Notice of approval – terms of reference

Proponent: The Corporation of the Town of Moosonee
Environmental assessment file number: MU-0115-02

As provided for by section 6(4) of the Environmental Assessment Act, the Terms of Reference, as submitted for approval to the Ministry of the Environment on September 1, 2000, and as amended by the Proponent (March 2001), to govern the preparation of an environmental assessment for the above-noted undertaking, is hereby approved with the following amendments:

  1. Section 4.1, third paragraph, page 7, of the Terms of Reference, dated March 2001, shall be amended to read Section 6(2)(c) of the EAA provides the framework and rationale for identifying the specific components of the environmental assessment undertaking.
  2. A statement shall be added to section 4.1, last paragraph, page 8, of the Terms of Reference, dated March, 2001, that states, If a requirement for monitoring is identified as a result of any studies undertaken as part of the EA, the Town of Moosonee will develop a strategy and schedule for completing this monitoring and include these in its EA.

Pursuant to subsection 6.1(1) of the Environmental Assessment Act, any environmental assessment for the above-noted undertaking, submitted to the Ministry of the Environment pursuant to subsection 6.2(1) of the Environmental Assessment Act, must be prepared in accordance with the Terms of Reference, dated March 2001, as hereby approved.

Reasons

An environmental assessment carried out in accordance with the amended Terms of Reference, dated March 2001, as amended by this approval, will be consistent with the purpose of the Environmental Assessment Act and with the public interest for the following reasons:

  1. The Terms of Reference as amended require that the proponent meet the intent of the Environmental Assessment Act by providing for the identification of issues and concerns, and the preferred means of addressing them with due regard to adoption of environmental management, protection and mitigation measures.
  2. The government review team has indicated that they have no outstanding concerns with the amended Terms of Reference, that cannot be addressed in the environmental assessment.
  3. The amended Terms of Reference require the proponent to implement a comprehensive consultation plan outlining how to involve potential stakeholders and the timing and types of consultation. In addition, the Environmental Assessment Act requires continued consultation and documentation of the consultation during the preparation of the environmental assessment. As well, there will be additional opportunities for public and agency consultation when the environmental assessment is submitted to the ministry.
  4. Amendment 1 will address a typographical error in section 4.1, third paragraph, page 7, of the amended Terms of Reference, dated March, 2001, which currently states that Section 6.2(c) of the EAA provides the framework and rationale for identifying the specific components of the environmental assessment undertaking. There is no section 6.2(c) in the EAA.
  5. Amendment 2 is needed since the Terms of Reference sets out what will be undertaken as part of the environmental assessment. The additional statement should be included in the amended Terms of Reference to ensure that, if necessary, the monitoring strategy and schedule will be included in the development of the environmental assessment.

Dated the 9th day of July 2001 at Toronto.

Original signed by:
Minister of the Environment
135 St. Clair Avenue West, 12th floor
Toronto, Ontario
M4V 1P5