OFNTSC Southern Tribal Council, Large & Unaffiliated First
Nations Meeting, Oct. 24-25, 2012
Environment Unit Update
Stephanie Allen &
Deneen Brigham,
Environmental
Scientists
Environment Program
Mandate
Clients:
•Tribal Councils
•Large First Nations
•Unaffiliated First Nations
including OFNTSC staff
directly serving these FNs
Corporate:
•Support to various
committees e.g. COO,
NOFNEC
•OFNTSC Board &
Management e.g. briefing
notes, proposals
OFNTSC will work closely with its
clients in providing a wide range of
Environmental advisory services to
support the increasing demand to
build technical capacity and a
sustainable environment
Environment Program
Services
Types of Services:
• Advisory – provision of information
such as generic TOR, BMPs, guidance
material, AANDC process, forms,
policy & legislation, funding
• Technical – scientific / technical
project reviews, support to project
committees
• Training – dependent on client
needs and available funding
• Special Projects – based on need,
time, and funding availability
Environment Program
Solid Waste Management &
Diversion
Environmental Assessment
Spills & Environmental
Emergencies
Water Quality & Source Water
Protection
Contaminated Site Assessment &
Remediation
Community Sustainability &
Planning
Energy Efficiency & Conservation
Environmental Education and
Awareness
Environmental Legislation &
Regulations
Environment Funding
Opportunities
• Managed by Brian Staats, Operations
Manager
• 2 Environmental Scientists
Stephanie Allen
– Toronto office
– Directly serves southern region First
Nations & Tribal Councils
Deneen Brigham
– Thunder Bay office
– Directly serves northern region First
Nations & Tribal Councils
• Environment Intern: Trevor Wells
Solid Waste
Management
•Solid Waste Management
Planning
•Source Reduction &
Diversion including waste
auditing
•Landfill Operations &
Maintenance Best Practices
•Siting Studies
•Bird Hazard Studies
•Capital Project Planning
•Special Wastes
•Legislation & Policy
•Funding
New & Noteworthy
• Waste Diversion Opportunities: ongoing
advisory services and assistance related to
Blue Box, Waste Electronics, Tires, and
Household Hazardous Wastes
• OFNTSC First Nations Landfill Operations &
Maintenance and Waste Diversion Training
2-day Course
• Completed the Sudbury Area FNs
Recycling Evaluation Project and
associated professional waste audit. 21
First Nations participated in this project.
• Next steps: 4-season waste audit
First Nations
Natural Attenuation
Landfill Operations
& Maintenance
Course
• 2-day course developed by OFNTSC with the
assistance of Stantec and through generous
funding from AANDC
• Designed for FNs Public Works and Landfill
Managers
• Participants develop a Landfill Operations &
Maintenance Manual for their site during
the course
• 3 offerings to date: Thunder Bay, Sioux
Lookout, Rama FN
• Course being planned for this FY,
funding dependent
Environmental
Assessment
•CEAA triggers & process
•AANDC forms and approvals
process
•Federal and Regulatory
Authorities
•Harmonization with
provincial EA processes
•Project Descriptions and
Scoping
•Alternatives & Mitigation
•Determining Significance
•Legislation & Policy
New & Noteworthy
• CEAA 2012 eliminates most environmental
assessments for on-reserve capital projects
however provision in the Act requires AANDC
to continue to ensure environmental
protection of federal and reserve lands
• New AANDC environmental assessment
process and forms
• OFNTSC ongoing provision of advisory and
technical assistance in relation to
environmental assessments for on-reserve
capital infrastructure projects
Proponent Tool Box
Legend
Proponent
Responsibility
AANDC reviews PD , determines
level of Environmental Review
Required.
AANDC
Responsibility
Available Tool
E.g. Form)
Designated
Project – Outside
AANDC’s role
Flowchart (this document)
Project Description Form - Fillable
Simple Environmental Review form
Terms of Reference/Detailed
Environmental Review Template
Environmental Compliance Form
Proponent prepares
Project Description Form
(PD) as early as possible
Project on AANDC
Minor Project List
Simple Environmental
Review
AANDC completes last
page of PD and provides
advice on any
Environmental Best
Practices
Proponent
completes a
Simple
Environmental
Review form
Detailed
Environmental
Review
CEAA 2012
Designated
Projects List
Proponent prepares
Environmental Review
report in accordance with
the Terms of Reference /
Detailed Environmental
Review Template and
submits to AANDC
EA overseen by
Agency /NEB/CNSC
AANDC
reviews report
and proposed
mitigation
Proponent provides
Environmental
Compliance form t o
AANDC as part of
completion
documentation
Environmental Best
Practices , mitigation
measures
incorporated into
permits, leases,
funding agreements
Report is
approved.
Project may
proceed
No
Are significant
adverse
environmental
effects likely?
Yes
Project cannot proceed
Or
Refer to Governor in
Council to determine if
effects are justified
8
Source Water
Protection & Water
Quality
•Source Protection
Planning
•Individual Household
Wells
•Water Quality
Standards/Objectives
•Legislation & Policy
•Funding
New & Noteworthy
• Well Aware for First Nations Project has wrapped
up. The project involved development of a First
Nations specific booklet and fact sheets
• First Nations Dedicated Children’s Water Festival
Trailer plus a second trailer has been provided a
home in Dryden – mini Children’s Water Festival
held at OFNTSC Water Symposium
• Source Protection Planning Toolkit Project – in
development, currently looking for funding
• Source Water Protection Planning
Workshops – NOFNEC, upcoming HC mtg
Contaminated Site
Assessment and
Remediation
•Phase 1 Environmental Site
Assessments
•Phase 2 Environmental Site
Assessments
•Human Health Risk
Assessment
•Ecological Risk Assessment
•Remediation and Risk
Management
•Innovative Remediation
Technologies
•Legislation & Policy
•Funding
Typical services provided:
• advisory and technical assistance on
remediation projects, and contaminated
site assessments including Phase I and
Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
Processes;
• assistance with developing TOR for
retaining professional project managers
and consultants to complete assessment
and remediation work
Fuel Storage Tank Systems,
Spills & Environmental
Emergency Response
•Capital Project Planning
•Operation & Maintenance
Codes of Practice
•Emergency Response
Planning
•Legislation & Regulations
•Funding
New & Noteworthy
• Ongoing support in response to
First Nations’ fuel tank spills and
clean-up projects
• Currently developing a Small
Tank Project to provide First
Nations with a Guide and training
• AANDC Phase 2 Fuel Tank
Assessment Project: work was
completed, currently individual
projects are advancing
Other Areas of Activity
• Advisory services related to:
• Environmental Legislation &
Regulation
• Energy Efficiency & Conservation
• Community Sustainability Planning
• Funding Opportunities and other
environment updates regularly
posted to OFNTSC Forum
• Environmental Education and
Awareness: workshops and
presentations
OFNTSC ENVIRONMENT CONTACTS
Stephanie Allen
Environmental Scientist
OFNTSC
111 Peter St., Suite 606
Toronto, ON
M5V 2H1
Tel. (416) 651-1443 ext. 243
sallen@ofntsc.org
Deneen Brigham
Environmental Scientist
OFNTSC
200 South Syndicate Ave.
Thunder Bay, ON
P7E 1C9
Tel. (807) 623-9595
dbrigham@ofntsc.org