: Abbo~sf?rd rr ">; /NIlSSlOD Water & Sewer Services REPORT To: Abbotsford/Mission Water & Sewer Commission (WSC) From: Lisa Mirfatahi, Water Planning Engineer Date: March 26, 2010 Subject: Stave Lake Environmental Assessment File: 5710-50/Stave Lake Report No.: WSC 25-2010 UTILITY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (UMC) RECOMMENDATION THAT Report No. WSC 25-2010, dated March 26, 2010, from Lisa Mirfatahi, Water Planning Engineer, regarding the Stave Lake Environmental Assessment, be received. BACKGROUND The Abbotsford/Mission Water & Sewer Commission (AMWSC) are working to develop a new source of water from Stave Lake. The Project triggers an Environmental Assessment (EA). Staff plan to request a waive out or an exemption from the EA process. A written request for an exemption must be attached to the Project Description upon submission to the Environmental Assessment Office. DISCUSSION The Stave Lake Water Supply project triggers a review under the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act (BCEM) based on the proposed water diversion rate. Based on the Stave Lake Water Supply Conceptual Design Report, March 2010, AECOM, the raw water intake and pumping facilities are being designed to ultimately supply a maximum of 424 MLD of raw water demand. This would exceed the threshold of 10 million m3/year (27.3 MLD) specified in the Reviewable Projects Regulation. Consequently an application would be required for the proposed Stave Lake Water Supply Project, unless the Environmental Assessment office determines that the Project will not have significant adverse effects based on the Project Description, and issues an exemption under Section 10(1)(b) of the BCEM. A copy of the letter requesting the exemption to the BCEM is attached in Appendix A and a copy of the Project Description is attached in Appendix B. WSC Report No. 25-2010 Page 2 of 3 ANALYSIS The AMWSC are requesting the exemption from Provincial Environmental Assessment review under Section 10(1)(b) of the BCEM for the proposed Stave Lake Water Supply Project. The exemption is based on certain considerations which are detailed in full in the letter (Appendix A) and briefly detailed here: • The Project construction and operations will be subject to oversight by other permitting processes, including: o An authorization under the Water Act which would scrutinize the conditions for extraction of water from the Stave Lake reservoir to ensure that operating parameters for enhanced habitat for fish in the Stave River watershed, improved water levels in Stave Lake reservoir for industry and recreation, and enhanced archaeological site protection and investigation opportunities are not adversely affected; o The authorization under the Water Act may require the submission of plans for the works for scrutiny by an engineer under the Water Act before leave to begin construction is granted; o The construction and operation of works may be regulated by an engineer under the Water Act as a condition of the authorization to use water from Stave Lake reservoir. The scope of the regulated works would include the intake structure, pump station and pipeline; o Construction Permit for the new water system from the Fraser Health Authority as well as an Operating Permit before the system becomes operational; and, o Crown land tenure (Licence of Occupation) from the BC Integrated Land Management Bureau for Project facilities located on Crown land. • Alignment of the proposed raw water pipeline along Dewdney Trunk Road, thereby minimizing potential for adverse environmental effects; • The relatively small scale of the proposed footprint for the proposed Project components. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS If the AMWSC are not granted an exemption and are required to go through the Environmental Assessment process, it is expected to cost several hundred thousand dollars. COMMUNICATIONS PLAN No communications plan is required. WSC Report No. 25-2010 Page 3 of 3 SUMMARY The Stave Lake Water Supply Project triggers an Environmental Assessment. A written request for an exemption will be attached to the Project Description upon submission to the Environmental Assessment Office. Jim Gordo General anager. Engineering and Water Planning Engineer Regional Utilities Solid Waste Appendix A April 9, 2010 File No. 5710-50/Stave Lake John Mazure Executive Director BC Environmental Assessment Office 2nd Floor - 836 Yates Street Victoria, BC V8W 1L8 Dear Mr. Mazure: Re: Stave Lake Water Supply Project Please accept this letter as the Abbotsford Mission Water & Sewer Commission's (AMWSC's) request for an exemption from provincial environmental assessment review under Section 10(1 )(b) of the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act (BCEM) for the proposed Stave Lake Water Supply Project. The City of Abbotsford administers the AMWSC, which provides bulk potable water to the City of Abbotsford and the District of Mission. The proposed Project is located in the District of Mission approximately 55 km east of Vancouver and 5 km north of the Mission urban area along the Fraser River. Proposed Project components include a water intake structure in Stave Lake, a pump station on the east shore of Stave Lake, a water treatment plant, and a raw water supply pipeline along Dewdney Trunk Road from the pump station to the water treatment plant. Access to the majority of the Project Area would be from Dewdney Trunk Road. The proposed Project would be constructed from 2012 and be operational from 2015. It will be constructed in three stages up to 2031, but is being designed to provide an ultimate capacity of 400 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of potable water to supplement existing water sources and meet growing demand within the City of Abbotsford and the District of Mission. The enclosed Project Description and Conceptual Design Report provide additional details regarding the proposed Stave Lake Water Supply Project, and surrounding environmental resources and land uses. Based on the conceptual design for the proposed Project, each of the water diversion rate scenarios for withdrawal of water from an intake structure within Stave Lake would exceed the threshold of 10 million m3/year (equivalent to 27.3 MLD) specified in Part 5 of the Reviewable Projects Regulation. At this time, it is not known if the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEM) will apply to the development and operation of the proposed Stave Lake Water Supply Project. If the proposed Project were to be deemed reviewable under CEM, it would likely be as a result of requirements for authorizations from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) under Section 35(2) of the Fisheries Act and/or from Transport Canada under Section 5(2) or Section 5(3) of the Navigable Waters Protection Act for the proposed intake structure in Stave Lake. The AMWSC is requesting an exemption from a provincial environmental review under Section 10(1 )(b) of BCEM based on the following considerations: • The source of water for the Project would be the Stave Lake Reservoir, subject to an authorization under the Water Act of an agreement between AMWSC and BC Hydro for use of some of the water stored by BC Hydro in the reservoir; • The diversion, storage and use of Stave River under the licences held by BC Hydro is regulated by the Comptroller of Water Rights (the "CWR") to a set of operating parameters developed by BC Hydro in consultation with the public, First Nations and government agencies. The parameters are in the Stave River Water Use Plan (SRWUP). The CWR has accepted the SRWP, and issued an order on May 6, 2004 that set the parameters for the operation of the Stave Falls and Ruskin Projects, which include the Stave Lake Reservoir. Provided that the Project is approved, the AMWSC would participate in the review of the SRWUP in 2013 as a holder of the necessary certificates, licences and permits for the Project; • The proposed agreement between AMWSC and BC Hydro would stipulate that the diversion of water from the Stave Lake Reservoir to supply Abbotsford and Mission with water cannot affect the parameters set by the CWR for the operation of Stave Lake Reservoir or any changes to these parameters; • The Project construction and operations will be subject to oversight by other permitting processes, including: o An authorization under the Water Act which would scrutinize the conditions for extraction of water from the Stave Lake reservoir to ensure that operating parameters for enhanced habitat for fish in the Stave River watershed, improved water levels in Stave Lake reservoir for industry and recreation, and enhanced archaeological site protection and investigation opportunities are not adversely affected; o The authorization under the Water Act may require the submission of plans for the works for scrutiny by an engineer under the Water Act before leave to begin construction is granted; o The construction and operation of works may be regulated by an engineer under the Water Act as a condition of the authorization to use water from Stave Lake reservoir. The scope of the regulated works would include the intake structure, pump station and pipeline; o Construction Permit for the new water system from the Fraser Health Authority as well as an Operating Permit before the system becomes operational; and , o Crown land tenure (Licence of Occupation) from the BC Integrated Land Management Bureau for Project facilities located on Crown land. • Potential for the proposed Project to require a federal screening review under CEM; • Alignment of the proposed raw water pipeline along Dewdney Trunk Road, thereby minimizing potential for adverse environmental effects; • The relatively small scale of the proposed footprint for the proposed Project components; and , • Proposed measures to avoid, manage or compensate for potential adverse environmental, social, health, heritage and economic effects of the proposed Project such as those outlined in Table 13 of the enclosed Project Description. We appreciate your consideration of this request. Please feel free to contact Lisa Mirfatahi at 604-864-5519 or [email protected] should you require additional information or have any questions or comments regarding this request.