Aboriginal Interests Technical Support Document
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Aboriginal Interests Technical Support Document October 2010 Draft Prepared by: AECOM Canada Ltd. NWMO DGR TR-2011-09 Aboriginal Interests Technical Support Document October 2010 Draft Prepared by: AECOM Canada Ltd. NWMO DGR-TR-2011-09 Aboriginal Interests TSD - ii- October 2010 © Nuclear Waste Management Organization, 2010. This document has been produced for Ontario Power Generation Inc. No part of this document may be reproduced, published, converted or stored in any data retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or recording) without the prior written permission of Nuclear Waste Management Organization. Aboriginal Interests TSD - iii a - October 2010 Aboriginal Interests Technical Support Document October 2010 Draft Prepared by: AECOM Canada Ltd. NWMO DGR-TR-2011-09 Recommended by: A. Name Date Position Nuclear Waste Management Organization Accepted by: B. Name Date Position Nuclear Waste Management Organization [Note: This Signature Page (with signatures) will be filed separately in Records.] Aboriginal Interests TSD - iii b - October 2010 Aboriginal Interests Technical Support Document October 2010 Draft Prepared by: AECOM Canada Ltd. NWMO DGR TR-2011-09 Prepared by: October 19, 2010 Tomasz Wlodarczyk, Date AECOM Canada Ltd. Reviewed by: October 19, 2010 Don Richardson, Date AECOM Canada Ltd. Approved by: October 19, 2010 Martin Rawlings, Date Golder Associates Ltd. Aboriginal Interests TSD - iii - October 2010 Document History Title: Aboriginal Interests Technical Support Document Report Number: DGR TR-2011-09 Revision: Draft (R1) Date: October 2010 October 19, 2010 AECOM Canada Ltd. Prepared by: Tomasz Wlodarczyk, AECOM Canada Ltd. Reviewed by: Don Richardson, AECOM Canada Ltd. Approved by: Martin Rawlings, Golder Associates Ltd. Nuclear Waste Management Organization Reviewed by: Accepted by: Aboriginal Interests TSD - iv - October 2010 [PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK] Aboriginal Interests TSD - v - October 2010 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ES.1 INTRODUCTION Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is undergoing a multi-year planning and regulatory approval process for a deep geologic repository (DGR) for the long-term management of low and intermediate level waste (L&ILW). Currently, the L&ILW produced as a result of the operation of OPG’s nuclear reactors is stored centrally at OPG’s Western Waste Management Facility (WWMF) located on the Bruce nuclear site. Although current storage practices are safe and could be continued safely for many decades, OPG’s long-term plan is to manage these wastes in a long- term management facility. Throughout this report, OPG's proposal is referred to as the "DGR Project". The DGR Project includes the site preparation, construction, operations, decommissioning and abandonment of the DGR. The DGR will be constructed in competent sedimentary bedrock beneath the Bruce nuclear site near the existing WWMF. The underground facilities will include access-ways (shafts and tunnels), emplacement rooms and various underground service areas and installations. The surface facilities include the underground access and ventilation buildings, Waste Package Receiving Building (WPRB) and related infrastructure. An environmental assessment (EA) of the proposed project is required under the provisions of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) because the proponent (OPG) will be required to obtain a licence from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to allow the project to proceed. The findings of the EA are presented in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Technical Support Documents (TSDs). ES.2 APPROACH The approach used for assessing effects of the DGR Project supports the philosophy of EA as a planning tool and decision-making process. The assessment characterizes and assesses the effects of the DGR Project in a thorough, traceable, step-wise manner. The approach used in the assessment includes the following steps: describe the project; describe the existing environment; screen potential project-environment interactions to focus the assessment; predict and assess effects, apply mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the effect and identify residual adverse effects; determine significance of residual adverse effects; and propose a follow-up program to confirm mitigation measures are completed and the effects are as predicted. The assessment of effects considers direct and indirect effects of the DGR Project, effects of environment on the project, climate change considerations, and effects of the project on renewable and non-renewable resources. An assessment of the cumulative effects associated with the DGR Project is addressed in Section 10 of the EIS. Effects are predicted in the context of temporal and spatial boundaries. DRAFT Aboriginal Interests TSD - vi - October 2010 The temporal boundaries for the EIS establish the timeframes for which the effects are assessed. Four temporal phases were identified for the DGR Project: site preparation and construction phase; operations phase; decommissioning phase; and abandonment and long-term performance phase. Spatial boundaries define the geographical extents within which environmental effects are considered. As such, these boundaries become the study areas adopted for the EA. Four study areas were selected for the assessment of Aboriginal interests: the Regional Study Area, Local Study Area, Site Study Area and Project Area. Each study area includes the smaller study areas (i.e., they are not geographically separate). ES.3 VALUED ECOSYSTEM COMPONENTS While all components of the environment are important, it is neither practicable nor necessary to assess every potential effect of a project on every component. An EA focuses on the components that have the greatest relevance in terms of value and sensitivity, and which are likely to be affected by the project. To achieve this focus, specific Valued Ecosystem Components (VECs) are identified. For the purposes of this Aboriginal interests TSD, the VECs are intended to reflect a broad range of Aboriginal interests that relate to an environmental effect as defined by the CEAA. The Aboriginal interests from which VECs were defined were identified through reviews of: correspondence between the proponent and Aboriginal representatives and minutes of meetings between the proponent and Aboriginal organizations between May 2003 and April 2010; literature pertaining to First Nation treaties, land claims, fishing and harvesting rights; Aboriginal communities having interests in the Regional Study Area; and general ecological, socio-economic and cultural heritage interests for Ojibway and Métis peoples in Ontario; and previous EAs at the Bruce nuclear site. The following VECs are used in assessing the effects of the DGR Project on Aboriginal interests: Aboriginal communities; Aboriginal heritage and resources; and traditional use of land and resources. ES.4 RESULTS The identified measurable changes were assessed to determine whether they were adverse. The following residual adverse effect was identified for Aboriginal interests: The DGR Project is likely to diminish the quality or value of activities undertaken by Aboriginal peoples at the Aboriginal burial site located on the Bruce nuclear site. This results from changed aesthetics, increased noise and dust. This effect is not considered to be significant. DRAFT Aboriginal Interests TSD - vii - October 2010 In addition, the following conclusions were made regarding Aboriginal interests: No residual adverse effects were identified for Aboriginal communities or the traditional use of land and resources VECs. The DGR Project will create new direct, indirect and induced employment opportunities and additional business opportunities for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. There is potential for some Aboriginal communities to realize benefits from these opportunities. Climate change is not expected to have any effect on the conclusions reached regarding the effects of the DGR Project on Aboriginal interests VECs. The DGR Project is not likely to measurably change the renewable commercial fisheries or non-renewable aggregate resources used by Aboriginal communities. ES.5 PRELIMINARY FOLLOW-UP PROGRAM Follow-up monitoring programs are required to: confirm the assumptions in the analyses of the EA studies; verify the predictions of the EA studies; or confirm the effectiveness of mitigation measures, and in so doing, determine if new mitigation strategies are required. At this time, no follow-up activities beyond those identified in the Atmospheric Environment TSD are proposed. DRAFT Aboriginal Interests TSD - viii - October 2010 [PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK] DRAFT Aboriginal Interests TSD - ix - October 2010 CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ v 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1 EA PROCESS AND REGULATORY CONTEXT ..................................................... 1 1.2 EA REPORTING STRUCTURE............................................................................... 2 2. APPROACH ............................................................................................................ 9 2.1 GENERAL SUMMARY OF EA APPROACH ........................................................... 9 2.2 PRECAUTIONARY APPROACH .........................................................................