Lizard Creek Small Hydro Development

Lizard Creek Power Inc. is planning to undertake an environmental evaluation and assessment for the proposed Lizard Creek Small Hydro Project, located in the Township of North Shore, 20km southeast of the City of Elliot Lake, Ontario. The zone of influence for the proposed project runs along Lizard Creek, from the southern end of Lizard Lake south to where Lizard Creek enters Serpent River, downstream of Grassy Lake, as presented on the map to the right.

Renewable Energy

Hydroelectricity is a renewable source of energy. Renewable energy allows us to harness the energy from the natural environment without producing the bi-product pollutants of non-renewable sources.

The current policies in Ontario aim to increase supplies of renewable energy. This is intended to not only increase overall energy production, but to also help permit the closing of coal-fired generating stations in Ontario as a means of improving regional air quality and reducing the production of greenhouse gases.

Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is also commonly known as waterpower. Since before Confederation, waterpower has helped fuel the development of Ontario. Waterpower was the first source of electricity in Ontario and is a renewable source of electricity. Waterpower requires no chemicals or heat in the generation process and no water is consumed. No gaseous emissions such as carbon dioxide result from the operation of the plant.

Waterpower is also one of the most efficient forms of electricity generation. New waterpower generating stations can be designed to be more than 90% efficiency, as compared with fossil fuel generation whose thermal efficiency varies from 35 percent to 70 percent, or nuclear power whose thermal efficiency is typically about 24 percent.

Environmental Assessment

This project is subject to the provisions of the Ontario Waterpower Association “Class Environmental Assessment for Waterpower Projects” (2008). Pursuant to the Class EA, this project is considered to be on a managed waterway. The Class Environmental Assessment process requires Lizard Creek Power to undertake an evaluation of the project to evaluate its potential effects on the environment (positive and negative) and prepare a detailed Environmental Report. The project is also expected to require review under various permits and approvals, including, but not limited to, the Environmental Protection Act, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, the Fisheries Act, the Public Lands Act, the Navigable Waters Protection Act, the Species at Risk Act, the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act, the Ontario Water Resource Act, and the Endangered Species Act. This notice and the public consultation process for the project under the Class EA is intended to coordinate and meet the notification requirements relevant to the planning stage of the project under these statutes.

The Class EA process is anticipated to be ongoing over the course of 1 year, following which construction is anticipated to commence and be ongoing for 4 months, provided approval.

The evaluation and environmental report will assess the potential effects of the proposed waterpower project on the environment during its construction and operation. Lizard Creek Power has identified certain environmental components that are expected to be the focus of the proposed project. Public consultation and Aboriginal engagement will be an integral component of this process. IBI Group is preparing the Environmental Screening on behalf of Lizard Creek Power Inc. You are invited to provide comments on the issues to be addressed, and/or to ask to be placed on the project’s mailing list. For information on the project proposal, to raise any issues or concerns, or to be placed on the mailing list, contact: