East Hants, Nova Scotia PIDS:
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Etmsdate Business Park Phased Expansion Class I Environmental Assessment Registration Document February 2019 EAST HANTS We bye it! Signatures Prepared By TyLer Mattheis BiD Acting Director of Economic and Business Mac Associates (MGA) Devetopment, MunicipaLity of East Hants Reviewed By n, P.Eng., M.Sc. Mac Geoenvironmentat Associates (MGA) Executive Summary The Municipa[ity of East Hants (East Hants or the Municipatity) has compteted an Environmentat Assessment (EA) for a proposed business park expansion in Etmsdate, Nova Scotia, with the assistance of Bitt MacMittan, doing business as Mac Geoenvironmentat Associates. The site tocation and the proposed conceptua[ Project site tayout are shown in Figure 1 , Appendix A. The Municipatity proposes to expand the existing business park by approximatety 124.22 hectares (ha) to attract additionat commerciat devetopment in their municipatity and to attow for the demand for targer size tots. The proposed project witt occur over a period of time and the tots witt be devetoped based on demand and service requirements. That is, access roadways and tand witt be cteared and developed in sequence as tots are sold within the development boundaries. Further, to the extent possibte, depending on tot sizes required by developers, the land will be developed starting near the existing Business Park and will progress toward the southwest as tots are sold. The development requires approval under the Nova Scotia Environmental Assessment Regulations. In particular the project requires compliance with Schedule A of the Regulations, Undertaking, F(2), as follows: “an undertaking that disrupts a total of 2 ha or more of any wetland”. The purpose of this Environmental Assessment Report is to provide a document that will address potential environmental effects of the proposed development on environmental resources (referred to as Valued Environmental Components or VEC5), evaluate the significance of potential effects and to provide recommendations for mitigation measures to minimize those effects. This Registration Document includes a detailed design and stormwater management plan of the first phase of this expansion, as well as a general conceptual Business Park roadway, lot layout and drainage plan. The drainage plan is conceptual, as roadway alignment and lot arrangement may change, depending on the size and arrangements of client tots and the influence of that factor on lot geometry. The physical components of the proposed project will include: . Clearing and grubbing of new tots; . 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. 11 This Registration Document wi[[ document key “Valued Environmental Components (VEC5) that require attention under the NSE Environmentat Assessment (EA) protoco[, 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 most significant impact expected from the proposed project includes: . 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 drainage plan concept is presented to strategically maintain hydraulic continuity within the component watersheds within the project footprint. 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 retease 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 attered 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 statements in this Executive Summary are subject to the limitations included in Section 10 of this report and are to be read in conjunction with the remainder of the report. 111 List of Acronyms and Definitions ACCDC Attantic Canada Conservation Data Centre ARIA Archaeological Resource Impact Assessment ATV Alt-terrain Vehicle AQHI Air Quality Health Index BFL Boreat Felt Lichen BMP Best Management Practice CCH NS Department of Communities, Culture, and Heritage CEAA Canadian Environmental Assessment Act CEDIF Community Economic Development Investment Funds CLC Community Liaison Committee COSEWIC Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada CWS Canadian Wildlife Service dBA Decibel Detailed The area that was subjected to detailed field study review for the Elmsdale Business Study Area Park 2016 EA submission to NSE. The Detailed Study Area includes the Project Footprint for the 2019 EA submission that includes lands completely owned by East Hants but that excludes any privately held lands that were previously part of the planned subdivision in 2019. DFO Fisheries and Oceans Canada EA Environmental Assessment EC Environment Canada EPP Environmental Protection Plan General The General Study Area is defined by the land mass within a five (5) kilometer radius Study Area of the surrounding the Detailed Study Area, as defined above. GHG Greenhouse Gas GIS Geographical Information System HA Hectares IBAs Important Bird Areas IBoF Inner Bay of Fundy MBBA Maritime Breeding Bird Atlas MBCA Migratory Birds Convention Act MEKS Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge Study NRCan Natural Resources Canada NSDE Nova Scotia Department of Energy NSDNR Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources NSE Nova Scotia Environment iv NSEA Nova Scotia Environment Act NSESA Nova Scotia Endangered Species Act NSPI Nova Scotia Power Inc NSTIR Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewa[ CM Office of Aboriginat Affairs PID Property Identification Number Project The Project Footprint is the physicaL space within which the Etmsda[e Business Park Footprint Phase Expansion project is expected to encompass upon completion Registration This Environmental Assessment Registration Document inctuding all appendices. Document (2019) Registration The Environmental Assessment Registration document submitted by WSP on behalf of Document East Hants in 2016 for a similar project, including all appendices. Also referred to as (2016) the “Previous Registration” or “Previous EA”. RCMP Royal Canadian Mounted Police SARA Species at Risk Act SAR Species at Risk 5CC Species of Conservation Concern TDGA Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act UTM Universal Transverse Mercator VEC Valued Ecosystem Component WAM Wet Areas Mapping WHMIS Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System v Table of Contents Signatures I Prepared By I Reviewed By I Executive Summary ii List of Acronyms and Definitions iv Appendices 3 I Introductory Letter 5 2 Proponent and Project Identification 9 2.1 Proponent Information 9 2.2 Projecttnformation JO 2.3 Regu[atoryFramework JO 2.4 StructureofDocument JJ 2.5 Author of the Environmentat Assessment J2 3 Scope J3 3.1 Scope of the Undertaking J3 3.2 Scope of the Environmentat Assessment J 5 4 Public Consultation and Engagement J6 J 6 4. 1 Methods of Engagement 4.2 First Nations Information Sharing J7 4.3 Pubtic Information Session J7 4.4 Future Communications J8 5 DescriptionoftheUndertaking J8 5.1 Geographical Location J8 5.2 Project Development Physical Components J9 5.3 Site Preparation and Construction J9 5.4 Operation and Maintenance 2J 5.5 Decommissioning and Reclamation 22 6 Valued Environmentat Components 22 6.1 Geology 22 6.2 Atmospheric Conditions 25 Page J I 6.3 Groundwater 28 30 6.4 ‘ Freshwater Environment 6.5 Wettands and Vegetation 35 6.6 Witd[ife and Witd[ife Habitat 41 6.7 Migratory Birds 45 6.8 Socio-Economic Conditions 55 6.9 Other Projects in the Area 59 7 Mitigation and Effects Management 59 7.1 Atmospheric Environment - Air Quality and Noise 61 7.2 GroundwaterResources 62 7.3 Freshwater Environment 63 7.4 Wettands and Vegetation 65 7.5 Wi[dtile and WildLife Habitat 67 7.6 MigratoryBirds 68 7.7 Economy 70 7.8 Land Use and Va[ue 70 7.9 Transportation Network 70 7.10 RecreationandTourism 72 72 7. 1 1 Cultural and Heritage Resources 72 7. 1 2 Summary of Mitigation 8 Effects of the Project on the Environment 73 9 Effects of the Environment on the Project 75 10 Wettand Compensation Ptan 75 10.1 Introduction 75 10.2 Components of a Wettand Compensation Ptan 76 78 1 1 Other Approvats Required 12 Funding 78 13 Closure 78 14 References 81 Page 2 r;L I Appendices AppendixA Figures - - Figure 6: rare plant Locations Figure 1 2 Project Location - Figure 2: General and Detailed Study - Figure 7: AACCDC Identified Rare Species . Areas - Figure 8: Migratory Birds and Habitat - 3: Project Layout . Figure - Figure 9: Archeological Investigation - Figure 4: Surficial Geology (ARIA) Results - Figure 5: Bedrock Geology -