New Brunswick SEA Process
For more information on the New Brunswick SEA process, click here.
Scope:
To assess the potential impacts and opportunities for in-stream tidal energy developments in the Bay of Fundy recognizing all other industries and users currently existing in the Bay.
Time Frame:
The New Brunswick Strategic Environmental Assessment will be completed in Spring 2008.
Purpose:
The Strategic Environmental Assessment will make recommendations on areas of concern based on environmental and socio-economic impacts as well as areas identified as having limited impact from these emerging devices.
The purpose of the New Brunswick Strategic Environmental Assessment in the Bay of Fundy is to:
- determine through research, the current constraints and impacts in-stream tidal energy may have on the Bay of Fundy and identify all other uses and users of the Bay; and
- advise the Province of New Brunswick on ways of moving forward with in-stream tidal energy developments in the Bay of Fundy with minimal impacts.
Please note: This process, although separate from the Southwest Bay of Fundy Marine Resources Planning (BoFMRP) initiative, will not undermine that process or exclude it from collaborating on aspects of both activities. For more information on BoFMRP please visit http://bofmrp.ca.
Main Steps:
Background Report for the Fundy Tidal Energy SEA
Partner with the Offshore Energy Environmental Research Association (OEER) and the Nova Scotia Department of Energy on a Background Report for the Bay of Fundy.
The SEA Technical Advisory Group is commissioning preparation of a Background Report that will pull together existing
information about ocean renewable technologies and potential development scenarios, and about the bio-physical and socio-economic environment in and around the Bay of Fundy. The report will identify potential interactions between these development scenarios, the marine and coastal ecosystem, and resource uses and users, and particularly the fisheries.
Consultation
The Province of New Brunswick will be planning a series of consultations on the Background Report once it is completed. The consultations are proposed for January 2008. The consultations will take place in a number of locations along the New Brunswick side of the Bay of Fundy and invite all stakeholders to provide feedback on the ESIA as well as assist in identifying any missing information that may not have been available to the consultants.
Stakeholders will also be invited to send written submissions on in-stream tidal energy in the Bay of Fundy and those comments and concerns will be taken into consideration when the final report is written.
Any stakeholders who would like to be notified of the consultations directly are invited to identify themselves and send an e-mail with full contact information to Heather Quinn at heather.quinn@gnb.ca.
Final Report
The final report will be written by a third party and will incorporate the Background Report as well as all stakeholder feedback and input and make recommendations to the Province of New Brunswick on moving forward with in-stream tidal energy.