Notice of approval – terms of reference

Proponent: Ontario Waterpower Association
Environmental assessment (EA) file number: PR-WP-02T

As provided for by subsection 6(4) and 13.2 of the Environmental Assessment Act, Terms of Reference submitted July 5, 2005 and revised on September 29, 2005, to govern the above-noted undertaking, are hereby approved.

Pursuant to section 14 of the Environmental Assessment Act, the Class Environmental Assessment, submitted to the Ministry of the Environment pursuant to subsection 13.2 of the Environmental Assessment Act, must be prepared in accordance with the Terms of Reference as hereby approved.

Reasons

I am satisfied that a Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) carried out in accordance with the Terms of Reference (ToR) dated September 29, 2005 will be consistent with the purpose of the Environmental Assessment Act (EAA) and the public interest for the following reasons:

  1. As the ToR has been prepared pursuant to clause 13.2 (2) (c) of the EAA, the resulting Class EA will consist of the information outlined in the ToR;
  2. The ToR requires the preparation of a Class EA that will set out a process to adequately address the potential environmental effects of the class of undertakings;
  3. The Ontario Waterpower Association met the requirements of the EAA for consulting on the ToR. The ToR also ensures that the Class EA will be prepared using an appropriate level of consultation with affected stakeholders and government agencies, and the Class EA will set out consultation requirements that are specific to Aboriginal Peoples; and
  4. There are no outstanding issues that have not been incorporated into the proposed ToR or that cannot be addressed during the preparation of the Class EA.

Dated the 4th day of November 2005 at Toronto.

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