HALIFAXHARBOURSOLUTIONSPROJECT ENVIRONMENTALSCREENING October 2001 PROJECT NO. 13960-6027 REPORT TO HALIFAX REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY ON HALIFAX HARBOUR SOLUTIONS PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL SCREENING Jacques Whitford Environment Limited 3 Spectacle Lake Drive Dartmouth, NS B3B 1W8 Tel:(902)468-7777 Fax:(902)468-9009 in association with Coastal Oceans Associates Inc. and Atlantic Road and Traffic Management October 2001 Concordance Table - Scope of the Environmental Assessment HHSP Scope of the Environmental Assessment (July 2000) HHSP Environmental Screening A. Scope of the Project Physical Works or Physical Activities C collection system Section 2.7.1 C combined sewer overflows Section 2.7.1 C sewage treatment plants Section 2.7.2, Section 2.8.2 C outfalls and diffusers Section 2.7.3 C onsite sludge management Section 2.7.2, Section 2.8.2, Section 2.8.3, Section 2.9.3, Section 5.5.5.2 Other Associated Physical Works or Physical Activities C offsite sludge management Section 2.7.4, Section 2.8.3, Section 2.9.3, Section 5.5.5.2 C permanent access roads, power, municipal services Section 2.8.5, Section 5.4.5.1 C temporary construction work spaces Section 5.4.5.1 Other Undertakings in Relation to Physical Works There are no other undertaking in relation to physical works N/A B. Factors to be Considered C The environmental effects of the project, including the environmental Section 4.0, Section 5.0, Section effects of malfunctions or accidents that may occur in connection with the 8.0 project and any cumulative environmental effects that are likely to result from the project in combination with other projects or activities that have been or will be carried out; C the significance of the above environmental effects Section 4.0, Section 5.0 C comments from the public that are received in accordance with CEAA and Section 5.5, Section 9.0 its regulations C measures that are technically and economically feasible and that would Section 4.0, Section 5.0 mitigate any significant adverse environmental effects of the project C effects of the environment on the project Section 7.0 HHSP C Environmental Screening C October, 2001 Page i Concordance Table - Scope of the Environmental Assessment HHSP Scope of the Environmental Assessment (July 2000) HHSP Environmental Screening C. Scope of the Factors to be Considered The environmental assessment screening will: C include an evaluation of potential effects, including cumulative effects, for Section 2.10, Section 4.0, each project phase - construction, operation and decommissioning - as Section 5.0, Section 6.0 Section well as malfunctions and accidents with regard to VECs and VSCs 7.0 C project related effects assessed within temporal and spatial boundaries Section 4.0, Section 5.0 established for the assessment C focus on environmental interactions not previously addressed by the Section 3.2.1, Section 4.0, related assessment work conducted for the HHCI project and subsequent Section 5.0, Appendix B approvals C discuss beneficial effects of the project Section 2.11, Section 4.0, Section 5.0, Section 11.0 C address cumulative impacts by identifying past, present and reasonable Section 3.2.4, Section 8.0 foreseeable projects which might interact with the proposed project C discuss present and future state of each VEC under scenarios with and Section 4.0, Section 5.0 without the proposed project C describe associated initiatives such as the HRM Source Control Program Section 2.6.1, Section 8.0 which are proceeding independently of the proposed project D. Potential Issues The summary of potential issues, from which the VECs and VSCs for the HHSP EA includes: Marine Environment C fish Section 5.1 C benthic habitat Section 4.4 C sediment quality Section 4.3 C marine water quality Section 4.2 Terrestrial Environment (Mainland South) C terrestrial habitat Section 4.5 C species at risk Section 4.5 C groundwater Section 4.5 C avifauna Section 4.5 C freshwater habitat Section 4.5 HHSP C Environmental Screening C October, 2001 Page ii Concordance Table - Scope of the Environmental Assessment HHSP Scope of the Environmental Assessment (July 2000) HHSP Environmental Screening Socioeconomic Environment C commercial fishery Section 5.1 C archaeological and heritage resources Section 5.2 C land use Section 5.3 C odour Section 4.1 C noise Section 4.1 C transportation (land and marine) Section 5.4 HHSP C Environmental Screening C October, 2001 Page iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Positive effects are predicted for several valued environmental and socioeconomic components as a result of the operation of the Halifax Harbour Solutions Project (HHSP). The primary objective of the HHSP is improvement of harbour water quality; this will be achieved along with associated long-term positive effects on marine sediment quality, benthic habitat and commercial fisheries. Aesthetic improvements from reduction in odour and visible sewage components will benefit shoreline and harbour uses (e.g., land use, recreation). In addition to aesthetic improvements, sewage treatment and associated UV disinfection will greatly reduce the introduction of sewage-related human pathogens currently entering the harbour, positively affecting public health and harbour-related uses. A positive effect has also been identified for archaeological and heritage resources due to the potential for increased knowledge gained during HHSP investigations and monitoring. With respect to terrestrial resources, there will be a positive effect on groundwater resources due to the potential provision of municipal water supply in Herring Cove as an HHSP related Community Integration Fund project. Freshwater resources in Herring Cove (i.e., MacIntosh Run) will also realize a positive effect from Project operation as sewage overflow events from Roach’s Pond pumping station will be reduced. It is estimated that many of these positive effects will also result economic benefits related to improved opportunities for harbour related businesses and activities. Current Conditions Halifax Harbour exhibits significant effects of wastewater related pollutants entering the harbour for more than 200 years. Water quality is poor along the shorelines, sediments are contaminated, bacterial contamination is widespread, and aesthetics are poor along the Halifax and Dartmouth waterfronts due to particulates, floatables, and odour. Approximately 40 municipal outfalls serving a developed area of about 7,000 hectares and approximately 225,000 people discharge more than 150 million litres of raw sewage per day into Halifax Harbour. There are also a number of commercial, institutional, and industrial outfalls discharging directly into the harbour. As the population within this sewershed grows, the wastewater input to the harbour will continue to increase in volume. It is predicted that deleterious effects on the harbour, its ecosystem, and users, will also increase in the absence of regional sewage treatment. Previous Efforts Scientific studies identifying pollution discharges to Halifax Harbour have been conducted since the early 1900s, resulting in various proposed plans to provide sewage treatment. Although two sewage treatment plants have been built on the harbour, at Mill Cove in Bedford Basin and at Eastern Passage, approximately 80 percent of all sewage generated within the Halifax Harbour sewershed continues to enter the harbour untreated. HHSP C Environmental Screening C October, 2001 Page iv In 1989, the Halifax Harbour Task Force was commissioned to develop environmental quality guidelines and objectives for uses of Halifax Harbour. Halifax Harbour Cleanup Inc. (HHCI), a Crown Corporation created under a federal-provincial cooperation agreement, developed a plan to meet these water quality objectives. The HHCI plan called for a single primary treatment plant to be constructed on an artificial island in the harbour immediately north of McNabs Island. The plan was granted conditional approval by the Province of Nova Scotia in 1993 after a joint federal-provincial environmental assessment panel review. However, due to insufficient funding, the project was never implemented. The Halifax Harbour Solutions Project Despite failure to implement the HHCI project, stakeholder and public support for harbour water quality improvements remains strong. Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) therefore currently proposes to develop a regional sewage treatment system to treat raw sewage currently entering Halifax Harbour. This system, referred to as the Halifax Harbour Solutions Project, is proposed to involve construction and operation of: C three sewage treatment plants (STPs) (Halifax, Dartmouth, and Herring Cove); C a sewage collection system (i.e., sewers); C combined sewer overflows (CSOs); C outfalls and diffusers; and C a sewage sludge management facility. It is anticipated that this system will meet the desired water quality objectives and thus greatly reduce sewage- related pollution in the harbour. A public-private partnership approach to Project development has been adopted by HRM, involving a combination of public and possible private financing, operation, and ownership of system elements. The primary source of funding (approximately two-thirds) for the HHSP will be derived from a pollution control surcharge applied to HRM municipal water use charges. HRM expects that the remaining one-third of funds needed to complete the full system will be required from other levels of government. The HHSP is considered to have several improvements over the previous HHCI project. The smaller, compact STPs can