PROJECT DESCRIPTION AMISK HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Submitted to: Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) October 2015 Amisk Hydroelectric Project Description of a Designated Project October 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. General Information and Contacts ....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Nature of Project ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Proponent Information ................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Consultation Undertaken .............................................................................................................. 1 1.4 Regulatory Requirements ............................................................................................................. 1 1.5 Environmental Studies .................................................................................................................. 2 2. Project Information ............................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 General Description, Context and Objectives ............................................................................... 3 Project Context and Objectives ............................................................................................. 3 General Description of Project Components ........................................................................ 4 2.2 Project Activities ........................................................................................................................... 6 Construction .......................................................................................................................... 6 Operation .............................................................................................................................. 8 Decommissioning .................................................................................................................. 9 2.3 Emissions, Discharges and Waste ................................................................................................. 9 Atmospheric Emissions ......................................................................................................... 9 Liquid Discharges .................................................................................................................. 9 Waste Disposal .................................................................................................................... 10 3. Project Location .................................................................................................................................. 11 3.1 Description of Project Location and Site Plan ............................................................................. 11 Project Coordinates............................................................................................................. 11 Site Plan ............................................................................................................................... 11 Figure I: Project Overview ................................................................................................................... 12 3.2 Land and Water Use .................................................................................................................... 14 Zoning Designations ............................................................................................................ 14 Legal Land Descriptions....................................................................................................... 15 3.3 Relevant Planning Documents used for Consultation Purposes ................................................. 16 3.4 Use of Traditional Lands for Project Development ..................................................................... 16 4. Federal Involvement ........................................................................................................................... 17 4.1 Federal Financial Support ........................................................................................................... 17 4.2 Use of Federal Lands for Project ................................................................................................. 17 4.3 Federal Regulatory Requirements .............................................................................................. 17 5. Environmental Effects ......................................................................................................................... 18 5.1 Air, Noise and Climate ................................................................................................................. 18 Air Quality ........................................................................................................................... 18 Noise ................................................................................................................................... 18 Climate ................................................................................................................................ 18 Potential Project Effects on Air Quality, Noise and Climate ............................................... 18 5.2 Geology, Terrain and Soils .......................................................................................................... 19 Geology ............................................................................................................................... 19 AHP Development Corporation Page i Amisk Hydroelectric Project Description of a Designated Project October 2015 Terrain ................................................................................................................................. 19 Soils ..................................................................................................................................... 19 Potential Project Effects on Geology, Terrain and Soils ...................................................... 20 5.3 Vegetation ................................................................................................................................... 20 Potential Project Effects on Vegetation and Wetlands ...................................................... 20 5.4 Water .......................................................................................................................................... 21 Ice Processes ....................................................................................................................... 21 Surface Water Flows ........................................................................................................... 22 Sedimentation and Morphology ......................................................................................... 23 Water and Sediment Quality............................................................................................... 26 Wildlife ................................................................................................................................ 27 Aquatic Resources ............................................................................................................... 28 5.5 Changes to Fish, Fish Habitat and Wildlife under Federal Responsibility ................................... 31 Fish and Fish Habitat ........................................................................................................... 32 Migratory Birds ................................................................................................................... 32 Changes to Environment on Federal Lands in another Province ........................................ 32 5.6 Effects on Aboriginal Peoples ..................................................................................................... 32 Effects on Health ................................................................................................................. 32 Effects on Socio-economic Conditions ................................................................................ 32 Effects on Physical and Cultural Heritage Effects ............................................................... 33 Effects on the Current Use of Lands and Resources for Traditional Purposes ................... 33 Historical Resources ............................................................................................................ 33 6. Proponent Engagement and Consultation with Aboriginal Groups ................................................... 35 6.1 Aboriginal groups that may be interested in, or potentially affected by, the Project ................ 35 6.2 Engagement or consultation activities carried out to date with Aboriginal groups. .................. 35 6.3 Consultation Plan ........................................................................................................................ 36 6.4 Treaty Rights ............................................................................................................................... 36 6.5 Overlap of Project Area with Traditional Land Use under Treaty Rights .................................... 36 7. Consultation with The Public and Other Parties (other than Aboriginal consultation included above) 37 7.1 Key Comments and Concerns from Stakeholders......................................................................