50 megawatt hydro project in northern Sask. clears regulatory hurdle
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
Dam-less water-diversion plant would minimize impact on environment
OTTAWA—The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and Minister of Environment, Leona Aglukkaq, have given the go-ahead for the construction of hydroelectric project in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca region, about 100 kilometers south of the Northwest Territories border.
“The proposed Tazi Twé Hydroelectric Project, located at Elizabeth Falls in northern Saskatchewan, is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects,” the CEAA said in a statement.
The decision sets out legally binding conditions, which include mitigation measures and follow-up requirements that Saskatchewan Power, which had proposed the project, must fulfill throughout the life of the project.
The Tazi Twé project includes a 50 megawatt water diversion electrical generating station at Elizabeth Falls, which would be located adjacent to the Fond du Lac River between Black Lake and Middle Lake, on Black Lake Denesuline First Nation reserve land. The proposed project would involve the construction and operation of a water intake, a power tunnel, a powerhouse, a tail race, a submerged weir, a construction camp, a bridge, and access roads.
“As the project proceeds to the next phase, it will continue to be subject to Canada’s strong environmental laws, rigorous enforcement and follow-up, and fines for non-compliance,” the agency noted.
