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Environmental LicensingOn January 30, 2009, ESRA filed its application to begin the process for undertaking the environmental licensing process for the construction of the all-season road from PR 304 to Berens River First Nation. This was the first step in proceeding with obtaining necessary environmental approvals. Before construction can begin, federal and provincial approvals are required to obtained through preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and other permits. An EIA is a study that is prepared for large infrastructure project which could cause environmental, social, cultural or economic impacts. An EIA is used to assess the significance of benefits and impacts on the environment and communities and their way of life. If impacts are assessed, the project design will be altered to ensure that these impacts are mitigated, reduced or eliminated. ESRA hired SNC Lavalin, an engineering consultant firm, to undertake the EIA for the all-season road from PR 304 to Berens River first Nation. The EIA included a number of components including public engagement and community meetings, traditional knowledge studies, assessment of environmental, social, cultural impacts, project definition, and the preparation of an EIA. All identified issues were studied in great detail by qualified individuals with the assistance and guidance of community members through community meetings and community traditional knowledge studies. On November 5, 2009, ESRA announced that it had filed an EIA with Manitoba Conservation on the all-season road from PR304 to Berens River. The EIA outlined the construction of a gravel all-season road from PR 304 east of Manigotagan north approximately 156 km to Berens River First Nation and included the upgrade and extension of the Rice River Road to Bloodvein First Nation. Subsequent to final design, approximately 86 per cent of the preferred all-season road alignment follows the existing Rice River Road and winter road alignment, eliminating the need to establish new rights-of-way and fragmenting undisturbed habitat. On August 16, 2010, ESRA received Environment Act Licence No. 2929 which identified the project as a Class 2 Development under Manitoba Environment Act. The project was also reviewed under the federal Environmental Impact Assessment process, under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA). As part of this process, the Government of Canada issued Comprehensive Study Report on the project in May for public review. Based on the Comprehensive Study and public comments filed, the federal Minister of Environment, Honourable Peter Kent, has concluded,
ESRA is committed to taking all federal and provincial conditions for environmental approval fully into account and will continue to obtain all necessary approvals and authorizations under the Fisheries Act and Navigable Waters Protection Act as the project proceeds. December 28, 2011 – Navigable Waters Protection Act Advertisement Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency Canadian Environmental Assessment Act – Comprehensive Study Background Documents Press Release, November 5, 2009 Executive Summary PR 304 to Berens River All Season Road Environmental Impact Assessment SNC Lavalin Presentation to the Communities – East Side Transportation Initiative (61 MB) East Side Transportation Initiative Public Open House – Comment Sheet (25kb) SNC Lavalin NewslettersSummer 2011: SNC Lavalin Newsletter – Volume 3, Issue 1 (Summer 2011) (525kb) December 2009: SNC Lavalin Newsletter – Volume 2, Issue 2 (December 2009) (608kb) June 2009: SNC Lavalin Newsletter – Volume 1, Issue 1 (June, 2009) (615kb) |
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