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Meaford council lists issues it wants addressed if TC Energy project goes forward

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In Energy
Jun 23rd, 2020
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TC Energy recently announced design changes

By Greg Cowan Owen Sound Sun Times

TC Energy’s proposed hydroelectric pumped storage project to be built on federal lands at the Armed Forces’ 4th Canadian Division Training Centre will have Meaford council’s support in proceeding to an impact assessment, provided a number of local issues are addressed.

On Monday, during a special council meeting to discuss a staff report on the project, councillors voted to submit a letter to both the Department of National Defence and TC Energy highlighting a number of issues that could impact the interests of the municipality and residents. The letter will request that the DND – or applicable regulatory body – confirms those issues will be addressed before the project is granted final approval by the federal government.

Council also voted to declare their support for the TC Energy project in moving forward with a federal impact assessment provided the energy company is granted approval by the DND and upon confirmation that the municipality’s highlighted concerns will be addressed.

Finally, council voted to retain a project manager to coordinate peer reviews of the studies conducted by TC Energy and negotiate an agreement with TC Energy with regard to the compensation of municipal costs.

Final approval for the proposed crown-land energy project lands at the feet of the federal government, and can only be granted after a lengthy and federally-regulated impact assessment is undertaken, and after approval is granted by the DND.

TC Energy approached the DND in 2017 asking to conduct feasibility studies at the military training base west of Meaford’s urban centre because the area’s specific geographic attributes benefitted a pumped storage facility, according to a deputation made by Peter Crain, director-general of portfolio requirements for the DND, during the meeting.

Crain said the DND has been conducting concurrent operational impact assessments. Both TC Energy and the DND now need to decide if the energy project is feasible while Canadian military members continue to train at the base. If it’s decided that’s indeed possible, the project will move to an official impact assessment under the federal Impact Assessment Act. That five-phase process could take up to three years or longer, Crain said, and public consultation and engagement will again play a key role.

Crain explained that all water power generation on crown land is covered by the Dominion Water Power Act that’s administered by the Ministries of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. The federal ministries are responsible for granting permits and final licences.

Monday’s special meeting of council was held virtually through Zoom and broadcast on Meaford’s YouTube page. There was only one item on the agenda. The meeting lasted over three hours. Councillors ultimately voted unanimously in favour of the three recommendations.

Nine public deputations were heard before council officially discussed the matter. Representatives from the DND, TC Energy, Save Georgian Bay, and the Georgian Bay Association were among them.

Several of the issues brought up by those in opposition of the project highlight potential negative effects on the local environment, fish, wildlife and Georgian Bay shoreline.

Light and noise concerns, as well as impacts on air quality during the project’s construction, were all raised.

A Meaford staff report mentioned residents were concerned that a potential breach of the proposed reservoir to be built on the military base between 9th Line and 7th Line, which would have a surface area of 375 acres and depth of 20 metres, would have obvious “catastrophic impacts” on private property and residences situated below.

TC Energy recently announced some design changes in the original plan made to address community concerns with the project.

In the updated design, the powerhouse has been moved away from the shoreline and buried in a cavern with the major components buried underground to reduce the visibility of project facilities from “off-base” and from the water. TC Energy says noise output from the pumping and generating equipment during operations are expected to be imperceptible.

The updated design also moves the water intake and outlet components away from the shoreline and instead proposes tunnels to be installed beneath the lakebed to access deep water and avoid the sensitive near-shore fish habitat. The change will reduce the visibility of project components from the water. In addition, the updated design has the intake and outlet structures raised off the lakebed to avoid bottom-dwelling organisms and reduce turbidity, it also proposes screens be used to protect fish that may be present in deeper waters.

The proposed TC Energy project aims to pump water from Georgian Bay 150 metres up the Niagara Escarpment to a reservoir during off-peak electricity demand hours.

The water would then be allowed to flow back down through turbines to produce 1,000 megawatts of electricity during high demand periods when electricity is more expensive.

Meaford council received a letter from the DND in June of last year informing them that proposal was being considered.

The company has estimated the project cost at $3.3 billion with a targeted open date of 2027.

Should the project be approved, the land would remain under federal custody and the DND would continue to train military personnel at the base, Crain said.

The DND has extended its deadline for public comment on the project until July 31.

Comments in the DND consultation process may be sent to Holly King at ThirdPartyAccess@forces.gc.ca.

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