Environmental Impact Assessments – Current projects

Proponent: MD of Acadia and Special Areas Board 
Project or activity description: MD of Acadia and Special Areas Joint Irrigation Project
Responsible Director: Alberta Environment and Protected Areas
Location: Approximately 250 km east of Calgary, 100 km north of Medicine Hat, Township 20-25 Ranges 1-4 W4M 
Municipalities: MD of Acadia No. 34 
Activity type: Development of irrigation infrastructure
File #: TBD

The MD of Acadia and Special Areas Joint Irrigation Project (“the Project”) is a proposed greenfield irrigation project located approximately 250 km east of Calgary and 100 km north of Medicine Hat that will provide irrigation within the MD of Acadia and Special Areas. The Project centre point is located between ATS 22-3-W4M and 23-3-W4M. The Project requires a new Red Deer River pump station and will involve pumping water from the Red Deer River and storing it in reservoirs to use for irrigation.

Two preliminary reservoirs will be created, one (with a live storage volume of approximately 34,000,000 m3 and a maximum dam height of 30.5 m) located 1 km north of the Red Deer River, on the boundary between the MD of Acadia and Special Area No. 3, and the other (with a live storage volume of approximately 134,000,000 m³ and a maximum dam height of 40 m) located approximately 5.5 km southwest of Bindloss, AB. The total project area is approximately 56,047 ha (138,495 acres) including the agricultural area and areas covered by dams, reservoirs, pumping stations, water intake, power generation and water conveyance.

All irrigation is expected to be located on existing cultivated fields. However, reservoir locations and conveyance infrastructure will impact grassland habitat. An estimated 4,262 ha will be removed for the construction of reservoirs and water conveyance infrastructure.

Project stage:

Proposed Terms of Reference are under review.

Documents:

• Environmental Assessment – MD of Acadia and Special Areas Joint Irrigation Project (includes EIA required letter, project summary table and maps, Proposed Terms of Reference, PTOR Public Notice)

Proponent: Coalspur Mines (Operations) Ltd. (last update 07/02/2019)
Project or activity description: Vista Coal Mine Phase II Project
Responsible Director: Alberta Energy Regulator (AER)
Location: 3.5 km east of Hinton
Township 51, Ranges 23 and 24, W5M
Municipalities: Yellowhead County
Activity type: Coal

Coalspur is proposing an expansion of their approved Vista Coal Mine and would operate the mine as one complex with potential to increase the average annual production by approximately 4.2 million tonnes. The Vista Coal Mine – Phase II would be a westward continuation of the existing open pit surface coal mine to recover the same Val d’Or, McLeod and McPherson seams, using the same methods and infrastructure. The mined coal would be transported by rail to west coast ports, then shipped via ocean vessels to foreign markets.

• Environmental Assessment - Coalspur Mine (Operations) Ltd. Vista Coal Mine Phase II Project

Project stage:

Final Terms of Reference were issued for this project on June 18, 2019.

Awaiting submission of the EIA/Application.

Documents:

• Environmental Assessment – Coalspur Mine (Operations) Ltd. Vista Coal Mine Phase II Project (includes EIA required letter, project summary table and map, proposed terms of reference, PTOR notice, 2 PTOR comments, final terms of reference 06/18/2019, FTOR notice)

Proponent: Eastern Irrigation District (last update 07/10/2024)
Project or activity description: Snake Lake Reservoir Expansion
Responsible Director: Alberta Environment and Protected Areas
Location: approximately 15 km southeast of Bassano and 32 km northwest of Brooks Township 19, Ranges 16, W4M
Municipalities: County of Newell
Activity type: Water Management
File #: TBD

The Snake Lake Reservoir is an off-stream irrigation storage facility originally constructed from 1995 to 1997. The existing reservoir is located in the County of Newell within Townships 19 and 20, Ranges 16 and 17, W4M. The reservoir is contained by two earth-fill dams, the first along the east end (East Dam), and the second along the west end (West Dam). The existing reservoir covers 320 hectares (ha) and has a storage volume of 18.4 million cubic metres (m3) at full supply level (FSL).

The Snake Lake Reservoir Expansion Project (the Project) would expand the current Snake Lake Reservoir within Sections 29, 30, 31, and 32 in Township 19, Range 16, W4M and increase the reservoir area by 780 ha to a total area of 1,100 ha and water capacity would increase by 68 million m3 to 86 million m3. The Project includes the construction of 9 km of earthen banks up to 20 m in height, and the removal of all or a portion of the East Dam to connect the existing reservoir with the expanded reservoir. The Project will not require an increase to the EID’s water allocation or maximum diversion rate. The Project is planned to provide additional water security for irrigation agriculture downstream of the reservoir.

Project stage:

Final terms of reference were issued on July 4, 2024.

Awaiting submission of the EIA/Application.

Documents:

• Environmental Assessment – Eastern Irrigation District Snake Lake Reservoir Expansion Project (includes EIA required letter, project summary table and maps, proposed terms of reference, PTOR notice, PTOR comments, Final Terms of Reference, FTOR Notice)

Proponent: St. Mary River Irrigation District (last update: November 8, 2024)
Project or activity description: Chin Reservoir Expansion Project
Responsible Director: Alberta Environment and Protected Areas
Location: approximately 30 km east of Lethbridge, 15 km south of Taber
Township 7, Range 15, W4M
Municipalities: MD of Taber, County of Lethbridge
Activity type: Water Management
File #: 2401

Chin Reservoir is an off-stream storage reservoir that is located roughly in the middle of St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) irrigation network. The existing reservoir is located in Lethbridge County, the County of Warner, and the Municipal District of Taber, between NE-27-8-18-4 and SE-26-7-16-4. It is the largest off-stream reservoir within SMRID with a storage volume of 154,320 acre-foot. Chin Reservoir is located in a major glacial melt coulee known as Chin Coulee. The reservoir is impounded by 2 dams on its east and west ends: Chin 1 (West Dam), and Chin 2 (East Dam). The 2 dams were completed in 1955 and no major modifications have been completed since their construction.

The Chin Reservoir Expansion Project involves the construction of a new dam which would result in a larger reservoir. The new dam would be approximately 40 meters (m) in height and would inundate (flood) approximately 650 hectares (ha) of privately held land within Chin Coulee.

Project stage:

EIA Report and Application are submitted and are under review. A Supplemental Information Request was sent to the proponent on November 8. Awaiting response.

Documents:

• Environmental Assessment – St. Mary River Irrigation District Chin Reservoir Expansion Project (includes EIA required letter, project summary table and maps, proposed terms of reference, PTOR notice, 6 PTOR comments, Final Terms of Reference, FTOR Notice, Public Notice)
• EIA Report and Application for Approval

Proponent: Stone Creek Resorts Inc. (last update 11/15/2022)
Project or activity description: Gondola Project
Responsible Director: Alberta Environment and Protected Areas
Location: Town of Canmore and Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park
Township 25, Range 10, W5M
Municipalities: Municipal District of Bighorn
Activity type: Recreation
File #: TBD

Stone Creek Resorts Inc. is proposing to construct and operate an aerial passenger ropeway system (gondola) along with a day lodge, trail networks, viewing platforms, suspension bridge and associated utility services infrastructure (the Project) as part of the Silvertip Integrated Village Resort located in Canmore, Alberta.

The proposed passenger aerial gondola would connect the base area of the Silvertip Resort to an upper terminal on the summit ridge of Mount Lady MacDonald, via a mid-station integrated with the Silvertip Resort Village. The Project spans lands administered by three jurisdictions: Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, public land, and land within the Town of Canmore.

Project stage:

Alberta Environment and Protected Areas is preparing final terms of reference.

Documents:

• Environmental Assessment - Stone Creek Resorts Inc. Gondola Project (includes screening required letter, voluntary EIA letter, EIA required and review by the NRCB, letter to Stone Creek, project summary table, map, proposed terms of reference, PTOR notice, 91 public comments on PTOR)

Proponent: Suncor Energy Inc. (last update 07/05/2021)
Project or activity description: Base Mine Extension Project
Responsible Director: Alberta Energy Regulator
Location: adjacent to Base Plant and north of the city of Fort McMurray
Townships 90-92, Ranges 9-11, W4M
Municipalities: Wood Buffalo
Activity type: Mine

The Project consists of an oil sand mine and associated activities as an extension of the Base Plant operation near Fort McMurray, Alberta. The Project includes an open pit mining operation supplying oil sands to new bitumen froth production facilities (primary extraction). Bitumen froth would be delivered by pipeline to Base Plant for further processing, including secondary extraction and upgrading into various product blends for market. Further integration between the Project and Base Plant includes utilities and water systems. There would be external and in-pit tailings areas on the Project footprint. These facilities would be constructed with a combination of overburden and coarse tailings deposits. These areas, which provide off-stream storage of water that is recycled, would be the final location for coarse tailings deposits and treated fluid tailings deposits. The Project is expected to produce up to 80 million barrels per year (nominally 225,000 barrels per day) of bitumen froth during its estimated 25-year operational life.

Project stage:

Final Terms of Reference were issued for this project on June 7, 2021.

Awaiting submission of the EIA/Application.

Documents:

• Environmental Assessment – Suncor Energy Inc. Base Mine Extension (includes EIA required letter, project summary table and map, proposed terms of reference, PTOR notice, 16 PTOR comments, final terms of reference 06/07/2021, FTOR notice)