REPORT SOCIÉTÉ DE DÉVELOPPEMENT DE LA BAIE-JAMES. Ref. no.:

Transcription

1 Ref. no.: , 3rd Ave., Val d Or, QC, J9P 1T6 REPORT SOCIÉTÉ DE DÉVELOPPEMENT DE LA BAIE-JAMES Operation of a quarry and a mobile asphalt concrete plant at km of the James Bay Road Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act AUGUST 2018

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3 Ref. no.: , 3rd Ave., Val d Or, QC, J9P 1T6 REPORT SOCIÉTÉ DE DÉVELOPPEMENT DE LA BAIE-JAMES Operation of a quarry and a mobile asphalt concrete plant at km of the James Bay Road Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act Norda Stelo / Stantec rd Avenue West Val-d Or, Quebec J9P 1T6 Phone: Fax:

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5 James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Operation of a quarry and a mobile asphalt concrete plant at km of the James Bay Road N/Réf. : Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act Prepared by: Anne-Marie Leclerc, M.Sc., geomorphologist Execution Manager, Environment Approved by: Vital Boulé, M.Sc., biologist Project Manager, Environment August 30, 2018

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7 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Project proponent Consultant commissioned by the project proponent Title of the Project Project Objective and Justification Objective Applicable regulatory framework Project Justification Location of the project Description of the project and its variants Quarry at km Mobile asphalt concrete plant Environmental components and main project constraints Biophysical Environment Human Environment Main impacts anticipated Public information and consultation Project schedule Subsequent phases and related projects Signature of Applicant N/Réf. : i - James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act - August 30, 2018

8 LIST OF TABLES Table 6.1 Operating areas to be stripped and cleared for the quarry at km of the James Bay Road LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS Photo 6.1 Current state of the site... 7 Photo 6.2 Site of projected expansion... 7 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1 Map 5.1. General location of quarry and asphalt concrete plant Appendix 2 Unnumbered map. Location of quarry and mobile asphalt concrete plant at km 254 (source: WSP, 2017, modified by Consortium Norda Stelo/Stantec) James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act- August 30, ii - N/Réf. :

9 1 PROJECT PROPONENT Name: (SDBJ) Civic address: 110 Matagami Boulevard, P.O. Box 970 Matagami, Quebec J0Y 2A0 Postal address (if different): Telephone: Fax: Project Manager: Raymond Thibault Mandatory: Quebec Enterprise Number (NEQ) from the Registraire des entreprises du Québec Not applicable N/Réf. : James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act - August 30, 2018

10 2 CONSULTANT COMMISSIONED BY THE PROJECT PROPONENT Name: Civic address: Consortium Norda Stelo/Stantec 1032, 3 e Avenue Val-d Or, Val-d Or, QC, Canada J9P 1T6 Postal address (if different): Telephone: , ext Fax: anne-marie.leclerc@norda.com Project Manager: Anne-Marie Leclerc, M.Sc., geomorphologist Mandatory: Quebec Enterprise Number (NEQ) from the Registraire des entreprises du Québec James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act- August 30, N/Réf. :

11 3 TITLE OF THE PROJECT Operation of a quarry and a mobile asphalt concrete plant at km of the James Bay Road 4 PROJECT OBJECTIVE AND JUSTIFICATION 4.1 Objective The objective of this application is to obtain an attestation of exemption under section 154 of the Environment Quality Act (EQA) for the following activities: Operation of a quarry located at km of the James Bay Road (hereinafter Quarry at km ) with an area to be stripped of less than 3 ha; Operation of a mobile asphalt concrete plant on the site of the quarry at km The following sections provide information on an exemption application for the development and operation of the above quarry and plant. All the information required in the Preliminary information on a project in a northern region form (September 2016 version) is included in this report. 4.2 Applicable regulatory framework In accordance with Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act (EQA), any project proponent wishing to carry out a project in a northern area 1 who is neither automatically subject (Schedule A of the EQA) nor automatically exempt from the environmental impact assessment procedure (Schedule B of the EQA) is considered to be in a grey area and must first submit an application to obtain an attestation of exemption from the ministère du Développement durable, de l Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MDDELCC). The development of a mobile asphalt concrete plant and the operation of a quarry of less than 3 ha are both activities in the grey area. It should be mentioned from the outset that the quarry at km has already received an attestation of exemption in 2017 in anticipation of road work of which the deadline was originally set for fall The attestation of exemption from the MDDELCC was obtained on June 14, 2017 (Y/Ref ). However, it is no longer valid since it was only applicable for Lastly, no work was carried out in this quarry in Territory subject to the James Bay Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA); south of the 55th parallel. N/Réf. : James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act - August 30, 2018

12 A new application must now be filed for the quarry to be operated in order to meet the need for aggregate required for road work planned by the SDBJ between spring 2019 and December The SDBJ holds a valid government certificate of authorization issued under Section 22 of the EQA for the operation of the above quarry. An operating area of 110,500 m² (11.05 ha) and an area to be stripped and excavated of 22,700 m² (2.27 ha) have been authorized through a revised certificate of authorization issued on June 21, 2017 (Ref. No.: / ). In addition, an exclusive lease to mine surface mineral substances (BEX No. 1556) for an area of about 7.24 ha was obtained from the ministère de l Énergie et des Ressources naturelles (MERN) under the Mining Act. This BEX expires November 2, Project Justification The James Bay Road was built in the early 1970s as part of the development of major hydroelectric projects in the area at the time. More than 45 years later, the road connecting Matagami to Radisson requires major repairs. Since 2015, the SDBJ has launched various projects aimed at improving the safety and comfort of road users. These projects will continue until 2021 and will thus benefit several Cree communities for whom the James Bay Road remains the only road link connecting villages to each other and to southern Quebec. The work generally involve the rehabilitation of roadways, reshaping of shoulders, installation of guardrails at required locations, maintenance of bridges and complete replacement of hundreds of culverts. The work is scheduled in two phases: 2014 to 2017 and 2018 to In September 2017, the Consortium Norda Stelo/Stantec received a mandate from the SDBJ to prepare the plans and specifications for the 2018 to 2021 programming and to carry out other related mandates. Related mandates mainly include the preparation and submission of authorization, lease and permit applications to various regulatory authorities (MDDELCC, MFFP, DFO, MERN). In 2019, more specifically, the SDBJ plans to carry out the following maintenance work: Complete replacement of 73 deficient culverts (59 sites in all, since some culverts are double culverts), including several drainage culverts and others crossing watercourses that are considered fish habitats; James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act- August 30, N/Réf. :

13 Corrective measures for deficient work at the extremities of culverts installed in 2018 (environmental protection measures); Completion of road work in the sections between km 68 and 74 and km 88 and 144; Road work in the section between km 200 and 271; Upgrading, supply and installation of guardrails from km 200 to km 271, and from km 392 to km 442; Clearing and deforestation of roadsides between km 300 and 400; Clearing and deforestation (small areas mainly for culvert extremities and quarries, where applicable). The work for 2020 and 2021 is still not clearly defined, but road maintenance work will be of the same type and scope as in 2019 or in previous years. As for rehabilitation work in previous years, aggregate and clean stone will be taken from local quarries located near the James Bay Road and the planned work sites. The quarries located at km 168 and km 85.5, for which an MDDELCC exemption notice 2 was issued to the SDBJ in June 2018, will be operated in The quarry at km will supplement needs for 2019, 2020 and Paving will be produced by operating a mobile asphalt concrete plant on the quarry site. The extracted materials will be used for the production of crushed stone used in the manufacture of asphalt concrete. 5 LOCATION OF THE PROJECT The quarry is entirely located in the vast territory of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay municipality (administrative region No. 10), which is subject to the James Bay Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA). The quarry at km is approximately located at kilometre marker on the east side of the James Bay Road, at the following approximate central coordinates: LAT/LONG (degrees, min, sec., NAD83) UTM zone 18 (NAD83) N; W m E; m N 2 The notice of exemption (Ref. No.: ) is currently valid and will be until 2021, while the asphalt concrete plant for the quarry at km 168 is covered by a second exemption notice, which was issued to Les Excavations Marchand et fils. N/Réf. : James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act - August 30, 2018

14 Map 5.1 in Appendix 1 shows the location of the quarry, and the unnumbered map in Appendix 2 shows the boundaries of the quarry, as authorized by the MDDELCC (Section 22 of the EQA). The quarry is connected to the James Bay Road by an existing access road approximately 1,500 m long. Without being able to provide the exact location of the mobile asphalt concrete plant, since the latter will depend on the contractor that is selected following an upcoming call for tenders, a likely and realistic location is still provided on the map in Appendix 2. The mobile asphalt concrete plant will be located in an already levelled and deforested area. 6 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT AND ITS VARIANTS The following criteria were selected for the choice of the quarry at km 254.4: Rock availability and existing structures (e.g. presence of access road); Proximity to proposed road works; No environmental constraints; Prior valid environmental authorizations. 6.1 Quarry at km According to a recent potential borrow pit characterization report 3, the former working face is open over about 180 and over an average length and height visually estimated at 200 m and 10 m, respectively (Photo 6.1). Based on a visual inspection, the above working face is characterized by a significant alternation of intrusions of quartz and gneiss with a major dip. The application for a certificate of authorization under Section 22 of the EQA describes the deposit as hornblende-biotite paragneiss injected with granite. The quarry can be operated toward the south over about 75 m and possibly more (Photo 6.2). No wetlands or groundwater visible on the surface were identified nearby (WSP, 2017). The access road to the quarry is well maintained, it can be used by vehicles, and does not require any special work. 3 WSP, Characterization of the quality of the materials from borrow pits and quarries along the James Bay Road. Final report presented to:. March pages and appendices. James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act- August 30, N/Réf. :

15 Photo 6.1 Current state of the site Photo 6.2 Site of projected expansion There are no other realistic variants for the project, since the operation of the quarry appears more profitable compared to other quarries that are further away in terms of the projected road works. Table 6.1 shows the areas already stripped and mined as well as the operating areas and the area to be stripped (excavated). In the end, a total of 202,000 m³ of rock is expected to be mined. The quarry at km will provide the materials needed for the following: Adjustment of shoulders; Widening of the pavement at some locations; Crushed stone and stabilization stone for the replacement of culverts and corrective work on some existing structures; Production of aggregates for the on-site manufacture of asphalt concrete for paving. According to current estimates, the crushed rock of this quarry should provide enough material for the rehabilitation works (culverts, road, guardrails) located between km 200 and km 271 of the James Bay Road. N/Réf. : James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act - August 30, 2018

16 Table 6.1 Operating areas to be stripped and cleared for the quarry at km of the James Bay Road. Current state Previously quarried area About 22,800 m² Bare land area About 18,300 m² Present exemption application Authorized area to be stripped 1 20,200 m 2 Operating area 1 110,500 m² Approximate area to be cleared² Average thickness 1 Maximum thickness 1 Estimated needs for Operating areas and required volumes Approximate area to be cleared² 10,000 m² (basically in the southern part of the operating area) 10 m 18 m 2019: 8,080 m² (equivalent to 40%) for 80,800 m³ 2020: 8,080 m² (equivalent to 40%) for 80,800 m³ 2021: 4,040 m² (equivalent to 40%) for 40,400 m³ Total: 20,200 m² (equivalent to 100%) for 202,000 m³ About 10,000 m² (basically in the southern part of the operating area) 1. As authorized in the CA. 2. For information only, according to estimates made by the developer using the preliminary estimates available at the time this application was filed. 6.2 Mobile asphalt concrete plant The mobile asphalt concrete plant is planned to be located in the quarry at km No location variant is currently being considered. At present, it is not possible to provide any technical details on the plant that will be put in place given that this application is intended to reserve a site for use by a contractor who has not yet been selected. In addition to crushed rock from the quarry, recycled levelling materials can also be used as inputs in the manufacture of new asphalt concrete. In addition to the mobile asphalt concrete plant, standard equipment will be used for crushing, production, loading and transportation of the material. The plant will be transported from southern Quebec by truck. Used oil and empty asphalt containers will be taken care of by the contractor and transported off-site to a company authorized to handle this type of waste. The fuel supply to the plant and related equipment will be provided by a local supplier. James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act- August 30, N/Réf. :

17 Once the paving is complete, the plant will be dismantled, empty asphalt containers will be compressed, put in containers to be shipped south for recycling. The site will be levelled as required using clean aggregates. 7 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS AND MAIN PROJECT CONSTRAINTS 7.1 Biophysical Environment The quarry is in the boreal forest, in the bioclimatic domain of the spruce-moss forest. The forest environment around the quarry site is made up of even-aged forest stands dominated by black spruce with an age class of 50 years. Where the forest cover is more open, on the edge of areas deforested by quarry development, there is also a regeneration of trembling aspen among the spruce trees. According to ecoforest map data, drainage is considered good with rocky outcrops. A small stream that appears permanent is found slightly more than 75 m northeast of the quarry and flows into Lac Mezières, about 1.4 km to the east. A bog is also located slightly more than 75 m from the site, on the north side. No protected areas or regulated wildlife habitats are found in the immediate vicinity of the site. The planned Waskaganish Biodiversity Reserve is found about 5 km to the north-east, according to the MDDELCC s directory of protected areas Human Environment The James Bay Road is the main road link between the Cree communities of Nord-du-Québec and the village of Radisson with the south of the province. In addition to its use by residents and vacationers, the road is also used by the forest and mining industry. According to the JBNQA, the quarry at km is on Category III land, which is free public land without exclusive use by Aboriginal communities. The quarry is found on trapline N23, the tallyman of which is Abel Wapachee, from the community of Nemaska 5. There are no Cree camps near the quarries. The development and mining of the quarry will not affect the fishing or hunting rights of neighbouring communities. 4 Interactive map available at: 5 According to the Cree Mineral Exploration Board, available at N/Réf. : James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act - August 30, 2018

18 There are no active mining titles at the quarry site other than BEX No held by the SDBJ. The Rupert River dam is found about 3.5 km in a straight line from the quarry. The quarry access road is found a few kilometres from the Rupert River Cascades rest stop at km 257. Lastly, former borrow pits are found in the immediate vicinity of the quarry, along with possibly an old airstrip, that were restored and left for vegetation to take over for likely several years. There are no issues regarding the quality of the materials in place since the quality of the rock was confirmed by the WSP consultant in There are few constraints involved in realizing the overall project, other than at an administrative level, because of the project schedule (e.g. lead times, permitting, contractor phasing, implementation of the plant). 8 MAIN IMPACTS ANTICIPATED The project will generate small quantities of dust and may represent a certain level of noise nuisance for nearby wildlife. The forest stands that will be cut (about 10,000 m²) are abundant in the area. No wetlands or water environments will be impacted. Given that the quarry exists and that the mobile asphalt concrete plant will be set up in an already deforested area, the anticipated impacts on the biophysical environment are considered to be low. With regard to the human environment, no Aboriginal rights or privileges are undermined by the operation of the quarry. Since no camp is nearby, no noise disturbance is anticipated. The visual impact of the quarry will be almost nil since it cannot be seen from the James Bay Road. Preliminary plans and specifications include a special estimate Environmental Protection and the contractor is required to comply with it for all work, including quarrying, which must comply with the authorizations obtained (CA and BEX), as well as the technical and general specifications of the ministère des Transports, de la Mobilité durable et de l Électrification des transports (MTMDET). In addition to the mitigation measures contained in the CA application for the quarry at km 254.4, specification 185 contains the following: Environmental protection plan prepared by the contractor; Sediment transport and runoff control; Measures to be taken to avoid petroleum product spills and the measures to be taken in case of an accidental spill; James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act- August 30, N/Réf. :

19 Management of excavated materials and hazardous materials. Emergency response plan. 9 PUBLIC INFORMATION AND CONSULTATION The SDBJ and the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government are multi-level partners across the region. The rehabilitation program for the James Bay Road was in fact established following consultations with local populations and other area stakeholders. 10 PROJECT SCHEDULE Operation of the quarry and the mobile asphalt concrete plant is planned from 2019 to This being said, depending on when the notice of exemption from the MDDELCC is received, the contractor may mobilize machinery starting in the fall or early winter of 2018 with a view to starting mining the rock as soon as possible in 2019, possibly around March. 11 SUBSEQUENT PHASES AND RELATED PROJECTS Similar road repairs will be carried out along the James Bay Road and the Chisasibi Road until The supply of materials will be made from quarries or borrow pits already characterized and located on both sides of the road. Some of these sites may require supplemental analysis or additional government authorizations to be operated. 12 SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT I, Anne-Marie Leclerc, M.Sc., geomorphologist, Environmental Execution Manager, Consortium Norda Stelo/Stantec, certify that all the information contained in this preliminary information form is accurate to the best of my knowledge. August 30, 2018 Anne-Marie Leclerc, M.Sc., geomorphologist Date N/Réf. : James Bay Road Rehabilitation Road Work Application for exemption from the environmental assessment process under Section 154 of the Environment Quality Act - August 30, 2018

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21 APPENDIX 1 Map 5.1. General location of quarry and asphalt concrete plant

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23 Location: Q:\ \200-CONTENU\26-Geomatique\Donnees\MXD_WOR\MXD\115726_C5-1_Localisation carriere 254_ mxd Quarry Lac Colomb Lac Du Tast Lac Chaboullié Lac Rodayer Lac Dana James Bay Road Mobile asphalt concrete plant (quarry at km 254) JAMES BAY ROAD REHABILITATION Application for exemption to Section 154 EQA MDDELCC Location of quarry and mobile asphalt concrete plant at km _C5-1_Localisation carriere 254_ mxd Map base: Jamesie.tif August 2018 Prepared by: ÉT Drawing: YR Verified:AML Map 5.1 Long Lat (NAD83)

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25 APPENDIX 2 Unnumbered map. Location of quarry and mobile asphalt concrete plant at km (source: WSP, 2017, modified by Consortium Norda Stelo/Stantec)

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27 Projected operating area Approximate location of projected mobile asphalt concrete plant Reserve pile (6,933 m³) Area authorized in 2015 (2,500 m²) Additional area for work in (20,200 m²) Road repairs along the James Bay and Chisasibi roads Application to modify the certificate of authorization for the operation of a quarry at km Sources: Imaging: Google Earth Pro, 2013 BNDT, 1/50 000, RNCan, 2007 Wetlands, WSP, 2015 Contour lines, WSP, 2015 MTM, Zone 9, NAD83 Contour interval: 1 m File: 41_23211_DP_MDDELCC_2017_banckm254_4_wspq_ mxd December 2016 Project: Wetlands Approximate location of screener/crusher Approximate location of reserve piles Pond Open bog Treed bog Permanent watercourse Buffer zone (75 m) Coordinates of operating area (UTM, Zone 18, NAD83) Point X Y ,691, ,361 5,691, ,410 5,691, ,463 5,691, ,456 5,690, ,128 5,690, ,132 5,691,102

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29 Norda Stelo / Stantec rd Avenue West Val-d Or, Quebec J9P 1T6 Phone: Fax: