Project Update as of January 2023

Change of Proponent Name

We wish to advise that effective December 1, 2022, Nova Scotia Lands Inc. became Build Nova Scotia. Accordingly, Build Nova Scotia is now the proponent for the Boat Harbour Remediation Project.

The Boat Harbour Remediation Project plans, the Project Environmental Impact Statement and all aspects of the environmental assessment process being managed by the proponent are not affected by this change. The contacts for the Boat Harbour Remediation Project remain the same.

Environmental Impact Assessment

The Federal Environmental Impact Assessment for the Boat Harbour Remediation Project remains ongoing.

The Province has been providing timely responses to Information Requests (IRs). Five separate sets of IRs (totalling 105) were received throughout 2021 (March, May, September, October) and in April 2022.  With the exception of a response to Information Requirement Number 82, we have responded to all Information Requirements to date.  The Information Requirements and the responses are posted on the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) website. 

The process we’re following started with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) and under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act of 2012 (CEAA 2012), which was in effect when we started the environmental assessment process in April 2019.  In August 2019, the federal government created the Impact Assessment Act (IAA 2019) and changed the name of CEAA to IAAC.

When the IAA 2019 came into effect in August 2019, we chose to keep our project under the CEAA 2012 process to avoid delays in the process by having to re-start the environmental assessment under the new act. In doing so, there was a 3-year time limit to complete the assessment from the August 2019 date, or a time limit set at August 2022.  This project was well advanced in the process and in discussion with IAAC officials, we were confident the time limit was achievable. However, in April 2021, IAAC directed NS Lands to request an extension.  NS Lands requested and was granted a two year extension to the time limit, which allows for an assessment completion prior to August 2024. 

In granting the extension to the time limit, IAAC cited that “the environmental assessment is well-advanced and you have been actively progressing the development of the required information or studies required; and, termination of the environmental assessment may be disruptive to the advanced and ongoing consultation activities.”

Procurement

The federal impact assessment must conclude with the issuance of an approval before any tender packages related to the project can be released.  At this time, we have no certainty as to when the process may be wrapped up. 

 We still expect that there will be two principal procurements for the Project.

  1. The Construction Management Oversight Services Tender Package, will be released in advance of the Remediation Construction Tender Package.

  2. The Remediation Construction Tender Package is intended to be one tender package for all related works.

Thank you for your continued interest in the project.