Minister's Response

Physical Activities

Énergie éolienne PPAW s.e.c. is proposing to construct and operate a wind farm located in the regional county municipalities (RCMs) of Kamouraska, Témiscouata, and Rivière-du-Loup in Bas-Saint-Laurent, Quebec. As proposed, the Pohénégamook–Picard–Saint-Antonin–Wolastokuk Wind Farm Project (the project) would involve the construction of 56 windmills with a total capacity of 349.8 MW and would include a road network, a substation to the Hydro-Québec grid, and an electrical collector system that would be mostly underground.

Decision

The project does not warrant designation.

Information Considered

In forming my response, I considered the analysis prepared by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada in its analysis report.

Reasons

Pursuant to section 9 of the Amended Impact Assessment Act I, Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, considered the potential for the project to cause adverse effects within federal jurisdiction, direct or incidental adverse effects and public concerns related to these effects, as well as adverse impacts on the Aboriginal and Treaty rights of Indigenous Peoples; and whether a means other than an impact assessment exists that would permit a jurisdiction to address these effects.

I am of the opinion that the designation of the project is not warranted for the following reasons:

• The project must be carried out in compliance with applicable federal and provincial legislative and regulatory mechanisms.
  • The requirements under the following legislative and regulatory mechanisms, most of which involve public engagement and/or consultation with Indigenous communities, provide a framework to address the aforementioned potential adverse effects and impacts, and concerns raised by Indigenous communities and members of the public on these effects.
    These mechanisms include:
    • federal legislation, including Fisheries Act, and Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994; and
    • provincial legislation, including Environment Quality Act, Regulation respecting the environmental impact assessment and review of certain projects, Regulation respecting the sustainable development of forests in the domain of the State, Act respecting threatened or vulnerable species, Act respecting the conservation and development of wildlife and Cultural Heritage Act.