nation Consultation

Description of the Project, its location, and overview of the Project’s activities Section 5 and schedule

Valued Environmental Components including geology, atmospheric conditions, groundwater freshwater environment, wetlands and vegetation, wildlife and Section 6 wildlife habitat, migratory birds, socio-economic environment and archaeological and heritage resources

Section 7 Mitigation and Effects Management

Section 8 The potential effects the project will have on the environment

Section 9 The potential effects the environment will have on the project

Section 10 Wetland Compensation Plan

Section 11 Other approvals required

Section 12 Funding

Section 13 Closure

Section 14 References

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2.5 Author of the Environmental Assessment The research, science and analysis included and referenced in this report and its addendums was conducted by professionals and firms qualified in their field, whose conclusions and expertise is referenced throughout the document, including:

 Mac Geoenvironmental Associates; W. R. (Bill) MacMillan, P.Eng., M.Sc.  Davis MacIntyre and Associates Ltd., Laura de Boer and Courtney MacNeil  DesignPoint Engineering and Surveying Ltd., Andrew S. Forsythe, P. Eng.  Englobe Corp, Richard Henry, P.Eng. and Scott A. Simms, M. Eng., P. Eng.  Fern Hill Institute for Plant Conservation, Dr. Nick Hill  McCallum Environmental Ltd, Melanie MacDonald, BSc. (ISAR & Bio.), MREM  WSP Canada Inc., Virgil D. Grecian, M.Sc. and W. R. (Bill) MacMillan, P.Eng., M.Sc.

This report was written by W. R. (Bill) MacMillan and Tyler Mattheis.

W. R. (Bill) MacMillan, P.Eng., M.Sc. Tyler Mattheis Mac Geoenvironmental Associates Acting Director of Economic and Business Development 913 Yale Avenue Municipality of East Hants Riverview, NB 230-15 Commerce Court E1B 2C6 Elmsdale, NS B2S 3K5 C (506) 961 4103 D (902) 883-6237 C (902) 233 1259

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Scope

3.1 Scope of the Undertaking An Environmental Assessment (EA) is a tool used to predict the potential environmental effects of a proposed undertaking and to identify measures to mitigate any identified adverse environmental effects. An EA is a planning tool used to promote sustainable development by protecting and conserving the environment. The EA promotes the project planning process by identifying and considering the environmental effects and potential mitigation needs before the undertaking begins. The EA also provides an opportunity to incorporate potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures into the planning of a project (NSE, 2014). The Municipality of East Hants proposes to expand the existing Elmsdale Business Park to increase the local commercial property holdings. The proposed undertaking is referred to in this document as the Elmsdale Business Park Phased Expansion, the Business Park, the Park or the Project, depending upon context. The Municipality of East Hants, also referred to as the Municipality or East Hants, developed the currently existing Elmsdale Business Park, which is located on Park Road in Elmsdale, Hants County, Nova Scotia. The Municipality is proposing to expand the existing business park, which requires approval under Schedule A of the Nova Scotia Environmental Assessment Regulation. The project is defined as an F(2) Undertaking because it is “an undertaking that disrupts a total of 2 ha or more of any wetland”. In this case, the undertaking will involve the alteration of a maximum of 10 ha of wetland if the entire planned project expansion is built out. East Hants proposes to expand the Elmsdale Business Park to encompass a total of 155.72 hectares (ha) to attract additional commercial development in the municipality and to allow accommodation of the demand for larger size lots. The area of the existing Business Park development is approximately 31.5 ha and the proposed expansion area is approximately 123.25 hectares, all of which is currently owned by the Municipality. The proposed project will entail clearing and grubbing of land, road construction, water and sewer installation, and other activities related to the development, operation and maintenance of the Business Park. The proposed project, as planned, will leave over 40 ha (calculated specifically at 43.5 ha) of wetland un-altered in the Project Footprint, while altering approximately 10 ha (calculated specifically at 10.67 ha) to enable new Business Park lots and road infrastructure to be built. The location of the proposed Project is in Elmsdale, Nova Scotia, north of Highway 102 as shown in Figure 1, Appendix A. It is the intention of the Municipality that the total area will be developed over a period of time, based on demand for new lots within the Park and service requirement considerations. The Municipality does not intend to develop the entire area at one time. Lands currently owned by the Municipality are the priority development lands. The concept is to develop access roadways and lots on a progressive basis, based on demand for lots and service requirement considerations. The largest area expected to be cleared and developed at any one time, where lots are developed by the Municipality for sale as development ready lots, is up to 10 ha. The exception to this is where a client or cluster of clients demands a larger area to allow development of a particular area of the business park. This Environmental Assessment includes a detailed design of the proposed Phase 1 of the anticipated multi-phase development. A proposed high-level conceptual roadway and lot layout is presented in Figure 3, Appendix A. Appendix I shows a generalized drainage plan for future phases. As this drainage plan is conceptual, roadway alignment and lot arrangement may change, depending on the lot size and

Page | 13

configuration requirements of future clients and its influence on road and lot geometry. However, the general drainage patterns presented herein will be preserved to the extent possible. In addition to the generalized lot, road and drainage plan for the proposed project footprint area, a detained design for Phase I of the proposed development is now completed, as presented in Appendix P. The detailed design plan includes detailed roadway design, detailed lot layout plans, a gravity based sanitary sewer transfer piping system and a stormwater management plan. The stormwater management plan provided in the detailed design is compliant with NSEs Zero-Net runoff policy. The physical components of the proposed project will include

 Clearing and grubbing of new lots outside of delineated wetlands;  Water and sewer installation;  Roadway construction;  Lot grading and paving;  Stormwater management development, including ditching and runoff retention;  Building construction;  Road maintenance and snow clearing; and  Commercial activity; This registration document documents key “Valued Environmental Components (VECs) that require attention under the NSE Environmental Assessment (EA) protocol, as confirmed during meetings with NSE staff, including:

 Geology;  Atmospheric conditions;  Groundwater;  Freshwater Environment;  Wetlands and Vegetation;  Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat;  Migratory Birds;  Socio-economic Environment; and  Archaeological and Heritage Resources.

Purpose and Need for the Undertaking The Municipality of East Hants proposes to expand the Elmsdale Business Park to attract additional commercial development and to accommodate the demand for larger size lots. The primary benefit will be to the residents and business community of East Hants and Nova Scotia, as it will contribute to the economy of the region and the province. Furthermore, additional commercial development in the Municipality will allow East Hants to grow their commercial tax base. This will have the effect of allowing distribution of the tax burden across sectors, thereby maintaining competitive residential taxation rates to sustain and grow the local population and economy.

Consideration of the Alternatives The proposed project will give an economic advantage for residents living in East Hants and will fill the need for commercial development in the Municipality. Commercial development has the effect of spreading the tax burden across sectors improving the current residential-commercial tax split, which also allows the Municipality to control residential tax rates. Alternative locations for the Municipality to invest in commercial development were considered, such

Page | 14

as a previously identified site near Milford, NS. However, the Municipality owns the proposed development lands and the proposed development builds off of the area already successfully developed section of the Elmsdale Business Park. Furthermore, the proposed land is close to a population center with municipal and commercial services, which makes it more attractive to commercial clients. A study undertaken in 2014 by Stantec and Altus (Stantec, 2014) to examine real estate sales trends identified Elmsdale as a prime location for growth potential among many comparable business parks in the market. Another study in 2017 by Cushing Tyrel also showed growth potential for commercial lease space to enable retail businesses, which are in demand from a growing population (Cushing Terrell, 2018). Economic and Business Development Staff continue to see strong and growth demand for Elmsdale over the last 5 years, and have interested customers anticipating and waiting for new lots to become available. 3.2 Scope of the Environmental Assessment The scope of the environmental assessment is based on the Nova Scotia Environment (NSE) document entitled “Guide to Preparing an EA Registration Document in Nova Scotia”. Bill MacMillan’s experience conducting EAs for similar projects over the past several decades also served to provide direction. The scope of this EA also takes into consideration that the Business Park is currently operational to a limited degree, and that future development is subject to the applicable zoning and other Municipal bylaws and Provincial and Federal legislation and policies. The registration document will document key “Valued Environmental Components” (VECs) that require attention under the NSE Environmental Assessment (EA) protocol, and that were confirmed during meetings with NSE staff, including:

 Geology;  Atmospheric Conditions;  Groundwater;  Freshwater Environment;  Wetlands and Vegetation;  Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat;  Migratory Birds;  Socio-economic Environment; and  Archaeological and Heritage Resources. The report will also evaluate and summarize potential benefits and risks to the environment and the community with respect to all phases of the proposed undertaking. This document is supported by separate reports, as follows:

 Archaeological Screening and Reconnaissance Report (Appendix H) - Davis MacIntyre and Associates Ltd  Botanical Report (Appendix F-1) - Fern Hill Institute for Plant Conservation  Early Spring Plant Survey (Appendix F-2) - McCallum Environmental Ltd.  Phase I Detailed Design, including stormwater management considerations (Appendix P) - Design Point Engineering and Surveying Ltd.  Geotechnical Investigation (Appendix C-1) – Proposed New Roadway - Englobe Corp.

Spatial Boundaries The spatial boundaries of the project include a 5 km radius of the Project Footprint, defined as the General Study Area, and Detailed Study Area. The spatial boundaries of the study then includes the Project Footprint combined with adjacent developed and undeveloped properties. Both the General

Page | 15

Study Area and Detailed Study Area are shown in Figure 2, Appendix A. The areas included in the boundaries are the areas assessed for potential interactions during the development and operations of the proposed project and its components. The General Study Area includes three managed areas:

 The East Hants Regional Municipal Water Supply;  Horne Settlement Provincial Park (operational); and  Shubenacadie Canal Provincial Park (operational). The East Hants Regional Municipal Water Supply is considered a managed area as it supplies East Hants with fresh drinking water. Horne Settlement is listed as an historic site. The Shubenacadie Canal is also recognized as a heritage resource by the Province and is supported by the Shubenacadie Canal Commission, established through an Act of the Legislature in 1984. The project will not directly interact with or have any significant impact on these managed areas.

Temporal Boundaries The temporal boundaries for the project began with initial construction of the Elmsdale Business Park and includes the proposed Phase I development lands, which is planned to commence once Environmental Assessment approval is obtained. The detailed design of the Phase I development is provided in Appendix P. The project has an indefinite termination point but, for practical purposes, the project will be considered complete when all available development lands are occupied and built out, based on the Project Footprint identified in this EA study.

Public Consultation and Engagement

Environmental Assessment projects typically require some level of public communication, intended to inform and engage those that may be impacted by the proposed project. Public consultation is designed to engage others who, while they might not be directly impacted, may have an interest in the project. To that end, East Hants, with the assistance of qualified professionals, engaged in a program to disseminate information and engage stakeholders and the general public in conversations around the development, as documented in the following sections of this report.

4.1 Methods of Engagement The Proponent employed extensive efforts to engage public involvement in this project by holding a public open house, including advertising on multiple media formats. The Proponent also developed social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and the Municipal website to notify the public and to inform stakeholders about the planned undertaking. The Municipality developed a detailed communication plan to direct communication with government agencies, including NSE, Office of Aboriginal Affairs (OAA), First Nations and other stakeholders. The communications plan, presented in Appendix B, outlines how East Hants engaged the public and First Nations along with other stakeholder information and participation. Also included in the communications plan are the following components:

 Project Announcement – Newspaper Advertisement  E-mail to landowners in the Elmsdale Business Park  Social Media notifications

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 E-mail communications and public notifications  Internal Communication – within the Municipality of East Hants, management, staff and Council.

4.2 First Nations Information Sharing East Hants and WSP conducted a meeting with Sipekne’katik (Shubenacadie) First Nation Band Council on January 26, 2016 to inform the about the Municipality’s intention to proceed with the Project. A PowerPoint based presentation was presented that outlined the details of the proposed development and the EA being conducted by WSP at that time. Sipekne’katik Band Council and staff, as determined by Band Council, attended the session. The presentation included information regarding the various components and potential environmental, social and economic impacts of the Project. Questions and concerns were encouraged and entertained. The project was well received by Sipekne’katik Band Council and staff in attendance and the audience voiced no substantial objections to the project given the information presented. Interest was expressed regarding how the development could benefit the Sipekne’katik community. After submitting the 2016 Registration Document, East Hants notified the public as per NSE guidelines. East Hants also received and responded to a letter from the Native Council of NS at that time (attached as part of Appendix B). Prior to this 2019 submission, East Hants contacted both Sipekne’katik (January 9th, 2019) and the Native Council of NS (February 1st, 2019) to inform them of East Hants intent to submit a new modified Registration Document based on the feedback received from the Minister of Environment on December 8th, 2016.

4.3 Public Information Session On February 23, 2015, East Hants hosted a public information session at the Lloyd E. Matheson Centre in Elmsdale, NS. Advertisements for the session were placed in local newspapers as well as on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and the Municipal website. A PowerPoint, similar to that presented to the Sipekne’katik First Nation, presented information about the various components and potential environmental, social and economic impacts of the Project. Questions and concerns were encouraged and entertained. The Project was reasonably well received and the audience voiced no substantial objections. Concerns regarding stormwater management were identified, which are being addressed in the Phase I development detailed design and that will continue to be addressed as the proposed development moves forward. The sign-up sheet from the public presentation is presented in Table 4.1- 1 and a listing of comments from the public and the responses from WSP and the Municipality is included in Appendix B (WSP, 2016). Six (6) of the nine (9) people listed in Table 4.1-1 stayed for the entire session that was held between 7pm to 9pm in the evening. Table 4.1-1 also includes three additional public members who showed up early to view project posters on display. East Hants and WSP staff had individual discussions regarding the project with all listed participants. At least 20 other people passed through to review the displays during the presentation. The display posters were also up in the foyer/main lobby of the Municipal Office Building, Lloyd E. Matheson Center, for the entire day of the public information session. Councilor Eldon Hebb (District 9 – Nine Mile River) also attended the session.

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Table 4.4-1

Name Community Notes [undisclosed for privacy] Elmsdale [undisclosed for privacy] Milford [undisclosed for privacy] Elmsdale [undisclosed for privacy] Enfield [undisclosed for privacy] Enfield [undisclosed for privacy] Noel [undisclosed for privacy] Enfield [undisclosed for privacy] Upper Nine Mile River [undisclosed for privacy] Shubenacadie Eldon Hebb East Hants Councilor – District 9 – Nine Mile River On February 1st, 2019, East Hants emailed all attendees of the February 23rd, 2015 presentation to inform them of East Hants intent to submit a new modified Registration Document based on the feedback received from the Minister of Environment on December 8th, 2016, and to advise them of the East Hants webpage established to provide additional insights (https://www.easthants.ca/business/commercial-property-for-sale/elmsdale-business-park- environmental-assessment/)

4.4 Future Communications Upon submission of the updated EA Registration Document to NSE, a newspaper advertisement will be published in a local and a regional newspaper (Appendix N). The newspaper advertisement will include information for the public regarding the location of a hard copy of the Registration Documents. They will be placed in select public viewing locations, including the Lloyd E. Matheson Centre (which houses the Library, Municipal Offices, Nova Scotia Works, and the Public Health Clinic) and the East Hants Sportplex. Public, easily accessible posting of hard copy registration documents is required to allow the public to review the registration and to submit any comments or concerns about the proposed project. Past and planned communications are outlined in Appendix B.

Description of the Undertaking

5.1 Geographical Location The Elmsdale Business Park is located north of Highway 102 in the community of Elmsdale, Nova Scotia (Figure 1 and 2, Appendix A). The business park is currently accessible via Park Road from Elmsdale Road (Highway 214) adjacent to the Superstore access entrance located on the opposite (north) side of that road. The currently developed area of the business park was established over time by the Municipality of East Hants and the majority of the land was sold by East Hants and is now owned by private commercial and industrial interests. The current development lands, defined as the Project Footprint Area, for the proposed Business Park expansion is located entirely on lands that are owned by East Hants. However, the area that underwent detailed field-based study during the execution of the

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2016 EA submission included the current proposed project footprint and land adjacent to and contiguous with those lands. Therefore, for purposes of this 2019 EA submission, the Detailed Study Area as shown on Figure 2, Appendix A, defines the extent of the area where fieldwork was conducted in support of this Project. The developed portion of the Business Park is located parallel to the north side of Highway 102. The Project Footprint includes lands identified as the proposed business park expansion footprint area to the north of Park Road, as shown in Figure 3 Appendix A. The proposed Project Footprint of the Business Park expansion area is bounded by forested lands to the northwest. Highway 102 is located to the southeast, privately owned forested and active farmland to the northwest and privately owned forested and a developed country residential subdivision to the southeast. Various habitat types are located throughout the proposed expansion area including mixed forest, wetlands, multiple watercourses, recently cleared areas and local access roadways. While there is minimal residential development within the lands directly adjacent to the currently proposed Project Footprint, there is a subdivision located immediately adjacent to the southeastern border of the propose Business Park Project Footprint area. Some of the residences in this subdivision are located less than 500 m from the proposed border of the Business Park Development. There are also country residential subdivisions developed to the south of Highway 102 and northeast of the proposed Project Footprint that are within 1 km of the proposed Business Park expansion area footprint. Residential dwellings are also located along the Elmsdale and Old Enfield Roads within 2 km of the Project Footprint. Finally, there are residents directly southeast of Highway 102 within the unincorporated community of Elmsdale. The land use of the Project Footprint is classified as commercially zoned vacant land and is zoned “Business Park (BP)” in the Municipality of East Hants Land Use Bylaw (2016).

5.2 Project Development Physical Components  Clearing and grubbing of new lots;  Construction of new roadways and ditches;  Installation of possible culverts and crossings;  Infrastructure installation (including water, sewer, stormwater and utilities);  Stormwater management facilities (such as open ditches, catch basins, drainage pipes, storm ponds and other stormwater retention technologies);  Lot development and landscaping; and  Building construction.

5.3 Site Preparation and Construction

Phased Development Strategy The Elmsdale Business Park Phased Expansion is planned to eventually encompass a total area of 155.72 ha. The Business Park development currently includes approximately 31.5 ha of land that is either fully developed or that has been cleared, graded and serviced in preparation for sale. The proposed Phased Expansion Project Footprint (approximately 124.22 ha) would involve clearing and grubbing of land, site grading, road construction, water, sewer and stormwater management utility system installation, and other activities normally associated with the development, operation and maintenance of a

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Business Park. The proposed project, as planned, will leave over 40 (calculated specifically at 43.5) ha of wetland un-altered in the Project Footprint, while altering approximately 10 ha (calculated specifically at 10.67) to enable new Business Park lots and road infrastructure to be built. The location of the proposed Project is in Elmsdale, Nova Scotia, north of Highway 102 as shown in Figure 1, Appendix A. The Municipality does not intend to develop the entire area at one time. Rather, the intention is to develop the expansion lands in a phased approach, based on service requirements and demand for lots in the Park. Phase 1, as shown in Drawing 1, Appendix P will be priority lands for development, while the remaining municipally-owned lands included in the EA would be developed at such time as market demand and municipal resources allow. Furthermore, the Municipality does not intend to clear large tracts of land for development at one time. Instead, access roadways and lots will be developed in a progressive manner, based on client demand. The smallest area likely to be developed at one time would be the size of one lot sold to an individual commercial client, plus the area required to provide roadway access to that lot. This could mean that areas of less than one (1) hectare would be developed for or by individual clients. The largest area that the Municipality envisions that would be cleared and developed at one time to prepare lots for future sale would be up to 10 ha. The exception to this is where a client, or possibly a cluster of clients, may require a larger area to allow development of their business within the Business Park. Clearing, grubbing, site grading and installation of utilities would proceed in the conventional manner. A stormwater management system, or combination of systems, will be incorporated in the site and/or lot design to manage and mitigate stormwater runoff flow rates and volumes. The municipality is aware of provincial stormwater management policies and is committed to maintaining the hydrologic and hydraulic integrity of the watersheds within the development area. Stormwater management within the business park will follow the appropriate provincial and municipal policies, regulations and bylaws. Stormwater analysis will be undertaken, as per the NSE Storm Drainage Works Approval Policy, under authority of Sections 3 and 52 of Section 3(be) of the Environment Act, S.N.S. (1994-95, c. 1). Furthermore, East Hants’ municipal stormwater management policy, which governs local development regarding drainage and stormwater management, is in general compliance with the NSE Storm Drainage Works Approval Policy. The East Hants’ stormwater management section of the Subdivision Bylaw will also apply to and govern the development of drainage works for this proposed project.1 All roads and lot surfaces are expected to have asphalt pavement surfaces that are constructed to Municipal standard specifications. Lots will typically have a commercial type building or buildings and landscaped areas. Buildings are required to meet the Canadian and/or Nova Scotia building code requirements. As noted above, increases in runoff due to paving of land surfaces will be managed according to the appropriate policy and regulatory regime. To attain the required stormwater management objectives; practices, such as, roof, parking lot or underground retention schemes may be used to retain and manage stormwater. Water retention may also be accomplished using on site ponds. Naturalized stormwater pond design will be encouraged

1 Stormwater Management (Section 12): Municipality of East Hants. (2016). SUBDIVISION BYLAW EAST HANTS OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN BYLAW P-600. Retrieved 02 06, 2019, from East Hants: https://www.easthants.ca/wp- content/uploads/2017/09/2016-Subdivision-Bylaw.pdf

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where pond-based stormwater retention is selected, particularly where site development involves the alteration or removal of wetlands. The use of naturalized on-site ponds will minimize environmental impacts related to wetland alteration. These features will also allow for on-site wetland compensation, where the design criteria meet wetland policy objectives. On-site naturalized stormwater retention ponds will be encouraged by identifying the benefits to the developer and its clients with respect to attaining storm drainage approvals and reducing off site wetland mitigation or compensation. Environmental sustainability is as an important aspect of the municipality’s corporate strategic plan. The municipality promotes sustainability through their strategic plan2. Some aspects of the strategic plan that relate to the proposed Elmsdale Business Park Expansion are noted in the East Hants strategic plan, as follows: East Hants will promote sustainability in their community through: o Becoming a location of choice for business, creating a strong competitive economy that fosters entrepreneurship, stimulates opportunity, creates jobs and enhances the community’s attractiveness; o Ensuring the East Hants Official Community Plan is effective in managing the growth and transformation of the community in relation to commercial and residential growth; o Ensuring the availability of suitable land in East Hants to support business and economic growth; o Planning for and creating infrastructure that improves the connectivity of roads, tourism routes, multi-use trails, and active transportation networks; o Purposeful planning of long-term infrastructure needs and related funding models; and o Prioritizing renewal of aging infrastructure, ensuring new regulatory requirements are met and positioning the municipality to provide sustainable services and accommodate growth. East Hants’ sustainability program policy encourages green space preservation for aesthetic and stormwater management. The subdivision bylaw requires developments to have a minimum of five percent (5%) Public Open Space, in addition to any water and or wetland features, such as swamps, bogs, fens, etc.3.

5.4 Operation and Maintenance

Park/Road Maintenance The Municipality will provide ongoing road maintenance of Business Park roadways. This will include road cleaning, snow removal and asphalt repair/replacement. Periodic asphalt milling and replacement will take place, as needed, to maintain roads in a drivable condition. Asphalt millings are typically used for asphalt recycling purposes and are sometimes used to create trail, roadway or parking area surfaces

2 Strategic Plan: Municipality of East Hants. (2017). 2017-2020 Strategic Plan. Retrieved 02 06, 2019, from East Hants: https://www.easthants.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017-Strategic-Plan.pdf

3 Greenspace requirements (Section 13): Municipality of East Hants. (2016). SUBDIVISION BYLAW EAST HANTS OFFICIAL COMMUNITY PLAN BYLAW P-600. Retrieved 02 06, 2019, from East Hants: https://www.easthants.ca/wp- content/uploads/2017/09/2016-Subdivision-Bylaw.pdf

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throughout the Municipality. Salt and sand used to control ice will be managed to minimize potential environmental impacts to water and vegetation from salt contamination. Private parking areas and lot maintenance will be the responsibility of the private landowner. The Municipality will assume responsibility for providing services, such as sewer and water, to commercial lots and establishments within the Park. Stormwater runoff will be controlled and managed using roadside ditches and natural waterways. Stormwater management will typically be the responsibility of individual lot developers, who will be required to provide adequate on-site storage to mitigate stormwater flows, based on NSE policy and regulatory approval requirements. However, where larger blocks of land are developed as “Development Ready” lots, such as in the case of the Phase I Plan (Appendix P), East Hants may also include stormwater management facilities for certain sections of the Business Park expansion. Where this occurs, the stormwater management system will be designed and constructed to meet provincial guideline, including considerations for net zero increase in post development runoff. Infrastructure repair and replacement will be managed on a lifecycle basis. Waste generated as a result of utility maintenance, such as water and sewer pipes, will be disposed of at an approved construction and or solid waste site. Solid waste generated form the Business Park will be collected and disposed of by the Municipality of East Hants as part of typical Municipal services. Solid waste will be managed based on NSE Solid Waste Regulations and East Hants’ Solid Waste Collection and Disposal Bylaw.

5.5 Decommissioning and Reclamation Eventually portions of the Business Park will need to be decommissioned. Where and when necessary, decommissioning will be conducted based on current, applicable regulations that are in place at the time of decommissioning. Waste generated from decommissioning will be disposed of, recycled or reused, as appropriate, based on regulatory requirements. Lands where commercial decommissioning takes place will be reclaimed and repurposed, as necessary, to maintain Business Park viability. Decommissioned sites that remain empty for extended periods will be stabilized and/or revegetated to maintain environmental sustainability objectives.

Valued Environmental Components

6.1 Geology

Surficial Geology The majority of the surficial geological materials located within the Detailed Study Area are ground moraine and streamline drift consisting of silty compact till. Also found within the Detailed Study Area are alluvial deposits from the Holocene epoch composed of gravel, mud and sand. The alluvial deposits are coarse at the base and finer at the top when bedded and the stream channels are generally gravelly sand and floodplain sand. Pockets of organic deposits consisting of sphagnum moss, clay, peat and gyttja (mud formed from the partial decay of peat) are located throughout the Detailed Study Area, as shown in Figure 4, Appendix A (Department of Natural Resources, 1992). According to ScoZinc Limited, the majority of the Stewiacke Basin is blanketed by a thick layer of Pleistocene glacial drift of fluvial deposits that can be up to 75 m thick (ScoZinc Limited, 2012).

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Conquest Engineering Ltd conducted test pit and borehole based geotechnical investigations on May 4 and August 20, 2011, respectively, at Commerce Court (Appendix C-3 and C-4). The subject property is located approximately 1.7 km northeast of the Project Footprint area where it crosses the Park Road alignment. Test pits were excavated to depths of 3.2 m and boreholes were drilled to depths of up to 5.8 m. Although bedrock was not encountered during the investigation, Conquest indicated that the bedrock in the area is siltstone of the Windsor Group Formation, based on Geological mapping. The predominant native soil type was found to be glacial till that had relative densities in the firm to hard range, with stiff to hard being most common. Grain size testing completed on a sample of till showed 5% gravel, 34% sand, and 61% fines with a moisture content of 12% (Conquest Engineering Ltd, 2011).

Bedrock Geology The bedrock geology map of Nova Scotia indicates the Detailed Study Area, including the Project Footprint, is composed of two geological groups; the Mabou Group and the Windsor Group. The Mabou Group is of Carboniferous period origin, while the Windsor Group is of late Mississippian origin. The bedrock geology of the Study Area is shown in Figure 5, Appendix A. The Mabou group consists mainly of sedimentary rocks created by the evaporation and deposition of an ancient stream. The Watering Brook Formation predominates with the study area, which is composed of siltstone, gypsum, minor sandstone and anhydrite. Siltstone is a common rock type in this formation, which is created by fine-particle silt geologically compressed into stone. The formation also includes lesser concentrations of Greywacke sandstone (quartz and feldspar in cemented with clay), Gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate rock formed by deposited seawater) and Anhydrite (calcium sulfate, formed when warm water chemically interacts with gypsum) (Department of Natural Resources, 1999). The Windsor Group consists of sedimentary rocks created by the evaporation of an ancient intercontinental ocean, stratified marine skeletons, and deposited sediments. The Windsor Group contains some of the largest commercial gypsum quarries in the world. Gypsum is calcium sulfate dihydrate rock formed by deposited seawater. Gypsum deposits are especially common where Horton and Windsor groups touch and overlap. The upper Windsor group predominates in the Project Footprint, which is composed of sandstone, mudstone, shallow marine limestone and minor gypsum inclusions. Bedrock from the Middle Windsor Group may also exist within the Project Footprint and is composed of anhydrite, gypsum, mudstone and halite (Department of Natural Resources, 1999). The MacDonald Road and Green Oaks Formations of the Windsor Group are mapped within the Project Footprint area (Department of Mines and Energy, 1982). The MacDonald Road Formation is composed of anhydrite, minor halite and gypsum with interbedded maroon and gray siltstone and sheet-like carbonate members The Green Oaks Formation is composed predominantly of reddish brown siltstone and fine grained sandstone, interlaced with marine limestone and dolostone and may also include anhydrite and gypsum clasts. Jacques Whitford Ltd. conducted an EA for the Elmsdale Quarry Expansion Project and described the bedrock geology for the Elmsdale region. The bedrock geology found within the Project Footprint is from the Late Mississippian group consisting of the Middle Windsor Group; the MacDonald Road Formation and the Lower Windsor Group; Carroll’s Corner Formation of gypsum, anhydrite with minor dolostone and mudstone in thin beds (Jacques Whitford Ltd, 2007). Jacques Whitford Ltd. also indicated that the nearby Shubenacadie-Stewiacke basin contains the Stewiacke Formation of the Windsor Group, which consists of a large, flat-lying salt bed (Jacques Whitford Ltd., 2007). The Carroll’s Corner Formation potentially contains karstic features, which can result in voids or sinkholes

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within area (ScoZinc Limited, 2012). The Project Footprint lies outside the boundaries of the Carroll’s Corner Formation. Geologic formations including the Halifax and Goldenville Formations of the Meguma Group are located to the south and southwest of the Project Footprint. The Meguma Group, and in particular the Halifax Formation of the Meguma Group, is known for high sulphur content and the potential for acid rock drainage is high (Prime & White, 2007). The Project Footprint lies outside the boundaries of the Halifax Formation and, therefore, the risk of acid rock in the Project Footprint is very low.

Phase I Geotechnical Investigation Englobe Corp. completed a geotechnical investigation for a proposed new roadway that is planned for construction as part of the Phase I development in the Elmsdale Business Park (Appendix C-1). The investigation assessed subsurface conditions and made recommendations related to geological and hydrological aspects of new road construction. The approximately 600 metres of new road construction will be located off Park Road and will form a loop to access proposed lots within the Phase I development area. A sketch showing the proposed site plan showing the proposed development area is provided in Figure 6.1. The proposed streets form a loop off Park Road and the three lots immediately adjacent to Park Road were previously developed and do not form part of the business park’s Phase I development Topics discussed in the in the report include the following topics related to subdivision construction:

 Slope stability,  Identification of poor subgrade materials,  Proposed methodologies to mitigate unsuitable soil and/or water conditions,  Preliminary hydrologic analysis, including identification of groundwater levels at test pit locations and the effects of elevated and fluctuating water levels and,  Roadway cross section recommendations. Englobes subsurface investigation was conducted on September 7, 2018 and described site soil conditions that are consistent with the general surficial geological background information and that identified in previous investigations within the development area. Englobe advanced eight (8) test pits along the proposed roadway route where they encountered soil consisting of rootmat/topsoil/organic materials overlying sand and/or glacial till deposits. Thickness of the surface rootmat/organic soils layer was 0.5 metres to 0.9 metres. Sand deposits encountered at test pits TP 1, TP 2, and TP 6 were observed at depths ranging from 1.2 metres to 2.4 metres and consisted of sand, some silt and trace gravel. The sand deposits were lightly compact to compact, moist to saturated and light brown in colour. Glacial till deposits were encountered at all test pits either directly below the organic surface soils or below the sand deposits observed at Test Pits TP1, TP 2 and TP 6. The silty sand till soils extended to depths ranging from 1.8 to 3.2 metres and consisted of silty sand, some gravel, trace to some clay with occasional cobbles and boulders. The till deposits were compact, moist to wet and brown to dark brown in colour. Bedrock was not encountered during the investigation and minor groundwater seepage was observed in test pit TP 6 at a depth of 2.2 metres.

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Figure 6-1 Site plan showing the location of test pits excavated for the Englobe geotechnical investigation and the proposed Phase I lot and roadway configuration.4.

6.2 Atmospheric Conditions

Air Quality The general ambient air quality for the province of Nova Scotia is “good.” Elevated concentrations of air pollutants are known as air quality “events” that may result from out of province sources, but local emissions are also a factor (Nova Scotia Environment and Labour, n.d.). Nova Scotia Environment monitors ambient air pollutants (hourly) such as ground-level ozone (O3); fine particulate matter (PM2.5); carbon monoxide (CO); nitrogen dioxide (NO2); and Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) (NSE, n.d.). WSP (2016) created a summarized table of the monthly average levels of pollutants monitored in downtown Halifax. The table also includes the yearly average from November 2014 to November 2015 and can be seen in Table 6.2-1.

4 Appendix C-1: Englobe. (2018) Pre-Design Geotechnical Investigation, Proposed New Roadway, Elmsdale Business Park. Elmsdale, NS. File Ref.: B-0020021-1.

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Table 6.2-1: Air Pollutant Summary for Downtown Halifax

O3 SO2 CO NO2 NO NOX Monthly Average ppb ppb ppm ppb ppb ppb

Nov-14 20.1 1.8 0.2 11 10 22

Dec-14 21.7 1.8 0.1 10 8 19

Jan-15 22.9 2 0.1 13 10 24

Feb-15 25.2 1.9 0.2 13 10 24

Mar-15 26.2 1.4 0.2 15 11 27

Apr-15 24.5 -0.3 0.2 12 7 20

May-15 23.2 -1 0.3 9 7 18

Jun-15 19.2 -1.6 0.4 8 7 16

Jul-15 16.6 0.6 0.1 7 6 15

Aug-15 17 1.6 0.2 6 6 13

Sep-15 14.7 0.3 0.2 6 6 13

Oct-15 16.9 0 0.1 5 4 11

Nov-15 18.7 -0.2 0.3 6 5 12

Yearly Average 22.24 0.69 0.22 10.08 8.08 19.50

The Air Quality Heath Index (AQHI) is a public information tool developed by Health Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada. This tool helps Canadians protect their health from the negative effects of air pollution on a daily basis (Government of Canada, 2016) by regular monitoring and providing daily outdoor levels of air pollution. The AQHI helps decide when it is safe to be active outside (Government of Nova Scotia, 2014). The AQHI is separated into four categories of Low Risk (1- 3); Moderate Risk (4-6); High Risk (7-10); and Very High Risk (above 10) (Government of Canada, 2015). The AQHI levels are summarized in Table 6.2-2.

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Table 6.2-2: Air Quality Health Index Categories (Environment Canada, 2015)

Air Quality Health Risk Health General Population Index

Low 1-3 Ideal air quality for outdoor activities.

Moderate 4-6 No need to modify usual outdoor activities unless you experience symptoms such as throat irritation and coughing.

High 7-10 Consider reducing or rescheduling strenuous activities outdoors if you experience symptoms of throat irritation or coughing.

Very High Above 10 Reduce or reschedule strenuous activities, especially if you experience symptoms of throat irritation or coughing.

The closest AQHI monitoring station to the Municipality of East Hants is located in downtown Halifax approximately 35 km south of the Project Footprint. The AQHI for the last year has been summarized in Table 6.2-3 (Environment Canada, 2015). The average yearly AQHI for Halifax from November 2014 to November 2015 was calculated to be 1.9 which according to the categories is a low risk. WSP (2016) indicated that the AQHI for Elmsdale is expected to fall under the low risk category like the average province AQHI of 1.9. Elmsdale is located in a rural area where there are minimal sources to produce air pollution. Therefore, the air quality in Elmsdale is expected to be as “good” as the air quality in Halifax, if not better. The proposed project will not impact the air quality in Elmsdale.

Table 6.2-1: Air Quality Health Index for Halifax November 2014 – November 2015

Month Max* Mean** Min* Month Max* Mean** Min*

Nov. 2014 4.0 1.9 1.0 June 2015 3.4 1.7 1.0

Dec. 2014 3.1 1.9 1.0 July 2015 3.2 1.7 1.0

Jan. 2015 3.7 2.1 1.5 Aug. 2015 3.0 1.6 1.0

Feb. 2015 3.8 2.4 1.5 Sept. 2015 3.1 1.5 1.0

March 2015 4.0 2.6 1.9 Oct. 2015 2.6 1.5 1.0

April 2015 3.9 2.3 1.2 Nov. 2015 3.3 1.7 1.0

May 2015 3.7 2.1 1.0

* Calendar Day, ** Calendar Year

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Noise Levels The Elmsdale Business Park Expansion is situated along Highway 102. The Halifax Airport is less than 10 km to the southwest and the Business Park is presently operational. Therefore, there is substantial ground and air traffic related noise in the areas surrounding the proposed Business Park Expansion. The proposed Business Park is relatively isolated from residential development and other receptor land uses. However, to enhance the mitigation that distance to receptors provide tree lines and other sound absorbing practices to reduce the potential for noise impacts to neighboring receptors. In addition to distance and sound barrier implementation, maintaining adequate sightline interruption is an effective nuisance mitigation measure, regardless of the type of nuisance. That is, receptors are less likely to complain about minor nuisances where that cannot directly observe the source of the nuisance. Furthermore, sightline interruption measures will also act to dampen of deflect sound waves, which will further reduce noise related nuisance. The types of operations expected in the expanded Business Park will be similar to those currently in the Park. Therefore, noise levels from new developments would be similar to that from existing operations. Furthermore, since it would be unlikely that operations creating noise would conduct noise inducing activities simultaneously, the risk of increasing nuisance inducing noise level incidents is considered to be low. This development is intended to be a similar type of development as Burnside Industrial Park in Dartmouth, NS. Therefore, noise levels are expected similar to those from that development. However, since this development will be less concentrated that the Burnside, noise impacts are not expected to be as severe as from that development. Furthermore, as construction will occur in phases, based on demand for land and lots, the construction period is also not likely to significantly increase noise levels. Therefore, noise levels are not considered to be a significant impact of the proposed project.

6.3 Groundwater The Grand Lake Watershed is the largest water supply watershed (38,265 ha) within Nova Scotia and it supplies, amongst others, the Enfield, Elmsdale and Lantz communities with drinking water. However, between 2,500 HRM and 3,000 East Hants residents have private water supplies within the watershed (Municipality of East Hants, n.d.). The Project Footprint is located outside of the Grand Lake Watershed with 14% of the watershed within the Municipality of East Hants and the remaining 86% in the Halifax Regional Municipality (Municipality of East Hants, n.d.). The water intake is located in the Shubenacadie River and part of the Grand Lake Watershed. The water is then treated at the Enfield water treatment facility before it is supplied to the Elmsdale area and the Elmsdale Business Park (Harroun, 2015). Several well driller logs (Appendix C-2) were examined to obtain an understanding of the nature of groundwater characteristics such as depth to surface and quantity within the Study Area (Elmsdale) (NSE, 2014). Typical Elmsdale area water well physical characteristics are summarized in Table 6.3-1.

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Table 6.3-1: Elmsdale Well Characteristic Summary (Average of 137 Domestic Wells)

Well Depth Well Yield Depth to Bedrock Encountered Water Bearing

(ft) (igpm) (ft) Fractures (ft)

Approximate 179 11 46 126 Average

Domestic well log statistics, as provided by Nova Scotia Environment and Labour (NSEL), for water wells developed within the Windsor Group bedrock formation near Elmsdale, NS were summarized by Jacques Whitford, as shown in Table 6.3-2 (Jacques Whitford Ltd, 2007).

Table 6.3-2: Windsor Group Well Summary

Overburden Well Depth Casing Estimated Yield Water Depth Windsor Group Thickness (m) Length (m) (igpm) (m) (m)

Minimum 15.8 11.6 0.2 1.8 29.3

Maximum 109.7 65.2 100 29.0 34.1

Average 52.6 32.1 18.4 16.3 31.7

Median 48.8 30.5 13 20.7 31.7

Number 19 19 18 15 2

Groundwater chemistry data from the Nova Scotia Groundwater Chemistry Database (NSGCDB) is compiled from various sources such as federal, provincial and municipal groundwater chemistry data sources. The municipal groundwater chemistry data sources include Nova Scotia Environment groundwater chemistry data from registered public drinking water supplies, well water quality monitoring data from government buildings, pump test data, provincial observations wells and municipal groundwater systems (G.W. Kennedy and D. Finlayson-Borque,2011). General groundwater quality data was not available for the Elmsdale region, therefore the groundwater quality data provided in Table 6.3-3 was acquired from the closest sampling location relative to the Project Footprint. The groundwater quality data provided in Table 6.3-3 represents a well water sample from a well located slightly east of the Shubenacadie Grand Lake, approximately 5.4 km and slightly southwest of the Project Footprint, as shown in Figure 2, Appendix A.

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Table 6.3-2: Groundwater Chemistry

Groundwater Chemistry

Parameter Concentration Parameter Concentration

Alkalinity 200-400 mg/L Manganese > 100 < g/L

Arsenic < 5 < g/L Methane < 0.01 mg/L

Bicarbonate 200-400 mg/L Nitrate & Nitrite < 5 mg/L

Calcium > 200 mg/L pH 6.5-8.5

Chloride < 125 mg/L Potassium 2.5-5 mg/L

Fluoride < 0.75 mg/L Sodium < 100 mg/L

Hardness > 180 mg/L Sulphate 500-1000 mg/L

Iron < 150 < g/L Total Dissolved > 1000 mg/L Solids

Magnesium 25 -50 mg/L Uranium 20-40 < g/L

6.4 `Freshwater Environment

Surface Water The Project is located within the Shubenacadie and Stewiacke watershed system that measures an approximate total of 2,614 km2 of water and land (Nova Scotia Museum)5. The Nova Scotia Watershed Assessment Program (NSWAP, 2011) completed an assessment on the current state of the watersheds in Nova Scotia. Watershed impact indicators were created for the study in order to characterize each watershed. For the Shubenacadie/Stewiacke watershed, the watershed impact indicator is the Acid Rock Drainage Risk (ARD), meaning the area of acid bearing rock that has been exposed due to human activity within a watershed (NSWAP, 2011). Each of the watersheds studied were ranked on a comparative basis, where 1 is the lowest and 5 the highest. The rating does not indicate “healthy” or “not healthy” characteristics, but rather compares the watersheds by their watershed impact indicator value. The Shubenacadie/Stewiacke watershed, a major Nova Scotia watershed, is ranked at five (5), which is the highest rank available. According to NSWAP the watershed impact indicator of AR raises concern for instream habitat and water quality (NSWAP, 2011). Contrary to the assessment indicated in that report, information regarding the bedrock and surficial geology indicate that acid rock drainage producing material is unlikely to be present within the proposed Project Footprint. This apparent contradiction is caused by the scale at which the mapping

5 Nova Scotia Museum 1996. Natural History of Nova Scotia: Volume 1. https://ojs.library.dal.ca/NSM/issue/view/349

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was conducted in the above noted study, which lumped bedrock types into the general assessment for the entire basin. However, the acid rock drainage materials are located mainly in the in the upper reaches of the watershed, largely in the Meguma and Horton geological bedrock materials. Typically, acid rock drainage (ARD) in Nova Scotia is the exposure of pyrite and other sulfide minerals to water and oxygen. When exposed, they react in a chemical oxidation process releasing metal oxides and sulfuric acid into watercourses downstream (Natural Resources, 2015). The potential impacts of ARD are further discussed in Section 6.4.2 Fish and Fish Habitat. Water flow directions are indicated on Figure 6, Appendix A. Although ARD was identified within the Shubenacadie and Stewiacke watershed system by NSWAP, the acid rock materials are found in the upper reaches of the watershed system and not within the area of the Detailed Study Area or the Project Footprint of the currently (2019) proposed development area. Fish Habitat detailed information is contained in Section 6.4.2 Fish and Fish Habitat for each of the mapped watercourses within the Detailed Study Area. Table 6.4-1 summarizes the watercourse parameters that were collected by WSP on October 8 and 15, 2015. Table 6.4-1: Summary of Field Parameters for Watercourses surveyed within the Detailed Study Area (WSP, 2016)

Stream Watercourse Air Temp Water Dissolved Conductivity Flow pH Velocity ID (°C) Temp (°C) Oxygen (mg/l) (mSIE/cm) (m3/s) (m/s)

Watercourse 1 15 11.98 4.25 6 289 0 0

Watercourse 2 15 11.48 3.13 7 347.5 0.032 0

Watercourse 3 15 10.37 4.45 5 27.17 0.003 0

Watercourse 4 14 12.07 6.2 6 6 0 0

Fish and Fish Habitat Fish Habitat surveys were conducted within the Detailed Study Area on October 8th, and 15th, 2015. Four watercourses were assessed in the field and are forest streams contiguous with wetlands. The location of each watercourse/drainage channel is shown in Figure 6 (Appendix A). A summary of fish habitat key characteristics is presented in Table 6.4-2 and the full detailed Freshwater Environment Report can be seen in Appendix D.

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Table 6.4-2: Fish Habitat Summary

Fish Habitat Summary, 2015

Watercourse 1 No suitable fish habitat was observed in the study area.

Watercourse 2 Due to the poor water quality during the fall spawning season a fishing survey was not conducted for watercourse 2 and no valuable fish habitat is expected.

Watercourse 3 Due to the poor water quality during the fall spawning season, and the watercourse not having a defined channel for several reaches, a fishing survey was not conducted for watercourse 3 and no valuable fish habitat is expected. Watercourse 4 Due to the watercourse having poor water quality an abundance of vegetation at reach 5, and 6, little to no flow during the fall spawning season fish are not expected to be in this watercourse within the study area. The watercourse disappears upstream near wetland 10. Watercourse 4 is most likely a wetland outlet that drains into Nine Mile River.

Explanation of Acid Rock Drainage and Impacts Acid Rock drainage entering a waterbody (surface water or groundwater) can potentially decrease the water quality by lowering the pH and increasing the dissolved metal content. Metals are more toxic in the dissolved form than the solid form as they are more readily absorbed and accumulated by animal and plant life. Because metals can be transferred to animal tissues and plants, they can be passed along to other living things in the food chain (Wolfgang Zilker, n.d.)6. Based on information of the bedrock and surficial geology of the Project Footprint, it is very unlikely that the proposed project will produce acid rock drainage.

Fish Species at Risk 6.4.4.1 ACCDC Report The Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre (ACCDC) works with federal and provincial experts to create rarity ranks for species in the Atlantic Canadian Provinces. The ACCDC maintains linked databases to document species occurring in each province and it also maintains the locations at which provincially-rare species are known. The conservation status of each species’ in each province is assessed in cooperation with other experts and is summarized in a sub-national status rank (S-Rank) (Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre, 2015). The s-Rank for each species varies from province to province, which is why each species is ranked provincially as well. The S-ranks have been defined and summarized in Table 6.4-3 (Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre, 2015).

6 Wolfgang Zilker. (n.d.). Protect Fish Lake - Teztan Biny. Retrieved 12 07, 2015, from Mining and Water Pollution Issues in BC: http://www.protectfishlake.ca/media/amd.pdf

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An ACCDC data report was requested for all rare and uncommon species that have been recorded within proximity to the Detailed Study Area. The report includes all rare and legally protected flora and fauna within 100 km of the Project Footprint. However, a list of only those rare and legally protected flora and fauna found within 5 km of the Project Footprint was used for this Registration Document. The report included a list of rare and uncommon freshwater fish. The full ACCDC Data Report can be seen in Appendix E.

Table 6.4-3: Summary of ACCDC S-Rank Definitions

S-rank Definition

Presumed Extirpated: Species or community is believed to be extirpated from the SX province.

S1 Critically Imperiled: Extreme rarity (often 5 or fewer occurrences)

S2 Imperiled: Very few populations (often 20 or fewer) or steep declines

S3 Vulnerable: Vulnerable, recent and widespread declines (often 80 or fewer populations)

S4 Apparently Secure: Uncommon but not rare

S5 Secure: Common or abundant

SNR Unranked: Province/state conservation not yet assessed

SU Unrankable: Lack of information

SNA Not Applicable: A conservation status rank is not applicable because the species is not a suitable target for conservation activities

S#S# Range Rank: A numeric range rank is used to indicate any range of uncertainty about the status of the species or community

SH Historic

Not Species is not known to occur in the province Provided

The ACCDC Data Report highlighted two fish species at risk within the Study Area: Atlantic salmon – Inner Bay of Fundy (IBoF) Population; and American Eel as indicated in Table 6.4-4. NSDNR has highlighted the upper reaches and tributaries of the Nine Mile River as potential Atlantic salmon habitat, the location of which is partially indicated in Figure 6, Appendix A. It is unlikely that IBoF salmon would use the small, vegetation choked, low water quality watercourses that are present within the Project Footprint. American Eel have been recorded within the Shubenacadie River, but are also not likely to use the watercourses present within the Project Footprint. This species is listed as Secure by the NS Provincial Status Ranks although it is considered Threatened on a national scale.

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Table 6.4-4: Fish Species at Risk Listed in the ACCDC Data Report

National National NS Protection Scientific Common Protection Provincial Potentially Status – s-Rank Name Name Status Status Present Species at (COSWEIC) Rank Risk

Atlantic Salmon – Inner 2 May Be Salmo salar Endangered Endangered S2 Unlikely Bay of Fundy At Risk population

Anguilla American Eel Threatened S5 4 Secure Unlikely rostrate

6.4.4.2 Inner Bay of Fundy Salmon The Inner Bay of Fundy (IBoF) Salmon are listed as endangered under the National Protection Status for Nova Scotia. The iBoF Salmon are similar to Atlantic Salmon, but a unique migration behavior and other traits such as earlier maturity and high survival rate characteristics distinguish this species (Parks Canada, 2013). The proposed project is not expected to interact with this species at risk due to the poor water quality and stream characteristics of the watercourses present within the Project Footprint and the Detailed Study Area. However, preservation of this iconic, formerly plentiful species is consistent with East Hants environmental sustainability policies. Therefore, East Hants shares the public concerns regarding the IBoF Salmon and recognizes that they were formerly plentiful within the waters of our communities. By complying with the Nova Scotia Environment’s direction to maintain a balanced stormwater flow regime, we are confident that the proposed development will not have any negative impact on the iBoF salmon population. 6.4.4.3 American Eel The American Eel is an elongate, serpentine fish, whose colour varies based on sexual maturity. Eels can also alter their colouration in response to the background environment and changes in illumination. American eels occur in the estuaries and river systems draining eastern North America and north- eastern South America (Government of Canada, 2006). The American Eel is listed as threatened under the National Protection Status in Nova Scotia. The proposed project is not expected to interact with this species at risk due to the poor water quality and stream characteristics of the watercourses present within the Project Footprint. Although there is surface water within the Project Footprint, it has low fish habitat value. This finding is supported by the fact that WSP did not observe any fish in any of the watercourses within the Detailed Study Area during field inspections in September 2015.

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6.5 Wetlands and Vegetation The Elmsdale Business Park lies at the edge of the Nine Mile River in Hants County. The alluvial soils in the river floodplain corridor have good drainage and lend themselves to hay and grain crops in non- flooding areas. A large proportion of the Business Park area is wetland and has been classed in the soil series maps and reports as Swamp or Poorly Drained area of the Queens Soil series. Geologically, this area is part of the Windsor lowlands and its Carboniferous rock includes sandstone, limestone and gypsum (Roland, 1980); sinkhole karst topography is not well-developed at this site (Hill, 2015, site observation). Biodiversity and rarity (e.g. those evident in the ACCDC Elmsdale report) is most concentrated in the wetland areas in the Elmsdale region. These species are impacted by natural patterns of stress prevalent in wetlands that reduce competitive interactions. These natural stressors are exacerbated by anthropogenic disturbance of uplands due to forestry and land clearing activities, which disrupts old growth and simplifies those plant and animal community diversity. Analysis of the ACCDC report makes clear that the swampland areas are key to biodiversity and the sustainability of rare species in the Elmsdale region.

Wetlands in the Detailed Study Area The Nova Scotia Wetland Policy (NSDNR, 2011) identifies a wetland to be commonly referred to as a marsh, swamp, fen or bog that:  Either periodically or permanently has a water table at, near or above the land’s surface, or that is saturated with water; and  Sustains aquatic processes as indicated by the presence of poorly drained soils, hydrophytic vegetation, and biological activities adapted to wet conditions. The Policy identifies the following wetland types within Nova Scotia:  Bog;  Coastal Saline Pond;  Fen;  Marsh (including deep marsh, shallow marsh, shoreline marsh and salt marsh);  Swamp; and  Vernal Pool. In 2015 WSP received wetland boundary information from East Hants, based on work previously conducted for East Hants by Stantec and Dillon. WSP visited all identified wetlands expected to be impacted within the Detailed Study area in 2015. Which are depicted in Figure 6, Appendix A, based on the 2015 survey (WSP, 2016) and the previous work completed by Dillon and Stantec. The size, type and condition of each wetland within the Detailed Study Area are summarized in Table 6.5-1, based on the Functional Assessment worked completed by WSP (2016). Potential permitting and/or mitigation requirements presented in this document are based on that study (WSP, 2016). For clarity, an additional column was added to Table 6.5-1 to indicate whether the indicated wetland is within the proposed 2019 Project Footprint. Based on Table 6.5-1, the total impacted wetland area within the 2019 Project Footprint is approximately 2.1 ha. However, additional wetlands could be impacted, as shown in Figure 3, Appendix A, due to lot and road development induced drainage. While East Hants will seek to minimize wetland impacts due to these effects, it is estimated that up to 10 ha of wetland could be affected. Consequently, this EA registration is being submitted to ensure that the proposed development will meet the NSE wetland regulation.

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Table 6.5-1: Summary of Wetland Habitat in the Detailed Study Area

In 2019 Wetland Area Wetland Visited by Condition Project No. (ha) Type WSP in 2015 Footprint

WL 1 is large and composed of various types of bogs, but high % WL 1 73.5 Bog (Various) sphagnum throughout, and Yes Yes typical bog veg where not impounded by beaver activity

WL 2 For Clarity, there is no WL 2 noted on the map or in this report

WL 3 0.052 Swamp Red Maple Yes Yes (Treed)

WL 4 0.45 Swamp Red Spruce Yes Yes (Treed)

WL 5 0.35 N/A N/A No (no No access)

WL 6 0.049 N/A N/A No (no No access)

WL 7 0.21 N/A N/A No (no No access)

WL 8 0.078 Swamp Red Maple No(no No (Treed) access)

WL 10 2.33 Swamp Red maple Yes No (Treed)

WL 11 0.40 Swamp Riparian alder thicket Yes No (Shrub)

WL 12 0.27 N/A N/A No No

WL 13 0.12 N/A N/A No No

WL 14 1.2 Bog (Treed) More wetland off property, Yes No juniper, pitcher plants

WL 15 0.05 N/A N/A No (small No and pushed up against property boundary)

WL 16 0.5 Swamp Drying, undulating ground in Yes Yes (Treed) clear cut

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In 2019 Wetland Area Wetland Visited by Condition Project No. (ha) Type WSP in 2015 Footprint

WL 17 0.061 Swamp Small alder thicket Yes No (Shrub)

WL 18 0.24 Swamp Riparian alder thicket Yes Yes (Shrub)

WL 19 0.91 Marsh Cattail Yes Yes (Shallow)

Vegetation Habitat Descriptions within the Detailed Study Area Dr. Nick Hill (Fern Hills Institute) conducted a botanical survey of the Detailed Study Area in October 2015. The full report is available in Appendix F-1. Two field days were spent at the site: October 6th and 16th, 2015. A transect method was used following a compass bearing but once in the field, the route was governed by likely rare plant habitat. Most often the track was drawn to wetlands and as these were traversed, their various microsites were closely examined; these would include the wetland edge, their lag zones, hummocks and hollows and pool areas. The local flora (Zinck, 1998) was consulted and plant identifications were confirmed using this reference and Sedges of Maine and the online resource “GoBotany”. An ACCDC report of rare species occurrences, compiled on October 6, 2015 by James Churchill was consulted to inform field work. Hill (2015) reviewed various types of vegetation and vegetative habitat located within the swamp, fen, bog, and upland forested areas within the Detailed Study Area. A complete review of vegetative habitat and rare plants is provided in Appendix F-1 (Hill, 2015). The following sections summarize the main points developed in that report. The Elmsdale Business Park lies at the edge of the Nine Mile River in Hants County. The alluvial soils (Cumberland Soil Series) in the river floodplain corridor have good drainage and lend themselves to hay and grain crops in non-flooding areas. The upland soils within the proposed Business Park development area (Q-PH, Queens Soil Series) have slower drainage but are widely used for agriculture to support mixed hay, pasture and grain crops. A large proportion of the Detailed Study Area and proposed Project Footprint is classified as Swamp type wetlands or Poorly Drained areas of the Queens Soil series (Hill, 2015). The Nine Mile River affords good habitat for the flora of the Appalachian Deciduous Forest (AKA - Alleghanian Element), many of which are rare and habitat-limited. It is also an area known to support the rare black ash (Fraxinus nigra), a tree of indigenous cultural significance and listed as S1/S2 -At Risk and GS1-At Risk by the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre. Black ash is further discussed in Section 6.5.3. The swamp habitat was the most common wetland type identified within the Detailed Study Area. The wetland supported various vegetation and the area graded from black spruce and tamarack that dominated in wetter, to richer mixed wood swamps supporting red maple, white ash and big toothed poplar. The black spruce dominated swamp lands have the potential to support the S3 listed Listera australis, but none were observed in during the 2015 fall plant survey. Black ash was found in the richer mixed wood swamp type. In the mid zones of swamps, trees gave way to shrub dominance, such as either Canada holly or speckled alder. Swamps had more graminoid (i.e., grass and related species)

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cover in these midzones and there were various low shrub communities developed in areas of higher light availability. Swamp complexes drained toward Park Road and became more linear with increasing watershed area and slope, including more defined stream channels. Two black ash (wisqoq) sites were identified in these pinch points where seasonal water level fluctuations may be larger than that in the middle of these large swamps (Hill, 2015). One site consisted of a single tree, while the second consisted of two trees in close proximity to an existing storm-water retention pond adjacent to Park Road. Fen often occurred between an upper swamp area and a retaining upland barrier. These lagg fens included a range of slow growing small plants, including three-leaved false Solomon's-seal (Maianthemum trifolium), white beak sedge (Rhynchospora alba), cotton grasses (Eriophorum angustifolium), bog laurel (Kalmia polifolia), small cranberry (E. Vaccinium), and leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata). The bogs included a variety of depressed heath plants and bog sedges, including (Carex atlantica ssp. atlantica, and Carex pauciflora), the dragon’s mouth orchid (Arethusa bulbosa) and small heaths (Empetrum nigrum, Vaccinium oxycoccos and Kalmia polifolia). Treed bog vegetation was more closed in with higher shrubs. In this area black spruce thicket development was observed. These areas also included open areas, which included tussocks of the tussock cottonsedge (Eriophorum vaginatum), Billing’s sedge (Carex billingsii) and narrow leaved cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium) in a matrix of knee-high heath (Chamaedaphne calyculata, Ledum groenlandicum, Rhododendron canadense and Kalmia angustifolia) (Hill, 2015). Upland forest communities ranged from white pine forest, to hemlock to oak. Successional upland communities had regrown in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), wire birch (Betula populifolia) red maple and fir and had an understory of Vaccinium myrtilloides. The pine woods had greater integrity and the understory included large leaf aster (Eurybia macrophylla), bracken fern, and two Danthonia grass species (D. compressa and D. spicata). Oak woods may be fire communities where a tree layer of red oak, big-toothed poplar (Populus grandidentata) and black spruce existed. A ground layer of bracken fern, lambkill (Kalmia angustifolia), bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) and teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens) were also present in these locations. Minor amounts of eastern hemlock woodland occur in north-facing aspects where Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) occurs as ground cover (Hill, 2015).

Plant Species at Risk or Species of Conservation Concern Species at risk are defined as any species listed in Schedule 1 of the federal SARA as “Extirpated”, “Endangered”, “Threatened”, or “Special Concern”, and is also used to categorize species listed by the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (NSDNR) as “endangered” or “regionally endangered” under the NS Endangered Species Act (NS ESA). Appendix E contains a glossary that lists these rankings under SARA, NS ESA, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and other conservation listings. The ACCDC Data Report (Appendix E) did not return any floral species at risk within the General Study Area. However, four of the vascular floral species identified in Table 6.5-2 are listed as being “of conservation concern”, based on their s-Rank. These vascular plant species do have potential to be present within the Detailed Study area and the proposed Project Footprint. Keep in mind that the General Study Area is defined in the NSE EA guidelines as being all lands within a 5 km radius of the proposed Project Footprint and is the area that requires screening for Species at Risk potential. For the purposes of this report the General Study Area describes the lands within a 5 km radius of the Detailed Study Area, which is the area that received field level assessment during the development of the 2016 EA Registration report (WSP, 2016). Therefore, the General Study Area

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referred to in this report is larger than required by the NSE EA guidelines, because the currently proposed Project Footprint area is considerably smaller than that assessed for previously submitted EA (WSP, 2016).

Table 6.5-2: Flora and Fauna Recorded in the General Study Area (within 5 KM of the Detailed Study Area (i.e., Proposed 2016 Project Footprint)

National National NS Protection Scientific Common Protection Provincial Potentially Status – s-Rank Name Name Status Status Present Species at (COSWEIC) Rank Risk

Lillium Canada Lily S2 May Be At Possible canadense Risk

Equisetum Variegated S3 4 Secure Possible variegatum Horsetail

Dichanthelium Deer-tongue S3 4 Secure Possible clandestinum Panic Grass

Sanguinaria Bloodroot S3S4 4 Secure Possible canadensis

Two of the four candidate species listed in Table 6.5-2 are rare Appalachian Deciduous Forest (aka: Alleghanian Element) herbs. The Canada lily is a rare, S2 listed, plant that requires fertile soils and intact floodplain habitat. Variegated Horsetail prefers open sites with lime-rich soil located in winte/cold weather flood lands, generally located beside lakes, rivers and canals. The bloodroot is uncommon regionally but widespread in the same rich hardwood woodland habitats as the Canada lily. There are several other additional rare Appalachian Deciduous Forest species associated with this same habitat within a 10 km radius, most notably, blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides-S2 May Be At Risk) and the S1-ranked (critically imperiled) bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix), which has been found within a 25 km radius of the Project. None of the species listed within the ACCDC Report were observed during field surveys of the Deatiled Study Area for this Project. 6.5.3.1 Survey of Plant Communities and Rare Vascular Plants at the Elmsdale Business Park A total of 192 native plants were counted over the two-day survey at Elmsdale Business Park (Hill, 2015). Twelve of these were rare (S3 or rarer) or uncommon (S4 or S4S5). Only ten exotic species were recorded and this proportion of exotics is low (10/(191+10) = 5%). Hill (2015) identified four wetland plants within the Detailed Study Area that were indicated in the ACCDC report as having habitat within 10km of the Detailed Study Area. Those species were Fraxinus nigra (black ash), Rhamnus alnifolia (Alder-leaved Buckthorn), Polygonum amphibium (water-smartweed), Juncus subcaudatus (Woods [somewhat-tailed] rush). Three S-rated (listed) rare plants in the western half of the Detailed Study Area as follows; Carex

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wiegandii (Wiegand's sedge, S3-vulnerable7), Rhamnus alnifolia (Alder-leaved Buckthorn, S3 vulnerable), and Polygonum amphibium (Water Smartweed, S4/S5, Secure). Common habitat areas of Listera australis (S3 Secure) in black spruce swamp. Most importantly, three individuals8 of Fraxinus nigra or black ash, classified as S1/S2 (Imperilled/May be at Risk), were also discovered in this area, as identified in Figure 6, Appendix A. In the eastern portion of the property Carex wiegandii had a narrow habitat along the edge of swamps. Rhamnus alnifolia occurred in openings within swamps and in swamp understories. The woods-rush, Juncus subcaudatus (S3, Sensitive) was rare in a flooded area of the swamp. Table 6.5-3 summarizes the SAR and SCC plant species located during the botanical survey.

Table 6.5-3: Plant Species at Risk and Species of Conservation Concern Located during Botanical Survey (Hill,2015)

National National Protection Protection NS Provincial Scientific Name Common Name Status – s-Rank Status Status Rank Species at (COSWEIC) Risk

Fraxinus nigra Black Ash S1/S2 1 At Risk (Endangered)

Carex wiegandii Wiegan’s Sedge S3 3 Sensitive

Juncus subcaudatus Woods-rush S3 3 Sensitive

Rhamnus alnifolia Alder-leaved S3 4 Secure buckthorn

6.5.3.2 Conclusions: Wetlands and Vegetation The following is a direct excerpt from Hill (2015) (Appendix F-1) with additions related to the early spring plant survey conducted by MacCallum Environmental (MacDonald, 2017) (Appendix F-2). 1. Four wetland rare plants, as identified by the ACCDC report, were confirmed for the Project Footprint, as identified in Table 6.5-3. 2. Five very rare wetland plants listed in the ACCDC report (Canada lily, blue cohosh, leatherwood,

7 http://accdc.com/webranks/NSVASC.htm 8 Two Black Ash (Wisqoq) sites were identified by Hill (2015) and confirmed by MacCallum (2017). One tree is on one site, two in the other.

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3. Boehmeria cylindrica, silky willow) were not identified by observation of the plan or their remains. 4. All rare plants identified were in or at the edge of wetland areas. 5. Upland areas had lower ecological integrity, likely due to logging, old fires, or agriculture. 6. There were no signs of a gypsum plant community as would support the rare lady slipper orchids (viz. Cypripedium parviflorum and C. arietinum). 7. The wetland plant community contains several indicators of calcareous conditions. 8. The high species richness (192 species) of native plants suggests a high value ecosystem. 9. The survey time of year contains a risk that an early flowering guild could be missed. However, no remains of such a guild were observed as would be if there had been a substantial presence. 10. Two sites of black ash were found in pinch points of large swamp areas. 11. It was likely that black ash, “wisqoq”, at Site 5 (Figure 6, Appendix A) would die off naturally unless active restoration was undertaken prior to the next growing season. Dr. Hill suggested mitigation measures such as the identification of a buffer area and its restoration using dead wood, removal of any imported soils and planting of related native wetland trees (red maple, yellow birch, white ash) and alders (Section C, Appendix F). a. Restoration and protection activities were undertaken in 2017 and 2018, resulting in the survival of the wisqoq at Site 5 (Figure 6, Appendix A). Photos 14 and 15 in Appendix M show the marked, rehabilitated, maintained, and protected Black Ash “Wisqoq” as of August 2018.

6.6 Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat A scan intended to identify wildlife species within the General Study Area was provided by ACCDC to identify the species of conservation concern or at risk that are likely to exist within the General Study Area (WSP, 2016).The following section review that information and the field investigation of the Detailed Study Area completed to confirm the existence of those species within that area.

Wildlife Species at Risk and Species of Conservation Concern The ACCDC Data Report returned records of thirteen vertebrate species, and eleven invertebrate species within a 5 km radius of the Detailed Study Area, as identified in Table 6.6-1. The list includes 1 mammal, and 3 herpetiles, and 11 invertebrates. The complete ACCDC Data Report is provided in Appendix E.

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Table 6.6-1: Wildlife Species At Risk or of Conservation Concern Identified by ACCDC as likely being in the General Study Area (i.e., within 5 KM of the Project Footprint)

National National Protection Common Protection s- NS Provincial Potentially Scientific Name Status – Name Status Rank Status Rank Present Species at (COSWEIC) Risk

Puma concolor Cougar- Data SH 5 Un- No pop. 1 Eastern pop. Deficient determined No habitat Glyptemys Wood Turtle Threatened Threatened S3B Threatened or insculpta observations

Chelydra Snapping Special Special S3 3 Sensitive No serpentina Turtle Concern Concern

Hemidactylium Four-toed Not at Risk S3 4 Secure Possible scutatum Salamander

Invertebrates

Gomphus Skillet Endangered S1 2 May Be At Possible ventricosus Clubtail Risk Danaus Special Special Monarch S2B 3 Sensitive Possible plexippus Concern Concern

Ophiogomphus Rusty 2 May Be At S1S2 Possible rupinsulensis Snaketail Risk

Stylurus Zebra S1S2 2 May Be At Possible scudderi Clubtail Risk Amblyscirtes Pepper and S2 4 Secure Possible hegon Salt Skipper

Mustard Pieris oleracea S2 3 Sensitive Possible White

Northern Lethe anthedon S3 4 Secure Possible Pearly-Eye

Ophiogomphus Riffle S3 4 Secure Possible carolus Snaketail

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National National Protection Common Protection s- NS Provincial Potentially Scientific Name Status – Name Status Rank Status Rank Present Species at (COSWEIC) Risk

Common Hesperia comma Branded S3 4 Secure Possible Skipper

Aeshna Mottled S3 4 Secure Possible clepsydra Darner

Feniseca Harvester S3S4 4 Secure Possible tarquinius

Species at Risk 6.6.2.1 Moose Moose (Alces alces) are large herbivores that consume twigs, leaves, and pondweed. The Mainland Moose population in Nova Scotia is listed as Endangered. Moose habitat typically consists of mixed wood forests with lakes and watercourses and mature forest habitat that provide shelter with deciduous shrubs for food. Moose breed in September/October and the calves are born 8 months later in May/early June (Natural Resources, 2013). No presence or evidence of moose was observed during the field survey of the Detailed Study Area, including the 2019 Project Footprint. Surveys were conducted in the fall, winter and spring and summer months. Therefore, the proposed project is not expected to interact with this species (WSP, 2016) 6.6.2.2 Wood Turtles The wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) is primarily found in forested and agricultural areas. The Wood Turtle is ranked as Threatened in Nova Scotia and is ranked S2-Sensitive in the SARA. Wood Turtles live in slow-moving, meandering streams. Their diet consists of plants, berries, slugs, earthworms, and insects. The females usually dig a nest in mid to late June in sandy gravel banks along the river and deposit 8-10 eggs (Gilhen J., Herman T., & Meister N., 1994). WSP (2016) did not report any evidence of habitat that would support wood turtles within the Detailed Study Area, including the 2019 Project Footprint. Therefore, the proposed project is not expected to interact with this species or the habitat. 6.6.2.3 Snapping Turtles The Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is Nova Scotia’s largest freshwater turtle and can reach a length of over 50 cm. The snapping turtle is listed as Vulnerable in Nova Scotia and is ranked S3 Sensitive in the SARA. Snapping turtles usually look greenish-gray or dark green due to algae growth on their carapace. Their habitat includes ponds, lakes, streams and they can be found in upland areas away from water. The snapping turtle diet consists of plants, fish and amphibians. They generally breed in the last two weeks of June and the first week of July, laying their clutch of eggs in a soft

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substrate nest before daylight or late in the afternoon. The eggs hatch between late September and the end of October (Nova Scotia Museum, 2016). WSP (2016) did not observe any evidence of snapping turtles and observed only limited habitat appropriate to support this species Detailed Study Area, including the 2019 Project Footprint. Therefore, the proposed project is not expected to interact with this species.

General Wildlife Observations 6.6.3.1 Mammals Evidence of common wildlife for the area was observed for specie including deer, raccoons, coyotes, beavers and bears. 6.6.3.2 Herptiles Evidence of common Herptiles (reptiles or amphibians) were observed within the Detailed Study Area, including wood frogs and spring peepers.

Wildlife Habitat Assessment 6.6.4.1 Environmentally Sensitive Areas or Protected Areas The ACCDC Data Report returned the results of three managed areas located within the General Study Area, within a 5km radius of the Detailed Study Area. The three managed areas are summarized in Table 6.6-2 below. While there is likely habitat suitable for the wildlife species at risk within these managed areas, neither the Detailed Study Area nor the (2019) Project Footprint interact with these managed areas.

Table 6.6-2: Managed Areas within the General Study Area (within 5 KM of the Detailed Study Area)

Distance to Managed Area Type of Easting1 Northing1 Project Owner Description Name Land Footprin t

East Hants Drinking Regional Water Municipal Water Approx. Developed/W Supply 448448 4968348 NSEL Supply 2 km W&WW ooded Land

Horne Settlement Historic Approx. NSDNR, Riparian Provincial Park 455716 4976568 (operational) Site 5 km Parks Woods

Shubenacadie

Canal Provincial Cleared Provincia Approx. NSDNR, Park 455928 4950125 Riparian l Park 5 km (operational) Parks Land

6-2Datum – UTM NAD 83 Zone 20

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6.7 Migratory Birds A review of available background information pertaining to birds and bird habitat within 5 kilometers of the Detailed Study Area was conducted by WSP (2016). The following information sources were reviewed:

 The Important Bird Areas Database,  The North American Breeding Bird Survey,  The Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas, and  NSDNR forestry data. A summary of the review findings is provided in Section 6.7.1 to 6.7.7 of this report. Species with special protective status that are known to occur within the General Study Area are reviewed in Section 6.7.7 (Species at Risk and Species of Conservation Concern). An analysis of mature and interior forest habitat is provided in Section 6.7.8 of this report.

Important Bird Areas The Important Bird Areas (IBA) Database (IBA Canada, 2015) identified the nearest IBAs, as follows:

 Cobequid Bay (IBA#NS019), located approximately 36 km north of the Project;  Musquodoboit (IBA#NS014), located approximately 41 km east southeast of the Project;  Southern Bight, Minas Basin (IBA#NS020), located approximately 45 km west of the Project;  Grassy Island Complex (IBA#NS026); located 50 km southwest of the Project; and  Eastern Shore Islands (IBA#NS027), located 75 km east of the Project. The above-noted IBAs are located at a sufficient distance from the Project to have no likely interaction. More information on these IBAs are available at the IBA website (IBA Canada, 2015).

Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas The second edition of the Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas (MBBA) was developed over five-years, between 2006 and 2010. The purpose of the project was to update the distribution and abundance of bird species breeding in the three Maritime Provinces. The first MBBA was conducted from 1986-1990. The MBBA database provides information including species presence, breeding evidence, and relative abundance within a 10 km by 10 km “atlas square” area. The previously published (first) MBBA (1986- 1990) was also reviewed for completeness. Information about the presence of breeding bird species within the Project footprint was conducted from the MBBA using the Nature Counts Website (www.birdscanada.org/birdmon). The search results generated a list of species and records of highest breeding evidence for each species within the surveyed atlas squares occupied by the Project. Results also returned data on completed point counts and “rare and colonial” species. These species and the related data are identified in a table provided in Appendix G. The Project lies within MBBA Region 20 (Chebucto - Musquodoboit) and includes two atlas squares (20MQ57, and 20MQ58) as shown in Figure 7, Appendix A. These squares make up the MBBA Study Area reviewed in the WSP (2016) report, where 174 species of birds were identified. Definitions of species rankings including General Status Ranks, S-Ranks, and COSEWIC ranks are provided in Appendix G.

ACCDC Data Report for Migratory Birds The eight migratory bird species were identified within the General Study Area in the ACCDC Data Report are recorded in Table 6.7-1 (WSP 2016).

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Table 6.7-1: Migratory Birds Identified in the ACCDC report within in the General Study Area (WSP 2016) National National Protection Common Protection s- NS Provincial Potentially Scientific Name Status – Name Status Rank Status Rank Present Species at (COSWEIC) Risk

Riparia riparia Bank Swallow Threatened S3B 2 May Be At Unlikely Risk Hirundo rustica Barn Swallow Threatened S3B 1 At Risk Unlikely

Chordeiles Common Yes, Threatened Threatened S3B 1 At Risk minor Nighthawk Observed

Eastern Special Yes, Contopus virens S3S4B 3 Sensitive Wood-Pewee Concern Observed

Dumetella 2 May Be At Gray Catbird S3B Unlikely carloinensis Risk

Pheucticus Rose-breasted S3S4B 3 Sensitive Unlikely ludovicianus Grosbeak

S3S4B, Carduelis pinus Pine Siskin 3 Sensitive Possible S5N

Common S3B,S4 2 May Be At Gavia immer No Loon N Risk

Bird Survey Results This section of the report provides an overview of the field methods used to collect information pertaining to birds and bird habitat within the Detailed Study area for the Project. Surveys were conducted by WSP (2016) on April 20 and April 21, 2016 that targeted early breeding species, such as Woodpeckers and Raptors. Results of the bird survey in the Detailed Study Area are shown in Figure 8, Appendix A (WSP, 2016).

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Spring Bird Surveys Nocturnal owl surveys were conducted in mid-April 2016 to detect breeding owl species in the area (WSP, 2016). Survey stations were located within the Detailed Study Area of the Elmsdale Business Park, as shown in Figure 8, Appendix A. According to WSP (2016), additional observations were made and within the General Study Area where appropriate habitat was accessible Surveys were conducted in accordance with the Guidelines for Nocturnal Owl Monitoring in North America (Takats et al. 2001). That procedure included a 2-minute silent listening period followed by an 11 minute period of alternating playbacks, followed by repeated silent listening periods. Surveys began approximately 30 minutes after sunset and were completed prior to midnight. Observed Owl species and their locations were recorded. Diurnal early spring breeding surveys were also conducted for woodpeckers and raptors throughout the Detailed Study Area including the Project Footprint, as identified in Appendix G and on Figure 8, Appendix A. 6.7.5.1 Nocturnal Owl Survey Results Owl surveys were conducted at 7 stations on April 20, 2016 between 2000 and 2300 hrs. Survey sites, location and dates are summarized in Table 6.7-2. Survey locations were susceptible to noise from vehicles travelling on the nearby Highway 102 and other local roads. Two individual Barred Owls were encountered at survey site OWL4 and one was also observed at survey site OWL6. The Barred Owl species is common and widespread throughout Nova Scotia. Auditory evidence of the nocturnal American Woodcock was also observed in a number of locations. Table 6.7-2: Owl Survey Locations

Location Date Surveyed Survey Site (mm/dd/yyy) Latitude Longitude

OWL1 44°57'1.14"N 63°33'37.89"W 04/18/2016

OWL2 44°57'30.86"N 63°33'36.71"W 04/18/2016

OWL3 44°58'3.09"N 63°33'14.52"W 04/18/2016

OWL4 44°58'9.18"N 63°32'27.89"W 04/18/2016

OWL5 45° 1'6.14"N 63°33'22.97"W 04/18/2016

OWL6 45° 1'1.59"N 63°33'16.27"W 04/18/2016

OWL7 44°58'6.42"N 63°31'18.74"W 04/18/2016

6.7.5.2 Diurnal Spring Breeding Surveys Results Diurnal spring breeding surveys consisted of 10-minute, 100 m fixed radius point counts (Field Notes included in Appendix G). Weather conditions during the spring surveys was partially overcast and fair with temperatures of between12-18 0C, with light winds and no precipitation. Surveys were conducted during periods when wind speeds did not exceed wind strength 3 on the Beaufort scale, which is indicative of gentle winds with wind speed less than 20 km/hr. Furthermore, observations were limited

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to times when precipitation was no heavier than a light drizzle. Incidental observations of birds, such as between point counts, fly overs, or audible detection more than 100 m away, were also noted. Surveys conducted in April 2016 identified the presence of one raptor species and additional birds encountered during the survey were also noted (WSP, 2016). A summary of all of the species encountered in Table 6.7-3, which also notes the breeding status of the birds observed in the field. A total of 54 individual bird, representing 22 species were observed, all of which are common and widespread throughout NS (WSP, 2016). Table 6.7-3: Summary of Spring Breeding Birds April 2016

National Highest Protection Name Latin Name s-Rank CESCC Breeding Total Status Evidence* (COSWEIC)

Raptors

Sharp-shinned Accipiter striatus NAR S4S5B 4 Secure S 1 Hawk

Owls

Barred Owl Strix varia S5 4 Secure T, P 3

Song Birds

Purple Finch Carpodacus S4S5 4 Secure S 7 purpureus

American Crow Corvus S5 4 Secure S 5 brachyrhynchos

Black-capped Poecile atricapilla S5 4 Secure S 6 Chickadee

Golden-crowned Regulus satrapa S4 3 S 3 Kinglet Sensitive

American Scolopax minor S4S5B 4 Secure S 1 Woodcock

Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura S5 4 Secure S 2

American Robin Turdus migratorius S5B 4 Secure S 2

American Carduelis tristis S5 4 Secure S 1 Goldfinch

Winter Wren Troglodytes S5B 4 Secure S 2 troglodytes

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National Highest Protection Name Latin Name s-Rank CESCC Breeding Total Status Evidence* (COSWEIC)

American Black Anas rubripes S5 4 Secure S 3 Duck

Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias S4B 4 Secure S 1

Red-breasted Sitta canadensis S4S5 4 Secure S 2 Nuthatch

Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus S5B 4 Secure S 3

Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis S4S5 4 Secure S 1

Palm Warbler Dendroica S5B 4 Secure S 2 palmarum

Yellow-rumped Dendroica coronate S5B 4 Secure S 1 Warbler

Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus S5B 4 Secure S 2

Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata S5 4 Secure S 3

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos S5 4 Secure S 4

White-throated Zonotrichia S5B 4 Secure S 1 Sparrow albicollis

Spruce Grouse Falcipennis S5 4 Secure CY 1 canadensis

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*Breeding Evidence Codes from the Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in the Maritime Provinces9

Observed Confirmed

X Species observed in its breeding season (no breeding NB Nest Building or carrying nest evidence) materials for all species except wrens and woodpeckers

DD Distraction display or injury Possible feigning

H Species observed in its breeding season in suitable NU Used nest or egg shells found nesting habitat (occupied or laid within the period of the survey)

S Singing male(s) present, or breeding calls heard, in FY Recently fledged young (nidicolous suitable nesting habitat in breeding season species) or downy young (nidifugous species), including

incapable of sustained flight

AE Adult leaving or entering nest sites in circumstances indicating Probable occupied nest

P Pair observed in suitable nesting habitat in nesting FS Adult carrying fecal sac season

V Visiting probable nest site CF Adult carrying food for young

A Agitated behavior or anxiety calls of an adult NE Nest containing eggs

B Brood Patch on adult female or cloacal protuberance NY Nest with young seen or heard on adult male

N Nest-building or excavation of nest hole by wrens and woodpeckers

T Permanent territory presumed through registration of territorial song, or the occurrence of an adult bird, at the same place, in breeding habitat, on at least two days a week or more apart, during its breeding season. Use discretion when using this code. "T" is not to be used for colonial birds, or species that might forage or loaf a long distance from their nesting site e.g. Kingfisher, Turkey Vulture, and male waterfowl.

D Courtship or display, including interaction between a male and a female or two males, including courtship feeding or copulation.

9 http://www.mba-aom.ca/jsp/codes.jsp?lang=en&pg=breeding

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Summer Breeding Birds Summer breeding bird surveys were conducted on June 9th and 10th, 2016 and on June 16th, 2016 (WSP, 2016). The weather became windy by 9:30 AM on June 10th making it necessary to halt the survey. Therefore, the remaining point locations were surveyed on June 16, 2016.A total of twenty- four (24) 10-minute point counts were completed at twenty-four (24) different stations. Surveys were conducted approximately every 150-200 m across various habitats, as follow:

 mature coniferous stands,  mature mixed woods,  wetland habitat, and  partially mature mixed forest of various ages. Species identified at the twenty-four (24) point count locations within the Detailed Study Area during the summer breeding bird surveys (WSP, 2016) are summarized in Table 6.7-4. Species at Risk or of Conservation Concern are identified graphically on Figure 8, Appendix A and are denoted with Red Lettering in Table 6.7-4. The raw field data and point count data sheets are presented in Appendix G.

Table 6.7-4: Summary of Migratory Birds Observed During Summer Breeding Surveys10. Species designated as rare or threatened are indicated in RED.

National Protection Common Name Latin Name s-Rank CESCC Total Status (COSWEIC)

American Robin Turdus migratorius S5B 4 Secure 14

American Woodcock Scolopax minor S4S5B 4 Secure 1

Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis S4S5 4 Secure 4

Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor T S3B 1 At Risk 1

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus S5B 4 Secure 14

Black-throated Blue Dendroica caerulescens S5B 4 Secure 5 Warbler

Black-throated Green Dendroica virens S4S5B 4 Secure 6 Warbler

American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla S5B 4 Secure 15

10 Breeding Evidence Codes from Bird Studies Canada http://www.bsc- eoc.org/dataentry/codes.jsp?page=breeding

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National Protection Common Name Latin Name s-Rank CESCC Total Status (COSWEIC)

White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis S5B 4 Secure 21

Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus S5B 4 Secure 9

Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes S5B 4 Secure 1

Black-and-White Warbler Mniotilta varia S4S5B 4 Secure 17

Northern Parula Parula americana S5B 4 Secure 17

Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis S4S5 4 Secure 2

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris S3S4B 3 Sensitive 1

Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica S5B 4 Secure 11

Alder Flycatcher Empidonax alnorum S5B 4 Secure 8

Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia S5B 4 Secure 6

Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius S5B 4 Secure 6

Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura S5 4 Secure 7

Green-winged Teal Anas crecca S4S5B 4 Secure 1

Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula S4B 3 Sensitive 1

Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas S5B 4 Secure 10

Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens SC S3S4B 3 Sensitive 3

Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula S5B 4 Secure 2

Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapilla S5 4 Secure 10

Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus S5B 4 Secure 2

American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis S5 4 Secure 2

American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos S5 4 Secure 9

Mourning Warbler Oporornis philadelphia S4B 4 Secure 1

Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus S4S5B 4 Secure 1

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National Protection Common Name Latin Name s-Rank CESCC Total Status (COSWEIC)

Blue Jay Cyanocitta S5 4 Secure 8 cristata

Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla S5B 4 Secure 9

Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa S4 3 Sensitive 10

Canada Warbler Wilsonia canadensis T S3B 1 At Risk 2

Palm Warbler Dendroica palmarum S5B 4 Secure 1

Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum S5B 4 Secure 3

Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon S5B 4 Secure 1

Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata S5B 4 Secure 8

Purple Finch Carpodacus purpureus S4S5 4 Secure 1

Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia S5B 4 Secure 1

Summary of Migratory Bird Species at Risk and Species of Conservation Concern This section summarizes the potential SAR and SCC that may be found within the Detailed Study Area including the Project Footprint. The potential impact on these bird species may arise from disturbance related to the loss of habitat and/or construction activities/noise during site development. Clearing and grubbing during the nesting season represents the largest potential impact to the local population and should be avoided or minimized to the extent possible. 6.7.7.1 Species at Risk: Common Nighthawk The Common Nighthawk is a medium-sized, slender bird. They are camouflaged in gray, white, buff and black. Common Nighthawks fly in looping patterns in the mornings and evenings and roots motionless on a tree branch or fence post during the day. Common Nighthawks are aerial insectivorous species in areas such as lakes or well-lit billboards. They nest on the ground in open areas such as forest clearings, sparsely vegetated grasslands or costal sand dunes (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015). The Common Nighthawk is listed as a Probable breeder in both reference Atlas’. It is also listed as Threatened under COSEWIC and At Risk in Nova Scotia. One instance of Common Nighthawk observation was recorded during summer bird surveys within the Detailed Study Area that was also within the 2019 Project Footprint area, as shown in Figure 8, Appendix A (WSP, 2016). WSP concluded that they are likely breeding in recent clear cuts, young regenerating stands, or open woodlands. Mitigation for a ground nesting species such as this is to clear and grub to bare soil when the site is being prepped. If cleared ground is allowed to regenerate into native re-growth (i.e., “shrub-up”), this species will likely move in. If any grubbing is to be completed

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during the summer months (Mid May to End of August), a pre-inspection for Common Nighthawk nesting should be conducted by a trained ornithologist. 6.7.7.2 Species at Risk: Eastern Wood-Pewee Eastern Wood-Peewee is listed as a species of Special Concern and represents a recently declining aerial insectivore species. This species was recorded as a Probable breeder in the both Atlas’. This species nests in a variety of wooded habitat including mature woodlands, urban shade trees, roadsides, woodlots, and orchards. This species may prefer deciduous forests but is also be found in conifer dominated forests habitats. The Eastern Wood-Pewee is listed as a Probable breeder in the first and second editions of the MBB Atlas. The Eastern Wood Peewee was encountered during summer bird surveys and could use some areas within the Detailed Study Area and/or Project Footprint for breeding grounds (WSP, 2016). However, it should be recognized that the observed Peewee location was within private property to the west of the 2019 Project Footprint. If any grubbing is to be completed during the summer months (Mid May to End of August), a pre-inspection for Eastern Wood-Peewee nesting should be conducted by a trained ornithologist 6.7.7.3 Species of Special Concern: Pine Siskin Pine Siskins are small songbirds that are brown and streaky with subtle yellow edgings on the wings and tail. Although Pine Siskins prefer coniferous or mixed coniferous/deciduous forests with open canopies, they are opportunistic and adaptable in their search for seeds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015). The Pine Siskin is ranked as Sensitive by NSDNR and is listed as a Probable breeder in the first MBBA and was observed in the second edition of that Atlas. While this species may be nesting within the Detailed Study Area/Project Footprint, based on local habitat observations, they were not encountered during spring or summer surveys. The most effective mitigation practice to avoid impacting songbirds such as the Pine Siskin is to clear during the winter when these birds are not nesting. 6.7.7.4 Species of Special Concern: Golden-crowned Kinglet The Golden-crowned Kinglet is a tiny songbird with a rounded body, short wings, and skinny tail. Golden- crowned Kinglets are pale olive and gray below, with a black-and-white striped face and bright yellow- orange crown patch. Golden-crowned Kinglets pluck small insects from clusters of conifer needles and generally stay concealed in high dense trees. They live mainly in coniferous forests. They generally breed in spruce and fir as well as conifer plantations (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015). The Golden-crowned Kinglet is ranked as Sensitive in Nova Scotia despite its S4B (Secure) national rank. This species was recorded on spring and summer bird surveys and is recorded as a Confirmed breeder in the first MBBA and Probable breeder in the second MBBA. It is highly likely that the Golden-crowned Kinglet is nesting within the Detailed Study Area (WSP, 2016) and may also be active within the 2019 Project Footprint. The Project will remove some habitat that would be suitable for this species and the best mitigation is not to clear during the nesting season for this species11.

11 All clearing conducted for Phase I of the Business Park Phased Expansion prior to this EA Registration was conducted in winter and outside of wetlands. Future clearing will also be conducted outside the breeding season as much as is practical, based on client demand for lots, etc.

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6.7.7.5 Species of Special Concern: Ruby-crowned Kinglet The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is a tiny songbird with a relatively large head. They are an olive-green bird with a prominent white eye ring and white wing bar. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is an acrobatic bird that moves quickly through foliage, usually at lower and middle levels. Ruby-crowned Kinglets breed in tall, dense conifer forests such as fir, tamarack and spruce (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015). The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is ranked as a Sensitive species and is listed as a Probable breeder in the first MBBA and a Confirmed breeder in the second MBBA for the Atlas Squares that cover the Project Footprint. This species was heard singing in suitable habitat during summer surveys and is likely breeding within the Detailed Study Area including the Project Footprint. Clearing land for construction during the winter months is the best mitigation for minimizing Project interactions with this species (See footnote 11, below). 6.7.7.6 Species of Special Concern: Yellow-bellied Flycatcher The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is a small flycatcher with a large head with yellowish underparts. It is typically found in boreal forests and bogs. The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher nests in cool, moist forests, spawns, muskegs and bogs. They are found in Nova Scotia during the summer breeding months (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2015). The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is ranked as S3S4B (Vulnerable to Secure) and as Sensitive under NS General Status Ranks. This species was not encountered within suitable habitat during summer breeding surveys. Also, in both MBBA’s only record this species as Observed. Therefore, it is unlikely that the propose Business Park Project will interact with this species.

Mature and Interior Forest Nova Scotia maintains a database of “Significant Habitats” that include special and unique places and habitats that are known or predicted to have SAR/SCC habitat. However, the Detailed Study Area/Project Footprint (2019) does not have any significant habitat as recorded in this database, as indicated in Figure 7, Appendix A (WSP, 2016). The forest inventory data provided by NSDNR indicates a loose collection of immature to mature stands of mostly Black Spruce Red Maple. “Interior forest” is defined as contiguous patches of mature forest that are greater than 10 ha and at least 100 m away from edges such as roads, transmission lines, agricultural areas, urban and industrial areas. There are no patches of forest that are greater than 10 ha in size free of edge effect within the Detailed Study area(WSP, 2019) or the proposed 2019 Project Footprint.

6.8 Socio-Economic Conditions The Municipality of East Hants is in the process of expanding the economy through increasing the size and diversity of the Elmsdale Business Park, its labour force, business capacity and development activity. The following reports encapsulate the current socio-economic conditions, trends, and activities within the Municipality of East Hants. East Hants Socio-Economic Study (Municipality of East Hants, 2012, 2016): The socio-economic study describes the state of the economy within the Municipality including historic population change, population projections, economic measures, housing activity, development activity, subdivision activity and assessment information. Notably, the 2016 report states that “no municipality outside of HRM added more population than East Hants” and that “most commercial activity occurs within the Corridor

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region” (East Hants, 2016). These factors are important considerations as the Municipality seeks to create jobs and employment lands for the benefit of its growing population. East Hants Economic Development Plan Baseline Report (Lions Gate Consulting, 2015): The purpose of this report is to provide an assessment on the current economic situation in East Hants. The report reviews the local infrastructure, labour market, demographic, business and industry trends that create a foundation for productive capacity and economic activity. The subsequent Strategic Economic Development Plan set out an actionable and clear economic pathway for the municipality and its partners. East Hants Economic Development Plan 2015-2020 (Lions Gate Consulting, 2015): This report is East Hants’ foundation and guide for future local economic planning and policy for East Hants. It describes the Municipality’s strategic economic goals, guiding principles for decision making, and describes eight major focus areas and sectors, including “Employment Lands” such as business parks and community downtown cores.

Employment Lands The East Hants department of Economic and Business Development continues to see significant strength in inquiries and demand for commercial land generally and business park land specifically. In 2018/19 alone, despite having a reduced inventory in both municipal business parks (Uniacke and Elmsdale), East Hants has sold over 9 acres of business park land as of January 2019 and is on track to sell over 13 acres by year end at March 31st. The annual goal for business park land sold is 3 acres which is based on historic demand, available inventory and institutional capacity.

Economy The East Hants economy is derived by business parks, agriculture, forestry, small businesses, the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, tourism, and transportation and logistics. East Hants has recently undergone new development and is planning to bring more development and business into the Municipality. The Municipality of East Hants neighbours the Halifax Regional Municipality, a thriving community that provides business opportunities resulting from people travelling to Halifax via Highway 102 passing through Elmsdale. Many residents of East Hants work in Halifax and commute there via Highway 102 and other local roadways, which also provides business and tax income to East Hants. The Municipality of East Hants encompasses 1,909 km2 (including Indian Brook) of fertile agricultural lands to forested lake lands with a population of 23,542 within 9,427 households as of 2016, with 2,579 residents living in Elmsdale (community boundaries). The population has increased by 1.5% since 2011 with the growth rate of Nova Scotia at 0.2% between 2011 and 2016 and 2.5% for East Hants (Municipality of East Hants, 2018). The projected population for 2036 is estimated to be 26,118 residents within the Municipality of East Hants (Municipality of East Hants, 2018). The 2016 Census reported the median age for the Municipality of East Hants was 44.0 years; 43.6 for males, and 43.0 for females with 2,585 people under the age of 10 and 3,450 over the age of 65 (Municipality of East Hants, 2018). New development within the past 5 years in East Hants includes commercial/industrial (10%), agricultural (3%), residential/other (86%) and institutional (1%) development. Examples of new major developments include a 1,022 m2 addition to the Lloyd E. Matheson Centre in Elmsdale with an estimated value of $3,000,000 and in 2014, a commercial building containing a pharmacy, medical centre and restaurant was built in Kennetcook with an estimated value of $1,767,435. In the time span of the most recent census period (2012-2016), the years 2012 and 2014 had the greatest development values totaling over $43,500,000 in each year.

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The average individual personal income for East Hants is summarized in Table 6.8-1. According to the East Hants Economic Development Plan, 64.3% of men and 57.4 of women work outside of East Hants in neighbouring areas such as Halifax (Lions Gate Consulting, 2015). Table 6.8-1: Average Individual Personal Income for the Municipality of East Hants

Gender 1995 2010 2016

Male $25,085 $34,590 $45,792

Female $13,015 $21,350 $27,445

Land Use and Value Land use within East Hants consists of business parks, agricultural fields, residential development, commercial development, industrial development, institutional development, open space and forested areas. East Hants stretches over 466,426 acres (1,909 km2 including Indian Brook), consisting of fertile agricultural and forested lake lands. There are two corridors within the Municipality where the majority of residents reside; the first extends along Highway 102 from Halifax to Truro; and the second along Highway 101 from Halifax to Windsor. There are currently 144 operating farms within the Municipality, including 32 dairy farms. Agricultural land makes up just under 10% of East Hants’ total area, covering 45,281 acres. The amount of agricultural land reported in 2016 is down from 54,376 acres reported in the 2011 Census. (Municipality of East Hants, 2018). The South Corridor and Commercial Growth Management Area within the Municipality is identified in Figure 3, Appendix A.

Transportation East Hants is situated approximately in the center of Nova Scotia, which makes it easily accessible to most of the province’s population. Highway 102 bisects the Municipality running northeast and southwest, which connects to Truro and Halifax and also connects to major highways leading to the South Shore, the Annapolis Valley and the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 104) at Truro. Other major centers within East Hants and neighboring municipalities are linked by Highway 2 and other provincial and local roadways. East Hants’ transportation system also includes multiple side roads, dirt roads, secondary highways, sidewalks, walking trails, a portion of the CN railway and Halifax Stanfield International Airport. The Elmsdale Business Park is currently accessed via Park Road off Highway 214, north of Highway102. An additional access road off of Highway 214, northwest of the current access road, is planned as development of the business park occurs. The business park will have a network of roads, including the existing roadways and future roadways for easy and maneuverable access to businesses within the park. Many people living within the Municipality commute daily to neighbouring areas, such as Halifax (located approximately 30 minutes away), for work and commerce. Halifax is easily accessed via controlled access Highway 102. The Halifax Stanfield International Airport is also a quick a ten-minute drive from Elmsdale. The CN railway mainline track travelling from Halifax to Vancouver passes through Elmsdale on the east side of Highway 2 (Lions Gate Consulting, 2015). The easy access routes to large

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urban centers, a large regional airport, and major highway connection to the TCH are favorable to the growth of business park development. Located within the Municipality is a registered non-profit charitable organization known as the East Hants Community Learning Association (EHCLA). The EHCLA is conducting a project known as the East Hants Community Rider (EHCR), which provides safe, affordable accessible transportation to all ages of the Municipality. Within the fleet of (3) vehicles, two are wheelchair accessible. An additional 10 committed and trained volunteers also participate in the EHCR using their personal vehicles. With the ECHR it is possible for community members to get to job interviews, social events, educational classes and skills training, medical appointments, grocery shopping, social gatherings, sporting and after school activities and personal errands. This service is offered to anyone who faces transportation issues within the Municipality (Rural Transportation Association, 2014).

Recreation and Tourism The tourism sector within East Hants is growing in regions such as the Shubenacadie River, Uniacke Estate Museum Park, Burntcoat Head and a cluster of historical villages such as Maitland (Lions Gate Consulting, 2015). Tourism contributors within the Municipality include the Bay of Fundy, skydiving, charter fishing on Grand Lake, golf courses, Shubenacadie River tidal bore rafting operations, galleries and mountain bike racing (Municipality of East Hants, 2014). Tourism opportunities within the Municipality include small-scale accommodation; food and beverage; artisan and craft production; package tours/bus tours; agri-tourism/experiential tourism; and adventure tourism/outdoor pursuits (Municipality of East Hants, 2014). WSP (2016) observed active signs of wildlife activity throughout the Project Footprint including beaver impoundments, scat, game trails, tracks, browse, and foraging. A number of recent hunting blinds and expended cartridges are evidence of hunting activity. East Hants is known for its abundant wildlife and is one of the top producing fur zones in the province for beaver, muskrat, otter, mink, bobcat, fox, raccoon, and squirrel (NSDNR, 2015). Similarly, Hants Co. hosts a productive white-tailed deer population that produces approximately 10 % of the total deer harvest every year (NSDNR, 2014). The Project Footprint is used by local hikers and ATV enthusiasts, as indicated by the many trails encountered throughout the property.

Cultural and Heritage Resources In 2015 WSP contracted Davis MacIntyre & Associates to complete an Archaeological Resource Impact Assessment (ARIA) for the Project (Davis MacIntyre & Associates Ltd., 2015). The full report can be viewed in Appendix H. The following is a brief summary of the report. In October 2015, Davis McIntyre & Associates began the ARIA, which includes a historic background study and a field reconnaissance of all areas to be impacted. The ARIA returned twenty-four (24) features related to cultural activity within the Detailed Study Area and two areas displayed significant beaver activity. The features included hunting blinds, dumps, and beaver activity. The locations of these features are shown on Figure 9 (Appendix A). One feature that was identified as having archaeological significance; the historic foundation was identified near the western extents of the Detailed Study Area, but is not within the 2019 Project Footprint Development area. That feature was identified on what was termed the “Renfrew Property”, which is no longer being considered by East Hants for current or future development. Further archaeological testing was

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recommended to accurately determine the age of the foundation during the 2015 study (Davis MacIntyre & Associates Ltd., 2015) However, since it is outside the 2019 Project Footprint it is outside the scope of the current EA and should therefore require no further attention and/or action. In the unlikely event that archaeological resources are encountered in other locations within the study area, it is recommended that any ground-disturbing activity be halted immediately and the Coordinator of Special Places (902-424-6475) be contacted immediately regarding a suitable method of mitigation (Davis MacIntyre & Associates Ltd., 2015).

6.9 Other Projects in the Area The Planning and Development Department of the Municipality of East Hants has compiled this list of active projects within a 5 km radius of the Project. The ongoing projects within the area include:

 Concorde Way – 2 apartment buildings and townhouse development;  Carolyn’s Way – new row housing development;  Berry’s Furniture;  John Murray Drive Residential Development and multi-unit housing;  Beyond Indoor Play Playground (Elmsdale Business Park);  Barney’s Lane multiplex residential developments (4 8-unit buildings);  Shawmut Building, Park Road, Elmsdale Business Park;  Division 8, Park Road, Elmsdale Business Park; and  Paw-some Adventures Doggie Day Care, Venture Crescent, Elmsdale Business Park. None of the above listed projects are expected to have an effect on any physical activities included with the Project. The Project is not expected to have any adverse effects on any of the above listed projects within the area during the duration of the physical activities of the Project.

Mitigation and Effects Management

The potential environmental effects that may result from Construction and/or Operation activities related to the Project are provided in this chapter. The environmental effects described herein relate to the existing conditions and VECs, as described in the earlier sections of the document. The section considers how construction and operations activities required for the Project could potentially impact the contemplated VECs. Potential interactions between activities and VECs are identified in Table 7-1 to provide an indication of which activities under each project phase (construction or operation) interact to create an impact within the EA study. Sections 7.1 through 7.12 provide a discussion of those interactions to describe how the various activities may impact each effected VEC. Impacts can be negative or positive, depending on the VEC and the activity that crates the impact. Section 7.12 discusses any mitigation measures planned to compensate where negative impacts VEC are considered significant enough to warrant attention.

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Table 7-1: Matrix of Project VEC Interactions

Valued Environmental Components (VECs) Biophysical Socio-Economic

Project Activities

Noise

Habitat

Tourism

Economy

Resources Resources

Air Quality

Vegetation

Groundwater

Wetlands and

Species atSpecies Risk Transportation

Migratory Birds

Recreation and

Land Use and Value

Wildlife Wildlife and

Cultural and Heritage

Freshwater Resources

Construction

Clearing and grubbing of new lots X X X X X X X X X X Construction of New roadways (ditches, culverts, and infrastructure) X X X X X X X X X Stormwater management facilities (storm ponds) X X X X X X

Building Construction X X X Accidents (Hazardous Materials Spills) X X X X X X

Operation and Maintenance

Commercial Activity X X X X X Snow Clearing X X X X Road Maintenance X X X X Accidents (Hazardous Materials Spills) X X X X X X X X X X

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7.1 Atmospheric Environment – Air Quality and Noise

Construction Air quality emissions during construction of the Project are expected to be nominal, easily mitigated, and confined to the Business Park. Emissions may arise from fugitive dust from access roads, laydown areas and construction areas as well as from particulate matter and combustion gases from heavy construction equipment (e.g., excavators, bulldozers, loaders, and trucks). These emissions are expected to be very low, infrequent, of short duration and not distinguishable from other sources of emissions in the Study Area (including the existing 4-lane Highway 102). Therefore, the Project is not expected to have any substantial impact to air quality in the area influenced by the Project during its construction or operational phases. The sound pressure levels (noise) expected during the Construction of the Project are expected to be similar to those experienced during the construction of the initial phases of the Business Park but of longer or shorter duration depending on the size of the development. The nearest residences will be less than 1 km away. However, the construction will be no closer to the houses than the existing Highway 102, which is a very busy main highway that creates substantial traffic noise. Any potential for increased sound levels resulting from the Project are not likely to result in sound levels that are distinguishable from current levels. Therefore, no substantial adverse environmental effects to due to noise levels from the project are expected during either the construction or operational phases of the Project. 7.1.1.1 Mitigation Measures To minimize the impacts to the atmospheric environment due to construction activities, the following mitigation measures will be implemented:

 Tracking of mud and dirt on to Park Road by construction vehicles that could result in dust emissions. Heavy use areas will be minimized by stabilizing heavy use area with crushed rock during wet weather conditions.  Use of water to reduce dust levels during dry and/or windy weather conditions.  Maintain the equipment in good working condition.  Keep idling of equipment and vehicles to a minimum.  Restrict work during periods of high wind.  Re-vegetate exposed areas as soon as practical.  Cover stockpiled material or use dust suppression.

Adverse environmental effects to the Atmospheric Environment during the construction phase of this Project are not expected to be substantial where the above noted mitigation measures are followed.

Operation and Maintenance Air quality emissions during Operation and Maintenance of the Project are expected to be nominal, easily mitigated, and confined to the Business Park. Emissions may arise from particulate matter and combustion gases from heavy trucks (e.g., tractor-trailers). These emissions are expected to be very low, of short duration and not distinguishable from other sources of emissions in the General Study Area (including the existing 4-lane Highway 102). The sound pressure levels (noise) expected during the Operation and Maintenance phase of the Project are expected to be similar to those currently experienced within the Business Park. Sound levels may

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increase minimally as the Project develops, however any potential for increased sound levels resulting from Operation of the Project are not likely to result in substantial adverse impacts. An example of potential impacts include emissions from vehicular traffic. The impact to the Air Quality from this source is expected to be of short duration and highly localized during the operations phase of the project. Therefore, no substantial adverse environmental effects to the air quality due to operation and maintenance of this Project are expected. An accidental release of a hazardous material at the Business Park may potentially interact with the atmospheric environment. Best management practices for the safe use and handling of hazardous materials should limit the potential for impact to the atmospheric environment due to spilled materials.

7.2 Groundwater Resources There are sources of potable groundwater within 2 km of the Project, however no groundwater resources are required for this Project. Activities related to the construction or operations phases of this Project are not expected to interact with any groundwater sources. Drinking water for the Business Park is provided through the Municipality of East Hants and will not impact groundwater. The Municipality delivers surface water from the Grand Lake Watershed to residents and businesses in Elmsdale. Therefore, groundwater quantity should not be impacted though consumption. Construction within the Business Park includes roadways, ditches, culverts, buildings, parking lots, etc. Construction is not expected to interact with bedrock or groundwater, as building foundations for commercial construction are typically shallow in nature, such as slab on grade construction. Excavation depths for such construction would not be expected to be deeper than the overburden cover anticipated at the project site. It is possible that the wetlands in the planned development area may contribute to groundwater recharge. However, all impacted wetlands will be compensated for, based on Nova Scotia requirements. The current plan is to replace disturbed wetlands within the project footprint or local area to the extent that is feasible, which will minimize any potential groundwater impacts related to recharge from wetlands. In addition, the Business Park design will incorporate a surface water flow pattern that will match the existing flow conditions, which will also act to minimize any potential functional impacts related to hydrologic continuity of the wetland and watercourse system. Based on the review of the groundwater resource within the General Study Area and the Detailed Study Area it is not expected that the Project will substantially interact with any groundwater sources or potable water supplies during construction or operation and maintenance. Therefore, adverse environmental effects to groundwater resources are unlikely to result from the construction or operation of this Project. Therefore, no mitigation measures, other than the compensation of wetlands under the NSE guidelines are recommended for the proposed development. An accidental release of a hazardous material at the Business Park may potentially interact with groundwater. Best management practices for the safe use and handling of hazardous materials should limit the potential for groundwater to be impacted by spilled materials. It is the landowner’s responsibility to manage hazardous substances as per provincial labour regulations and policies and WHMIS codes and standards.

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7.3 Freshwater Environment

Construction During construction activities stormwater containing sediment or silt has the potential to travel off the site, especially during heavy rain events. Several small watercourses are located within Project Footprint that could transport eroded sediments to downstream watercourses or wetlands during clearing activities or from stockpiled material. As shown in Figure 3, Appendix A and Drawing 1, Appendix P, Phase 1 is designed to be constructed near WC 2 and WC 3. These watercourses drain south through the Project Footprint and across Highway 102. While these watercourses do not represent good fish habitat and none were observed during fieldwork, based on WSP’s (2016) investigation, the water quality in these watercourses still need to be protected. Soil erosion or accidental hazardous material spills could result in sediments or other contaminants leaving the Project site, resulting in downstream water quality impacts.

Mitigation Measures The potential impacts on the Freshwater Environment (Fish and Fish Habitat) from construction activities can be mitigated with the implementation of the following measures:

 Direct all clean water away from the working areas and exposed soils.  Store all petroleum, oils and lubricants (POL) and chemicals in accordance with all provincial regulations.  Refuel and maintain construction machinery only in designated areas and do not allow refueling within 30 m from any watercourse, catch basin, or wetland.  Place silt control materials to protect catch basins.  Place silt fencing in appropriate locations, such as on un-vegetated slopes or stockpiles or adjacent to construction sites.  Install silt fencing, rock check dams and other necessary sedimentary control measures in ditches where required in accordance with the NSE’s Erosion and Sediment Control: Handbook for Construction Sites.  Undertake regular maintenance of ditches and other erosion and sediment control measures to minimize sediment build-up.  Maintain an emergency spill kit on site during construction activities.  Maintain vegetated buffers on all wetlands and watercourses. Surface flow patterns and baseline flow conditions will be maintained throughout the project site through the design and installation of engineered water control systems to maintain the hydrologic and hydraulic integrity of the water resources in the watersheds identified within the development area. WSP (2016) analyzed the current and projected post development flows and determined that the Project will generally increase runoff from the Project Footprint to five of the six (5 of 6) outlet points analyzed, as documented in Appendix I. That analysis indicated that that runoff attenuation mitigation is necessary to maintain the hydrologic and hydraulic integrity of the watersheds within the development area, based on the NSE Zero-Net policy. WSP (2016) concluded that, as development of the Project Footprint will be phased, based on demand for land, a general stormwater management plan will need to be developed to guide development as each lot is purchased and subsequently developed. DesignPoint (2019) conducted a generalized Stormwater Management Plan for 2019 Elmsdale Business Park Phase Expansion Project Footprint based on existing LiDar information provided by the province, 1:10,000 digital mapping, property mapping, and the generalized proposed subdivision layout provided by the Municipality. Pre and post-development drainage boundaries were developed to calculate the

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increase in design flows for the 1:10 year and 1:100-year storm events. The drainage boundaries, sub- catchment areas, and their parameters were identified in the Storm Drainage Plan shown in Appendix I. A HydroCAD stormwater model was created to determine pre and post-development stormwater flows for proposed 2019 Project Footprint, as discussed below. The detailed report memo is provided in Appendix I. The proposed 2019 Project Footprint was divided into six (6) drainage areas based on their ultimate discharge points, as summarized in Table 7.3-1. As indicated post development peak flows increased at five (5) of the six (6) outlet points that were assessed due to the increase in impervious area and the subsequent time of concentration reduction. Table 7.3-1: Summary of Pre and Post development stormwater flows for the six (6) sub- watersheds analyzed by DesignPoint for the proposed 2019 Project Footprint of the Elmsdale Business Park Phase Expansion*.

Storm Drainage Analysis Pre-Development vs Post-Development

10 year return period peak flow (L/s) 10 year return period peak flow (L/s)

Outlet Pre-Development Post-Development Pre-Development Post-Development Point

A 1879 1879 2840 2840

B 1048 1530 1660 2273

C 57 247 97 365

D 1263 1678 2108 2577

E 93 693 153 1017

G 72 348 120 511

*Watershed/outlet point F that was analyzed for the 2015 Generalized Stormwater Management Plan is not affected by the proposed 2019 Project Footprint.

DesignPoint developed a detailed design including the stormwater management plan for Phase I of the planned development, as shown in Appendix P. A design summary is also included in Appendix P. A similar design process will be followed for subsequent phases where East Hants acts as the developer. It is East Hants’ intention to make individual land owners responsible for stormwater management for individual lot development, which will be required to meet approval conditions that meet current NSE policy and related approval conditions. However, in some cases, the Municipality may, at its own discretion, assist with stormwater management through practice implementation on public or communal lands, as exemplified by the Phase I stormwater management plan provided in Appendix P. In any case, detailed design of stormwater management measures will require approval by the Municipality and NSE, based on individual lot development plans as part of the approval process for each site development. Mitigation from increased stormwater runoff resulting from roadway development will also be considered as part of the site development approval process and will also be integrated into the overall stormwater management system to attain NSE policy objectives.

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Operation and Maintenance The daily operations will include the movement of vehicles throughout the site, which may result in spills or leakage of POL or other chemicals that may enter the surrounding watercourses. Winter road maintenance that includes the use of road salt may interact with the Freshwater Environment to artificially inflate the salinity levels. Surface water will be directed and collected by a stormwater collection system designed to control water flows within the Project site. Drainage plans for the Business Park will be made available to the Municipality’s Emergency Management Coordinator to enable an informed response to spill events that may occur within the Park to assist with spill management. Use of road salt will be managed based on need and normal roadway maintenance practices in Nova Scotia to minimize the impacts of road salt application. An accidental release of a hazardous material at the Business Park may potentially interact with the fresh water environment. Best management practices for the safe use and handling of hazardous materials should limit the potential for the freshwater environment to come into contact with spilled materials.

7.4 Wetlands and Vegetation

Construction The construction of the Business Park will impact a number of wetlands. However, due to the planned phased development approach, not all of the potentially impacted wetlands will be effected at one time. That is, the Project will be developed in phased, based on demand for land within the park. Roadway development will also be conducted in phases to affect staged wetland impacts throughout the Project development process. Therefore, wetland alteration approvals will be managed as wetlands are encountered for each new phase, building lot or roadway development. The proposed conceptual Project layout, as shown in Figure 3 (Appendix A), is expected to impact approximately 10 ha. Phase 1, shown in Drawing 1, Appendix P will impact 0 ha during the initial stages of infrastructure development, and is expected to impact 0.37 ha when 4 of the lots made Phase 1 creates are developed. However, While development in the Park will follow this generalized pattern, actual final design may vary based on the desired size and locations of lots required by individual developers. Therefore, a Wetland Compensation Plan, as described in Section 10, will be submitted as part of the final detailed design for each Phase of the development as those plans are confirmed. Wetland Compensation Plans will need to comply with NSE regulations and will provide appropriate compensation based on the actual amount of wetland disturbed by each phase or lot development. Wetland compensations plans would be developed and submitted by East Hants where it is acting as “owner” for respective project development phases. However, where private owners purchase “raw” lots for development, that owner will be expected to develop, submit and implement appropriate Wetland Compensations Plans, based on their own site design requirements. The clearing of vegetation along with the associated habitat removal required for the construction of roads and building lots and other structures are examples of potential effects related to construction activities. The elimination of forest vegetation may also create new forest edges that expose the remaining vegetation to increased light, noise, and dust. In addition, the construction of the Project may include the following adverse impacts:

 Soil disturbance and sedimentation to wetlands – the grading and disturbance of soils within the site may result in the erosion of exposed soils that could travel off the site and impact the surrounding wetlands or watercourses. This is a greater potential during heavy or high intensity

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rain events when intermittent ephemeral drainage patterns may develop in and around the site during construction.  Modification of wildlife habitat –habitat quality could be reduced and the potential for fragmentation of habitat also exists due to construction activities. This may result from removal of vegetation that may provide feeding areas, movement corridors or nesting habitat for birds and other wildlife.  Loss of Species at Risk (Black Ash) – further development in and around the identified in the Project Footprint could threaten their survival.  Accidental release of fuels or other contaminants in the surrounding environments – spills have the potential to negatively affect wetlands, similar to other water bodies. Introduction of chemicals to wetlands can impact vegetation and other important wetland functional features.

7.4.1.1 Mitigation Measures Wetland Approval applications will be submitted to NSE for each development phase or building lot that incurs wetland alteration. East Hants will promote the avoidance of wetland impacts to the extent possible, however there will be some phases or building lots that will require wetland approval and compensation as a matter of practicality. East Hants will provide the compensation as outlined in Section 10 (Wetland Compensation Plan). Stormwater will be collected and fed into the natural flow channels to maintain hydraulic continuity and flow patterns within the Project Footprint. Pre- and post-runoff volumes and flow rates to and through wetland areas and associated drainages will also be maintained through the use of appropriate runoff control measures to minimize potential impacts to wetlands and watercourses. The potential impact to wetlands and vegetation, and to protect the adjacent vegetation and habitat features from being impacted from construction activities, can be mitigated with the following measures:

 Wetland habitat compensation will be required and directed by East Hants and NSE, according to an appropriate Wetland Compensation Plan, as outlined in Section 10 or this report.  Each lot developer and each roadway design will require the development and implementation of appropriate Sediment and Erosion Control Plans, as outlined in NSE’s Erosion and Sediment Control: Handbook for Construction Sites.  A Stormwater Management Plan will be developed for the Project Footprint in general, and will be modified based on staged building lot or project phase development.  Areas to be cleared and grubbed will be minimized based on site layout and design parameters for each lot or development phase to minimize impacts to wetland s and native vegetation.  Re-vegetation plans will require that areas disturbed during construction are re-established as soon as practically possible.  All exposed areas will be re-established and re-vegetated as soon as possible after the completion of construction activities, where possible using native vegetation and seed mixes.  Maintain vegetated buffers on watercourse drainages, to prevent the loss vegetation in and around wetlands and watercourses, including the Black Ash trees that were identified.  Avoid Species at Risk, such as Black Ash, in areas within the drainage area as shown in Appendix A, Figure 6. o Protection and enhancement efforts have already initiated by the Municipality of East Hants as shown in the photo log in Appendix M  Implement wetland compensation within the development site to the extent possible and develop/design stormwater management ponds using advanced enhanced/naturalized pond design criteria wherever feasible.

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 Maintain flow natural continuity, rates and volumes to promote continues wetland health.

Operation and Maintenance The Operation of the Business Park is expected to have minimal impacts on the wetlands and native vegetation remaining in the landscape due to the implementation of wetland compensation. Where appropriate and acceptable to NSE naturalized stormwater retention ponds could be used as a wetland mitigation measure. Where this occurs, appropriate vegetation management will be implemented to maintain wetland function and values for these facilities. Another potential interaction with the Operation of the Business Park is the potential impact related to an accidental release of hazardous materials into wetlands. An accidental release could impact wetland function, but the effect may be short term and reversible once the spill is cleaned up. An accidental release of a hazardous material at the Business Park may potentially interact with wetlands and vegetation. Best management practices for the safe use and handling of hazardous materials should limit the potential for wetlands or vegetation to come into contact with spilled materials.

7.5 Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat

Construction The removal of vegetation negatively impacts the associated habitat created by that vegetation. The Project requires the removal of vegetation and habitat for the construction of roads, infrastructure, stormwater management structures, lots and buildings. The removal of forest habitat creates new edge that expose the remaining forest to increased light, noise, and dust. The existing forest habitat within the Project Footprint has few continuous portions of high-quality wildlife habitat. However, the Project could modify the quality of existing habitat by introducing some fragmentation of habitat within the Project Footprint. The development of the Project will logically start from where the existing Park development now exists and move toward the southwest into the Park expansion area as the planned phased development proceeds. This development strategy will limit the speed at which the forest will become fragmented and will also limit the overall fragmentation that may have occurred if development began in the center of the Project Footprint. Wildlife generally become accustomed to human intrusion into occupied territory and the phased development plan is not expected to have substantial immediate or residual effects to the wildlife populations within the Study Area. There are no expected wildlife species at risk within the Project Footprint that will be impacted by the Business park development.

7.5.1.1 Mitigation Measures The potential for environmental effects of the Project on Wildlife may be mitigated with the following measures:

 Minimizing the extent of ground disturbance for Project construction.  All construction related debris will be appropriately contained during construction and disposed of at an approved facility.  No petroleum product storage, maintenance or refueling is permitted within 30 m of a watercourse.  Petroleum product spill cleanup materials will be kept on site during construction activities.

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 Maintain daylight working hours during Construction as the greatest amount of wildlife species activity is during evening and nighttime hours.  Maintain hydraulic connectivity of wetlands and watercourses to maintain wildlife corridors through the Project Footprint area.

Operation and Maintenance Wildlife in the area will likely become accustomed to the Operation of the extended Business Park. Snow Clearing operations and Accidental releases of hazardous materials could potentially impact wildlife living close to the Project. Effective lighting will decrease the potential number of wildlife that would be involved with vehicle collisions. Furthermore, as salt does attract some wildlife species, limiting the use of road salt to the extent necessary will decrease the potential for wildlife to be on or around roadways and minimize the potential for wildlife related vehicle accidents. East Hants has a streetlight policy requiring lights on every pole in the business park zone, and its road salt practices limit road salt for economic and environmental reasons, consistent with the Municipality’s street lighting policy12. An accidental release of a hazardous material at the Business Park may potentially interact with wildlife. Best management practices for the safe use and handling of hazardous materials should limit the potential for wildlife to come into contact with spilled materials. Any wildlife species at risk or species of conservation concern within the Project Footprint are expected to be able to avoid interaction with construction equipment.

7.6 Migratory Birds

Construction The removal of vegetation and the loss of habitat impacts migratory birds similarly to other wildlife species. The loss of habitat relates to the loss of nesting locations or the loss of foraging habitat. Construction of the Project will necessarily remove considerable amounts of habitat. The existing forest habitat within the Detailed Study Area, including the Project Footprint, does not display a rich birdlife species abundance, as evidenced by the spring and summer bird surveys conducted within the Detailed Study Area. Most of the species recorded are generalist species, or ones that frequent habitats that are regenerating or immature. The Project will likely modify the quality of the existing habitat by introducing some fragmentation within the Project Footprint and creating some potentially less desirable forest edge habitat. Edge habitat is exploited by some species of birds for new nesting opportunities and foraging, while other species that require more complete cover will retreat to the confines of thicker woods. The development of the Project will be toward the southwest, starting at and moving away from existing development. This development strategy will help to mitigate the loss of habitat, limit the speed at which the forests will be removed and become fragmented. It will also limit the overall fragmentation that may have occurred if development began in the center of the Project Footprint.

12 Municipality of East Hants (2018). Street Light Policy. https://www.easthants.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/MEH-Street- Light-Policy-FINAL-with-MapEffective-May-23rd-2018.pdf

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Two migratory bird SAR were recorded during summer breeding surveys, Common Nighthawk and Canada Warbler. Common Nighthawk was recorded on the ACCDC data report and was heard during an early morning survey flying around a recent clear cut. Clear cut and immature forest areas are preferred nesting habitat for the Nighthawks and, therefore, it is likely that this species nests within the Project Footprint. Environmental construction monitoring should be implemented to identify nests in the area if construction occurs within the nesting period for the species. It is East Hants’ intention to clear land outside of nesting bird seasons. A pair of Canada Warbler were recorded along a trail in the Detailed Study Area outside of the Project Footprint, on what is known as the Renfrew Property. However, as this property is not included in current development plans, as defined by the 2019 Project Footprint. Therefore, no further consideration or action should be necessary related to this siting. That is, the normal mitigation actions recommended for mitigation of other bird species identified in the development area (i.e., 2019 Project footprint) are expected to adequately address protection of the Canada Warbler.

7.6.1.1 Mitigation Measures The following measures may mitigate potential impacts on Migratory Birds:

 Limit clearing to fall and winter where possible.  Limit clearing to the extent necessary.  Leave intact buffer strips along watercourses.  Re-vegetation plans will be developed for areas disturbed during construction activities.  Where feasible, timing constraints will be applied to schedule vegetation clearing outside of the bird breeding season (May 1 – July 31).  If clearing is required within the breeding season, a breeding evidence survey will be conducted on the site by a trained biologist in the identification of bird nesting behavior and will develop appropriate mitigation measures to address the presence of migratory birds during construction.  Any recently cleared areas that are not grubbed before June, require a ground nesting survey for Common Nighthawk, a SAR. If an active nesting area is observed, the area should be buffered and equipment remain away from the area until the birds have fledged and left the area.

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Operation and Maintenance An accidental release of a hazardous material at the Business Park may potentially interact with Migratory Birds. Best management practices for the safe use and handling of hazardous materials should limit the potential for migratory birds to come into contact with spilled materials.

7.7 Economy Businesses in the Elmsdale Business Park provide economic stimulus to the local and regional area. Increasing its size will increase the commercial tax base and grow employment which will help support and maintain residential development and the local population base. The East Hants department of Economic and Business Development continues to see significant strength in inquiries and demand for commercial land generally and business park land specifically. Businesses interested in relocating to East Hants (East Hants Economic and Business Development Department, 2018):

 Average annual growth in the last 5 years (2015-2018) of 11%/year in the number of businesses interested in relocating or expanding in East Hants  Overall growth of 30.9% in the number of businesses interested in relocation or expanding in East Hants since 2015 In 2018/19 alone, despite having a reduced inventory in both municipal business parks (Uniacke and Elmsdale), East Hants has sold 12.517 of business park land as of January 2019 and is on track to sell over 13 acres by year end at March 31st. The annual goal for business park land sold is 3 acres which is based on historic demand, available inventory and institutional capacity. Land Sales in Business Parks by building permit dates (East Hants Economic and Business Development Department, 2018)

 2017- 9.32 acres  2018 (To Date) – 12.517 acres  A 34.3% increase over 2017 Increased land inventory in the Elmsdale Business Park will better serve the East Hants in developing its economy.

7.8 Land Use and Value The Project site is within the Business Park Zone that has been designated as commercial by the Municipality. As the proposed Project is an expansion of a current business park, no significant adverse impacts on the local land use and value are anticipated. Therefore, there is no adverse effect to land use or and values is anticipated from the Project. In fact, it is anticipated that the long-term impact on the local land values will be a positive effect if low residential and commercial taxation rates can be maintained due to increased Business Park commercial development.

7.9 Transportation Network The Project may cause some short-term congestion within the Park Road and the Highway 214 entrance to the Business Park during construction. As businesses start to populate the Business Park truck traffic

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for supply and delivery of goods will increase. Furthermore, the addition of commercial businesses open to the public will also increase customer traffic within the Project Footprint and at the existing intersection with Highway 214. Traffic pressure will increase at the existing Highway 214/Park Road intersection, although recent signal upgrades will make this pressure negligible. Increased local traffic loads in the vicinity of the Elmsdale Business Park could potentially increase potential for collisions between passenger and/or commercial vehicles. Additional risk of collisions with and between tractor-trailers and heavy construction equipment will also increase during construction of Park roadways and individual development sites. However, as the plan is to develop the business park in a phased progression, the increase in construction related traffic is expected to be minimal. Furthermore, once construction is completed, potential construction related traffic congestion issues are expected to be minimal. The proposed Project Layout will include development of Park Road further west such that access of Park Road is linked with Venture Crescent and Street ‘D’ (Phase I development) shown in Figure 3, Appendix A and Drawing 1, Appendix P. Should adjacent properties develop in the future, appropriate connections to enable a second access to Highway 214 will be considered to improve traffic circulation to and from the business park. Road improvements and additional roadway connectivity and looping will be implemented to improve traffic flow and the business park’s connectivity to Highway 214, based on East Hants and NSTIR standards, as the project develops to full Project Footprint (2019) buildout. There is limited pedestrian traffic in the Business Park at this time. Pedestrian and/or bicycle traffic typically consists of local workers at Park businesses coming and going to work and taking active work breaks during the work day. Obviously, as the Park is populated over time, pedestrian and bicycle traffic is likely to increase. In fact, East Hants sustainability and healthy living policies and programs encourage active transportation alternatives within their community. The following measures are recommended to mitigate the impacts of increased vehicular and pedestrian/bicycle traffic within the Park:

 The incremental development strategy proposed for this development will reduce the risks of construction related accidents by limiting construction periods to discrete construction periods.  Temporary construction related traffic congestion and safety issues will be controlled with construction related safety signage and flagmen, based on need and East Hants’ Temporary Workplace Signage policy requirements.  Addition of access road connections and roadway looping will be developed, as appropriate, that will generally follow the conceptual roadway layout shown in Appendix A – Figure 3.  East Hants’ minimum 5% “usable” greenspace policy will provide space for pedestrian recreational and leisure activities as an alternative to using roadways for such purposes.  The Municipality plans to consider active transportation links and routes to accommodate pedestrian and/or bicycle traffic as the Business Park develops, as per the Plan East Hants Active Transportation policy13.  The East Hants Community Rider (EHCR) Program14 is available to community residents to access educational, occupational and entertainment venues and opportunities. This service will

13 Active transportation considerations are not included in the Phase I detailed design, but pedestrian routes will be incorporated through features, such as off-road trails, as the Business Park develops to full buildout. 14 http://ruralrides.ca/services/east-hatns-community-rider/

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help to alleviate pedestrian traffic into the Park by people who may not have access to their own vehicle. This alternative transportation service will help to limit pedestrian traffic in the Park until active transportation links and routes can be developed.

7.10 Recreation and Tourism The Project Footprint covers Municipally-owned lands. Evidence collected during field surveys and in the ARIA indicated that the area is used by recreational enthusiasts including riding of ATVs, hiking and hunting. The proposed conceptual Project Layout as shown in Figure 3 will limit or remove some trails and access within Municipally-owned lands. The trail closures or removals will be signed for recreational users to observe. The Municipality is considering development of walking/biking trails within the Park as part of its overall development plans, which should mitigate some of the current recreational uses. These trails would be permitted for public use following completion of construction activities to minimize the potential for accidents. Well-designed trail systems may also encourage workers in the Park to remain active and possibly use active transportation alternatives to travel to and from work.

7.11 Cultural and Heritage Resources The ARIA recorded a low potential for archaeological and First Nations resources on the site. One historical foundation was discovered in the Detailed Study Area on private land known as the Renfrew Property, but no evidence of heritage resources was identified in the Project Footprint itself. In the event that a heritage or archaeological resource is uncovered during construction activities, the following mitigation measures shall be implemented:

 All work activities in the area shall be stopped;  The potential area of the find shall be marked to prevent any further disturbance;  The Nova Scotia Museum shall be contacted and notified of the discovery; and  No further work at the site will be permitted until approval to proceed has been given by the Nova Scotia Museum.

7.12 Summary of Mitigation As detailed in the previous sections, the proposed Construction and Operation of the Elmsdale Business Park Extension Project will result in some biophysical and socio-economic impacts. A table summarizing the potential environmental effects and mitigation for each potential effect is shown in Appendix J. The table shows the potential environmental issues associated with the Project, identifies the potential impacts during construction and recommends mitigation measures to minimize these potential impacts. Although there will be some minor impacts to wetlands, watercourse, vegetation and wildlife due to Project development, those impacts are relatively easy to mitigate. Furthermore, the potential economic benefits of the project outweigh the minor impacts, assuming that appropriate mitigation measures, as recommended in this report are implemented.

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Effects of the Project on the Environment

Activities associated with the construction and operation of the proposed Elmsdale Business Park Phased Expansion will be conducted in accordance with terms and conditions of the EA Registration approval, existing provincial policies and regulations and municipal development policies and bylaws. It will also adhere to terms and conditions set out in Water Approval applications for the development of roadways, utilities or lots that may require watercourse or wetland alteration and/or other approvals. This EA Registration considers several VECs through the development of this EA registration document, including wetlands, watercourses, archeological features and species at risk, based on NSE policy and direction. The mitigation measures developed for each of these VECs, such as Wetland Compensation Plans and watercourse buffer zones to minimize impacts to plant and wildlife communities, with an emphasis on protection of Species at Risk and their habitat. The development will proceed in phases to limit ground surface exposure and detailed engineering designs will be developed for each development phase and/or lot expansion, to compensate for hydrological impacts, based on NSE policy and sound engineering practice. Furthermore, all activities associated with the construction and operation of the proposed Elmsdale Business Park Phased Expansion will be conducted in accordance with terms and conditions of any existing bylaws concerning municipal development. EAST Hants and/or its private development partners will also comply with all watercourse and wetland approvals for required for the development of roadways, utilities or lot construction. East Hants acknowledges that the environmental effects of the Elmsdale Business Park Phased Expansion project will cause the loss of a limited wetland and related habitat areas within the proposed Project Footprint. East Hants will work with its private development partners to ensure that all aspects of each Project development phase will minimize interactions with watercourses, wetlands and plant/wildlife habitat. The Phase I development design, provided in the Phase 1 detailed design (Appendix I), reflects this commitment. East Hants is also committed to appropriate compensation for unavoidable wetland and/or habitat losses resulting from the proposed Project. Field surveys conducted to date indicate that the Project Footprint does include some unique habitat and rare or sensitive species. However, the disturbance of unique habitat related to rare or threatened species expected due to the development of this project is minimal. Furthermore, unique habitat disturbances are typically related to wetland areas that will be compensated, based on the NSE guidance. Therefore, significant environmental effects related to wetland and related habitat loss within the proposed Project Footprint will be minimal and are not considered significant. The NSE Strom Drainage Works Approval Policy requires that storm collection systems will not cause: a) Destruction of aquatic habitat; b) Impairment of fish passage; c) Public safety hazard; or d) Degradation of water quality Storm Drainage Works approval applications must be accompanied by supporting documentation, as specified in the application form. NSE requires that potential off-site or downstream impacts have been properly identified and mitigated before approval is granted. Impacts that are considered in the approval process include, but are not limited to: a) Base flow reduction; b) Impacts on groundwater, wetlands and downstream water uses; c) Downstream or off-site flooding; d) Erosion of the bed and banks of a storm drainage ditch or a watercourse; or

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e) Sedimentation and destruction of fish habitat A conceptual drainage plan to assess pre and post development stormwater flow rates and volumes within the Detailed Study Area was conducted during the development of the 2016 EA registration process. This plan was amended to reflect the proposed 2019 EA registration Project Footprint and is provided in Appendix I as the Generalized Stormwater Management Study. Due to the reduced Project Footprint proposed in this EA, stormwater impacts are expected to be substantially reduced relative to that proposed in the 2016 registration. Regardless, the hydrologic analysis of the proposed 2019 Project Footprint, shows that post-development peak run-off flow rates and volumes are substantial due to the increase in impervious surfaces and will need to be managed appropriately. Where East Hants acts as the developer to provide marketable, construction ready lots and related infrastructure, an NSE compliant stormwater management plan (i.e., “zero net”) will be included in the detailed engineering design plans. This will occur as each successive development phase proceeds, as demonstrated by the Phase I detailed design provided in Appendix P. Naturalized stormwater retention ponds to will be used to facilitate localized wetland mitigation and compensation wherever feasible. Where lots are sold as “raw” land for development by private business partners, a provincially compliant stormwater management plan will be required from Lot owners as part of the purchase agreement. Plan approval will require lot owners to demonstrate that stormwater mitigation measures meet NSE’s Zero-Net policy requirements. Lot development plan approvals will be used to guide individual proponents to implement site specific controls that will attain the strategic stormwater management goals of the Elmsdale Business Park Phased Expansion project (i.e., “zero net”). Where larger areas of the project are developed by the Municipality, East Hants will consider communal stormwater management mitigation measures, such as storm water management ponds designed for the Phase I development. Furthermore, future detailed designs commissioned by East Hants will include appropriate stormwater mitigation and private lot developers will be required to meet these requirements, through the approval process, to facilitate overall Project stormwater management objectives across the proposed development. Minor, localized impacts on air quality can be expected due to the formation of airborne particulate matter during construction. These impacts are readily controlled through standard mitigative measures, such as monitoring and water-based dust suppression, as necessary. Vehicular emissions from construction equipment also have the potential to crate minor, localized air quality impacts. However, since lot clearing and project development will proceed in a phase approach, these impacts are considered to be minor, temporary and of minimal impact. Assuming the mitigation measures specified in this Class I EA Report are implemented, and the Project is operated and developed according to existing provincial guidelines and approvals, no significant adverse residual environmental or socio-economic effects are anticipated. While operation of the Elmsdale Business Park will also result in minor environmental impacts, as described herein, the Project will also result in substantial economic benefits to East Hants and its residents. Economic benefits include tangible effects, such as employment, increased business prospects and the opportunity to maintain reasonable levels of residential property taxation, which will help to sustain the population of the community. It is concluded that these positive impacts will far outweigh the minor environmental impacts due to the project, based on the review provided in this Registration Document.

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Effects of the Environment on the Project

The definition of an environmental effect often includes any change to the project that may be caused by the environment. In the case of a commercial subdivision expansion, potential effects of the environment on the Project are limited to climate and meteorological conditions, specifically precipitation and snow melt runoff events. Precipitation and runoff may cause temporary delays in road construction, operation, and rehabilitation activities. Wet weather or snow may also affect timelines for construction, especially during clearing, site preparation and hauling of waste material to or from the site. There is an apparent warming trend in Atlantic Canada that is not statistically significant. With respect to precipitation, the Atlantic Region shows an overall increasing trend in precipitation since 1948, that includes an increase in the number of daily precipitation events above 20 mm and a very slight increasing trend in the number of daily snowfall events above 15 cm (Lewis, 1996). A number of planning, design, and construction strategies will be implemented that are intended to minimize the potential effects of the environment on the Project. These strategies are intended to minimize the risk of damage to the Project, including interruption of construction activities or of services during the operations phase to acceptable levels. These measures will be planned and implemented during the construction of successive Project phases and/or individual lot development and are not detailed in this EA registration document. However, East Hants will require that its contractors and/or private business partners conducting construction activities within the Business Park will comply with the guidelines and practices provided in the NSE Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook. Furthermore, owners and their contractors will be encouraged to consider weather conditions to minimize the potential for sediment transport from construction sites. The operating business park will not be impacted by weather, such as extreme precipitation events, due to the planned design measures to manage and control stormwater. On-site stormwater management planning will anticipate natural flow conditions to match predevelopment conditions. Therefore, extreme storm events will be contained using appropriate design measures, including and up to the 1:100- year design storm level, based on the latest stormwater data available to account for climate change. Aggregate and other natural earth products that may be stored at the site from time to time are expected to be stable under varying environmental conditions, such as high rainfall and wind events, that impose risk of water or wind erosion and of-site sediment transport. As the Business Park will be open year-round, heavy snowfalls and significant snow accumulation will be managed to minimize impacts to Business Park operations. In summary, climate and meteorological conditions, including climate change, are not anticipated to significantly affect the construction of the Project or the operation of the Project over its proposed lifetime.

Wetland Compensation Plan

10.1 Introduction In Nova Scotia, projects that alter wetlands are required to compensate for wetland habitat losses at a prescribed ratio. The Project Footprint contains approximately 141.71 ha of wetland habitat. East Hants does not plan to develop the full extent of the Project Footprint. The planning of the proposed

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roadway network and lot fabric development was conducted to minimize wetland alteration as the proposed development progresses. The current development plan, which is planned to phase out over the next several years, includes the potential disturbance of approximately 10 ha of wetland habitat (see Figure 3, Appendix A). This Wetland Compensation Plan (WCP) is the method by which East Hants will provide wetland habitat compensation during the course of the Elmsdale Business Park Phased Expansion, which may take 20-25 years to complete. East Hants will work with the Department of Environment, restoration specialists, and consultants to provide NSE with the approval’s documents, including a WCP, for every portion, or lot, or phase of development that alters wetland habitat. This wetland compensation plan will operate as a “How to do Wetlands Compensation” for East Hants and the continuing development of the Elmsdale Business Park.

10.2 Components of a Wetland Compensation Plan

Wetland Alteration Application An acceptable Wetland Compensation Plan (WCP) is based on a watercourse alteration application that includes a signed letter of understanding (LOU) between an NSE recognized wetland restoration professional and the Proponent. The LOU will contain a detailed plan describing how the Proponent will provide compensation through the NSE recognized wetland restoration professional. Local NSE Inspectors will be consulted to help the Proponent develop the Letter of Understanding or detailed plan in consultation with the Department Wetland Specialist to ensure the compensation project identified is aligned with government priorities for wetland restoration, enhancement or creation.

Watercourse Alteration Application East Hants, as shown in Figure 3, Appendix A, seeks to avoid watercourse alterations in this development. Phase 1, as shown in Drawing 1, Appendix P, also avoids watercourse alterations. Watercourse alteration applications will be developed, as required, where the proposed development impacts or alters any watercourses within the proposed Phase Expansion development area. A typical watercourse alteration application will consider any and all components and factors that NSE identifies as being required for the approval application. As each instance may require that different components be considered, these applications will be managed on a case by case basis, as the proposed Business Park Phase Expansion proceeds. East Hants will ensure that NSE receives all relevant information for each watercourse alteration application where the municipality acts as the developer. Individual landowners are responsible for watercourse and/or wetland alteration applications where they are responsible for individual lot development. In these cases, East Hants will cooperate with landowners and NSE as requested to ensure that individual lot development plans are consistent with existing and planned future developments to facilitate consistency with overall Project Development objectives.

Letter of Understanding (LOU) LOUs are another critical part of a wetland approval application. Any LOU for wetland approval on the Project Footprint will include the following information for each lot/phase of development that includes wetland habitat:

 The Approach;  Description of the amount, type and location of the wetland that will be restored, enhanced or created based on NSE approval requirements;  Timeline for completion of different phases of the project;

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 Basic details on monitoring that will be used to assess success;  Agreement from the third party responsible for the project that they will keep NSE informed of project process; and  Signatures from the applicant and consultant on the agreement. East Hants acknowledges that the preferred method of compensation is restoration of highly degraded wetland habitats or wetlands previously lost to historic conversion. However, as previously mentioned, local compensation will be used where possible, such as development of naturalized stormwater ponds.

10.2.3.1 Example Letter of Understanding (LOU) East Hants procures wetland compensation in accordance with the East Hants Procurement Policy and direction East Hants has received from Nova Scotia Environment, as shown in Appendix K. This procurement process results in a Letter of Understanding (LOU), a recent example is shown in Appendix L.

Other Components of Compensation Nova Scotia Environment allows for other types of compensation when enhancement of wetlands lack certain functions and creation of replacement wetlands will also be considered acceptable in most circumstances, although generally at higher compensation ratios. Compensation activities for credit other than create, enhance or restore include:

 Studies to identify potential restoration sites;  Developing naturalized stormwater or wastewater retention wetlands;  Preserving existing wetlands of special significance or upland buffers adjacent to wetlands;  Building public access facilities and interpretative centers;  Developing public education materials; and  Conducting or supporting wetland research. These options can be included as part of a wetland compensation package after a minimum of 50 % of the wetland habitat compensation amount has been created, enhanced, or restored. The local wetland inspector will be helpful in designing WCP’s when they include these other compensation activities and assigning credit for the various pieces of the WCP.

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Other Approvals Required

In addition to the EA Approval, several other permits and/or approvals may be required prior to the start of construction as per Table 11-1. Other permits or approvals may be required depending on the nature of the development. East Hants will endeavor to meet any obligations required. Table 11-1: Future Approvals

Approval / Notification / Permit Required Government Agency

Provincial

Watercourse Alteration Approval Nova Scotia Environment (NSE)

Wetland Alteration Approval Nova Scotia Environment (NSE)

Municipal

Zoning Bylaw Municipality of East Hants

Subdivision Bylaw (Lot Layout) Municipality of East Hants

Lot Grading and Drainage Bylaw Municipality of East Hants

Building Bylaw Municipality of East Hants

Civic Addressing Bylaw Municipality of East Hants

Community Standards Bylaw Municipality of East Hants

Funding

There is no government funding for this project in the form of grants or loans from other governmental bodies. However, this project is being conducted by the Municipality of East Hants, who is investing its funds to develop the site. The investment is intended to be recuperated from lot sale and taxation revenue as the project develops.

Closure

East Hants with the assistance of qualified professionals has completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed Elmsdale Business Park Phased Expansion project. The site location and the proposed conceptual Project site layouts and features are provided in the various figures located in Appendix A (Figures) and Appendix P (Phase 1 Detailed Design) of this document. The Municipality of East Hants (East Hants) is proposing to expand the Elmsdale Business Park by an additional 123.25 hectares (ha) to encompass a total area of 155.72 hectares (ha) to attract additional commercial development to our municipality and to allow us to accommodate the demand for larger

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sized lots. All lands within the proposed development are currently wholly owned by the Municipality of East Hants, including PIDS 45225489 (144.67 acers), 45291572 (21.67 acres), 45086709 (88.2 acres), 45225992 (41.09 acres), 45225497 (8.92 acres), and an estimated 2.4 acres of Road Section. As the proposed project is expected to impact approximately 10 ha (calculated specifically at 10.67 ha) of wetland, the development requires approval under the Nova Scotia Environmental Assessment Regulations, in compliance with Schedule A, F(2) of the Regulation. To minimize land disturbance and reduce environmental risks related to land development, the proposed project will occur over a period of time and the lots will be developed based on demand and service requirements. That is, access roadways and land will be cleared and developed based on demand for commercial/industrial lots within the development boundaries. Furthermore, to the extent possible and depending on lot sizes required by developers, the land will be developed starting near the existing Business Park and will progress toward the southwest as lots are sold. East Hants has provided a detailed design of Phase 1 of this project. The Municipality does not intend to construct the entirety of Phase 1 (Appendix P) of the development at one time, following EA approval. Phase I development, and the development of all other lands covered in the EA would proceed based on commercial market demand for land in the Elmsdale area. That is, it is not the intention of the Municipality to clear and /or expose large tracts of land at one time. Access roadways and lots will be progressively developed based on service requirements and demand for lots in the Park. As the Municipality decides to develop lots and related infrastructure for sale as development ready commercial land, areas of up to 10 ha may be cleared and developed for that purpose. Where that occurs, stormwater management will be developed to comply with provincial policy and municipal bylaws. This Environmental Assessment Report documents potential environmental effects of the proposed development on environmental resources, which are referred to as Valued Environmental Components or VECs. Potential VEC’s are evaluated relative to the significance of potential effects. Where appropriate, recommendations for mitigation measures to minimize those effects are provided. The assessment and related recommendations are based on the detailed design of Phase 1, as indicated in Appendix P, and the conceptual development plan for the proposed Business Park roadway and lot layout, as indicated in Figure 3, Appendix A. Although roadway alignment and lot arrangement may change, depending the size and arrangements of lots required by potential clients, a generalized conceptual drainage plan was also developed. The detailed drainage plan for Phase 1 and the conceptual drainage plan for the project as a whole assesses pre and post development flows to:

 Ensure hydrological and hydraulic flow continuity within the proposed Business Park.  Maintain the health of existing wetlands and watercourses that will remain undisturbed.  Provide guidance for future flow mitigation requirements to mitigate potential downstream impacts due to the development.

The physical components of the proposed addressed in the EA include:  Clearing and grubbing of new lots;  Water and sewer installation;  Roadway construction;  Lot grading and paving;  Stormwater management development, including ditching and runoff retention;  Building construction;  Road maintenance and snow clearing; and

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 Commercial Activity. Key VECs addressed are based on NSE’s Environmental Assessment (EA) protocol were confirmed during meetings with NSE staff, and include:

 Geology;  Atmospheric conditions;  Groundwater;  Freshwater Environment;  Wetlands and Vegetation;  Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat;  Migratory Birds;  Socio-economic Environment; and  Archaeological and Heritage Resources.

Based on our assessment, the most significant impact expected from the proposed project include:

 The alteration of approximately ten (10) ha of wetland; and  The impact of wetland disturbance on the hydrological regime within the Project Footprint. To mitigate the impacts of wetland alteration, a generalized drainage plan concept is presented to strategically maintain hydraulic continuity within the component watersheds within the project footprint (Appendix I). Pre and post development runoff flows were predicted to determine the need for runoff management treatments, such as retention, to maintain an appropriate runoff regime from the development area. The intention is that the final overall hydrological design of the post- development Business Park will release water in similar volumes and rates as that of the pre- development hydrologic regime in accordance with NSE policy. The Elmsdale Business Park Phased Expansion project is designed to incorporate mitigation measures and hydrological design principles outlined in this registration document. Wetland compensation is planned to be procured for wetlands planned to be altered in the course of this development by applying for Wetland Alteration Permit from NSE and using the process shown in Appendix K and L. As a result, the environmental impact of the proposed project is not considered to be significant. The development is anticipated to have minimal impact to the VEC’s identified in cooperation with NSE that are reviewed in this EA registration document. Anticipated impacts will be managed, based on the recommended mitigation measures, wetland compensation and hydrological design principles outlined in this EA. On that basis, environmental impacts related to the proposed Elmsdale Business Park Phase Expansion project are not considered to be significant.

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