Panel established to review proposed Lower Churchill Hydroelectric Generation Project

Canada’s Environment Minister Jim Prentice and Newfoundland and Labrador’s Minister of Environment and Conservation Charlene Johnson, along with Dave Denine, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, announced today the establishment of a five-member Joint Review Panel for the proposed Lower Churchill Hydroelectric Generation Project, located near Happy Valley-Goose Bay in Labrador.

Minister Prentice, Minister Johnson and Minister Denine appointed Lesley Griffiths and Herbert Clarke as panel co-chairs, as well as Meinhard Doelle, Keith Chaulk and James Igloliorte as panel members. Biographical information on the panel co-chairs and members is available in the accompanying backgrounder.

A Joint Panel Agreement for the environmental review was signed by all three ministers. The agreement which is being released today was issued for public comment before being finalized. The agreement describes the panel’s terms of reference as well as the process to be followed for conducting the joint panel review.

Under the agreement, the Joint Review Panel will:

• Conduct an examination of the environmental effects of the proposed project and the significance of those effects;
• Consider measures that are technically and economically feasible to mitigate any adverse environmental effects, the need for and the requirements of any follow-up programs with respect to the project; and
• Consider comments from the public that are received during the review.

Further details on the scope of the environmental assessment can be found in the terms of reference contained in the agreement. Additional information on this project, along with the agreement, is available on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency Registry at www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca under registry number 07-05-26178, and on the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation website at www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro proposes the development of two hydroelectric generating stations on the Lower Churchill River. One is a 2,000 megawatt project located at Gull Island, which is 225 km downstream from the existing 5,428 megawatt facility at Churchill Falls, and the other is an 800 megawatt project located at Muskrat Falls, which is 60 km downstream of Gull Island.

Related articles

• Lower Churchill project gets go-ahead in $6.2B deal (ctv.ca)
• $6.2B deal reached for Lower Churchill power project (thestar.com)
• N.L., Emera reach Lower Churchill hydro deal (cbc.ca)
• Lower Churchill plan pricier: economist (cbc.ca)
• Lower Churchill deal draws praise, criticism (cbc.ca)
• Newfoundland, Nova Scotia unveil $6.2-B energy plan (canada.com)