MEA Class EA Requirements to support a new
Sewage Treatment Facility
May, 2013
Objective of this Presentation
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Foster an awareness and understanding of the
MEA Class Environmental Assessment (MEA)
Process as it would apply to the construction
of a new Sewage Treatment Plant
Clarify the role and responsibilities of all
stakeholders in this process
Presentation Outline
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SSMP: A new Sewage Treatment Plant for Erin?
Next Steps: Initiation of a EA study in accordance
with the direction of the MEA Class EA
What should the EA study cover?
Stakeholders and their Roles and Responsibilities
Once the EA Study is completed…
Questions and Discussion
SSMP – a new Sewage Treatment Plant
for Erin?
If the SSMP concludes that a sewage treatment
plant will meet the future growth and
development needs as expressed by the
Town, the next step will be to conduct an
environmental assessment study in
accordance with the requirements of the
Municipal Engineers Association Class
Environmental Assessment (MEA) for
Schedule “C” projects.
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The MEA Class Environmental Assessment
process
The MEA is an approved environmental
assessment process that is specific to
municipalities, and for the purpose of
planning and decision-making related to the
provision of infrastructure that is a municipal
responsibility: water supply, wastewater
treatment, roads and public transit.
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So, what is an environmental assessment
process?
An environmental assessment process provides a framework that guides the planning
and decision-making process.
Typically consists of the following steps:
• Identify a problem/opportunity that demonstrates the ‘need’ for undertaking a
project. (The SSMP will have done this);
• Identify a range of alternative solutions that address the problem/opportunity.
Alternative solutions always include the evaluation of what will happen if you “Do
Nothing”;
• Define environment broadly to include the social, cultural and economic
environment in addition to the natural environment;
• Determine impacts of a each of the alternative solutions; identify the required
mitigation to address impacts; and choose one to study more fully in order to
determine the preferred design;
• Ensure that the public, relevant review agencies and First Nations communities
are fully consulted and provided with opportunities to obtain information and
make their concerns known; and
• Document the decision-making process that results in the choice of a preferred
alternative and implementation plan.
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What should the EA cover?
An EA completed for a new sewage treatment plant should address the
following:
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All aspects of the infrastructure: the plant technology, the associated sewer
system and any infrastructure associated with sewage conveyance (pumping
stations), biosolids management
All work related to the installation of these services (road reconstruction)
Existing policies in local official plan that speak to the provision of hard services
and which designate how much and where growth is to occur
Impacts to the natural heritage environment (landforms, ground and surface
water, flora/fauna/habitat
Impacts to cultural resources (archaeological, cultural and built form)
Impacts to the social environment (impacts to residents)
Impacts of an economic nature (impacts to businesses, financial burden to
residents, potential infrastructure grants, cost-sharing arrangements with private
sector
Public consultation plan
What should the EA cover?
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An EA of this scale will be likely be completed
by a team of consultants given the breadth of
issues that must be addressed, and
specialization within the consulting industry
An EA with this range of potential impacts
may also benefit by the establishment of a
technical steering committee format with
membership including elected officials, staff,
the public and government review agencies
Stakeholders and their roles and
responsibilities
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The municipality: staff and Council
The Public and First Nations
“Means the general public, individual members of the public who
may be affected by or have an interest in the project and special
interest groups”
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Government Review Agencies
“Means government agencies, ministry or public authorities or
bodies whose mandates require them to have jurisdiction over
matters affected or potentially affected by projects….”
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Roles of Municipal Staff and Council
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Council should endorse the decision to proceed with an EA study, knowing
that in order to undertake the EA study and implement the project,
capital expenditure of capital will be required.
A good working relationship between Council and the project team is
necessary for a successful EA process.
Regular Council, or Committee of Council briefings should be undertaken
at key decision points to ensure that Council is fully apprised. Council
members should not find themselves in a situation where they know less
about a project then their constituents.
By being up to date on the status and direction that an EA study is taking,
by being involved, Council has the ability to ensure that the EA study is
being undertaken in a way that is in keeping with the overall vision for the
municipality, budget issues and constraints.
Roles of Municipal Staff and Council
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After an EA study has been completed, the project team will
likely make a presentation to Council and receive
endorsement to enable the Notice of Completion to be
issued.
Once the mandatory 30-public review period has ended and if
no Part II Order requests have been submitted to the
Minister, the municipality is deemed to have complied with
the requirements of the EA Act and is free to implement the
project, subject to obtaining any approvals, permits, licences
etc. that may be required.
Roles of Municipal Staff and Council
Should Council be involved?
It is Council’s choice, but there are advantages:
• To endorse/approve required capital expenditure;
• To remain apprised of the progress of the EA;
• To be able to discuss the project with constituents;
• To ensure that the process is a dialogue between the project
team and constituents; and
• To provide the project team with the ‘bigger’ picture
How?
• By establishing a protocol with the project team to ensure
regular updates, particularly at crucial decision making points
during the study.
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Roles of the Public and First Nations
A fundamental feature of environmental assessment is ensuring
that the public is informed and involved as decisions are being
made that have the potential to directly, or indirectly affect
them.
While the onus for facilitating public consultation is on the
project team, the public can maximize its effectiveness by
bringing their questions and concerns to the attention of the
project team early in the process so that those matters can be
incorporated into the study and review process with the
objective being to resolve issues to all parties’ satisfaction.
First Nations consultation has become more formalized due to
the Crown’s duty to consult. MOE provides detailed
information as to how to conduct effective and adequate First
Nations consultation.
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Roles of Review Agencies
Appendix 3 of the MEA provides guidance as to how
the project team will determine which review
agencies should be notified of the commencement
of the EA study so that they have the opportunity to
provide a review and consultation function.
Review Agencies’ role is to assist in the process by
ensuring that the project team addresses concerns
relevant to their mandate and to advise of
subsequent approvals that will be required in order
to implement the project.
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Once the EA Study is completed…
The EA study is completed once the project team feels that a preferred alternative
and required course of action can be fully articulated, defended and documented.
Typically, a presentation of the conclusions will be made to Council, who will endorse
the study and enable it to be posted for a minimum 30-day public review period.
During this time, any member of the public or review agency has the ability to raise
concerns that they feel remain inadequately addressed. The project team is
required to make all attempts to address the concerns, or provide a more detailed
explanation. If the individual maintains the opinion that there is a
flaw/error/deficiency in the process, they have the option to request in writing,
that the Minister of the Environment make the project subject to an individual
environmental assessment.
At that point, the Minister reviews the concerns against the EA document and makes
a decision whether an individual EA is justified or whether conditions can be
imposed upon the proponent to complete further work in certain areas to address
the issue that were raised by the requestor.
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Questions and Discussion
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Additional Resources
Ministry website:
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/environment/en/industry/assess
ment_and_approvals/environmental_assessments/index.
htm
Municipal Engineers Association website:
www.municipalclassea.ca
MOE Regional EA Coordinator:
Barb Slattery, 905-521-7864/Barbara.slattery@ontario.ca
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