PN3.1 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Statement - Volume 1 Inukjuak Backup Thermal Generating Station Environmental and social impact assessment statement Volume 1 – Report May 2021 Produced by Hydro-Québec Inukjuak Backup Thermal Generating Station Environmental and social impact assessment statement Volume 1 – Report Groupe – Distribution, approvisionnement et services partagés May 2021 This environmental impact statement (EIS) is being filed with the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques in accordance with section 196 of the Environment Quality Act with a view to obtaining the necessary authorizations to carry out the project to construct a backup thermal generating station in the northern village of Inukjuak. This document is a translation of the environmental and social impact assessment of the Inukjuak backup thermal generating station. Only the French version is official. This environmental and social impact assessment statement is divided into two volumes : • Volume 1 – Report • Volume 2 – Appendices This assessment was conducted for the Groupe – Distribution, approvisionnement et services partagés by Hydro-Québec’s Direction – Environnement. The list of contributors is provided in Appendix A of Volume 2. Inukjuak backup thermal generating station Environmental and social impact assessment statement – Volume 1 May 2021 Summary Hydro-Québec plans to build a thermal generating station in the northern village of Inukjuak to provide a backup electricity supply to the community, which will be served by a new generating station (Innavik generating station) starting in 2022. Initially, the backup generating station will be equipped with two generating sets, or gensets, of 2.5 to 3 MW each, to which a third, also with a capacity of 2.5 to 3.0 MW, could be added as needed, for a total capacity of 9 MW. The backup generating station will be built near the new 25-kV substation to which it will be connected. The developed area will be approximately 9,446 m² and will include the generating station, a fuel depot as well as storage spaces for operational needs. The backup thermal generating station is subject to the environmental and social impact assessment and review procedure under chapter III, title II of the Environment Quality Act, since it will have a capacity exceeding 3 MW. The project has been optimized to avoid negative impacts on wetlands or aquatic environments. Also, the site for the generating station was chosen with the aim of minimizing negative impacts for the community of Inukjuak regarding noise and air quality. Besides helping to secure the electricity supply for the village of Inukjuak, the project will have a positive effect, since we will be increasing the distance between an existing and continuous source of noise pollution and the village by close to 3 km. Furthermore, the project will help reduce GHG emissions compared to the current situation, since the new generating station will only be used as a backup, should the Innavik hydroelectric generating station become unavailable. The impacts of the project will be felt primarily during construction. The main activities associated with construction of the backup thermal generating station are the preparatory work and site facilities, levelling, backfilling and earthwork, installation of the gensets, buildings and related infrastructure, waste management, transport and traffic, the lodging and presence of workers, as well as jobs and the purchase of goods and services. The work will nonetheless be limited, small in scale and carried out over a period of approximately 18 months. Components of the surroundings likely to be negatively impacted during the work are soil, the quality and drainage of surface water, birds, air quality, greenhouse gases and climate change, the sound environment, land use, infrastructure and services, the health and safety of residents and sites of cultural, historical and archeological interest. We will apply Hydro-Québec’s Standard Environmental Clauses (SEC) during work to mitigate the primary negative impacts anticipated during this period. We also plan to implement specific mitigation measures for certain environmental components. iii Inukjuak backup thermal generating station Environmental and social impact assessment statement – Volume 1 May 2021 During operation, activities likely to result in impacts are the presence of infrastructure, activities, maintenance and servicing of the generating station as well as fuel management, jobs and the purchase of goods and services. Components of the environment likely to be negatively impacted during operation are the sound environment, air quality and, to a lesser extent, soil, water quality and landscape. We propose a sound environment monitoring program during operation to measure actual noise levels from equipment as well as at receivers. The risk of technological accidents are deemed to be low, since this is a known technology, deployed in many generating stations currently in operation and with which operating personnel are proficient; furthermore, we will have accident prevention and facility securement measures. Lastly, the project will yield positive employment and economic spinoffs during the work and during the generating station’s operation phase. Hydro-Québec will maximize the local benefits of this project by implementing a variety of measures. With the application of the proposed mitigation measures, the environmental and social impact assessment has established the significance of residual impacts on the various components of the biophysical and human environments to be minor. iv Inukjuak backup thermal generating station Environmental and social impact assessment statement – Volume 1 May 2021 Content of the environmental and social impact assessment statement Volume 1 –Report 1 Introduction 2 Context and project justification 3 Public participation 4 Project description 5 Description of the environment 6 Impact analysis 7 Environmental overview 8 Technological accident risk management 9 Environmental monitoring and follow-up 10 References Volume 2 – Appendices A List of collaborators B Wetland characterization sheets C Photographs of watercourse WC01 D Impact assessment method E Standard environmental clauses F Atmospheric dispersion study G Method for assessing noise impact intensity H Technological risk management v Inukjuak backup thermal generating station Environmental and social impact assessment statement – Volume 1 May 2021 Table of contents 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Proponent’s presentation ..................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Mission and vision .............................................................................................. 1-1 2 Context and project justification .................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 General project presentation ............................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Project justification ............................................................................................. 2-1 2.3 Alternative solutions to the project ..................................................................... 2-3 2.4 Legal context ...................................................................................................... 2-3 2.4.1 Environmental and social impact assessment and review procedure ............................................................................................... 2-3 2.4.2 Government approvals ........................................................................... 2-4 2.5 Hydro-Québec’s environmental policy ............................................................... 2-4 3 Public participation ........................................................................................................ 3-1 3.1 Information and consultation process ................................................................. 3-1 3.2 Identification of stakeholders .............................................................................. 3-1 3.3 Information and consultation activities conducted ............................................. 3-1 3.4 Hydro-Québec’s undertakings ............................................................................ 3-3 4 Project description ......................................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Analysis of options ............................................................................................. 4-1 4.1.1 Site options ............................................................................................ 4-1 4.1.1.1 Potential sites ......................................................................... 4-1 4.1.1.2 Site selected ........................................................................... 4-2 4.1.2 Technological options ............................................................................ 4-2 4.1.3 Description of the selected project ......................................................... 4-4 4.1.4 Technical characteristics of the generating station ................................ 4-4 4.1.4.1 Powerhouse ........................................................................... 4-4 4.1.4.2 Generating equipment ........................................................... 4-4 4.1.4.3