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Stewardship
Issue Summary | Industry Response | Issue Management | Resource LibraryISSUE SUMMARY
The generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity can have an impact on species and habitat. Given the volume of power production, transmission and distribution across the country, many different species and their habitats come into contact with some dimension of the industry, and ensuring that this contact does not unduly harm the species and habitat in question is an on-going federal priority through several pieces of legislation. However, these impacts need to be seen in the context of the tremendous economic benefits afforded individual Canadians and our society as a whole by our affordable, reliable power supply. Striking a balance between protecting species and habitat and meeting Canadians’ electricity needs is an on-going challenge, and is being addressed through the efforts of CEA’s Stewardship Task Group.
INDUSTRY RESPONSE
For several years, CEA has been working closely with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) on stewardship issues related to fish and fish habitat. In 1998, DFO and CEA undertook a joint effort to document activities for managing fish-related impacts at Canadian hydroelectric facilities. The document, Considering Fish and Fish Habitat in Existing Hydroelectric Operations and Maintenance: Electricity Industry Practices, represents the culmination of that effort.Building on this success, CEA and DFO signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2002 that formally established an ongoing cooperative relationship focused on protecting fish and fish habitat impacted by electricity generation in Canada. The MOU is a model for industry-government cooperation and organizes the work of CEA and DFO thematically under five headings: consultation, compliance, stewardship, education and training, research and monitoring.
Under the MOU, industry and government participate in regular national and regional consultation through meetings and national annual workshops. .Since the signing of the MOU, DFO has placed increasing emphasis on policy development under the Environmental Process Modernization Plan (EPMP). As a result, DFO has developed a series of policies to help clarify the application of certain sections of the Act. Through the MOU, CEA has had the opportunity to consult on the development of these policies and offer an industry perspective.
With a series of national level policies in place, work has begun to help implement these policies into the various regions across Canada. This supports the overall objective of the MOU to encourage the clear and consistent application of the Fisheries Act across Canada. Already there are examples of regional MOUs and cooperative agreements across the country, and more are anticipated to be created.
ISSUE MANAGEMENT
Stewardship at CEA is managed by the Generation Council.
Key Contact
Maureen Cassidy
Senior Associate
Tel: 613-231-5666 ext. 152
cassidy@electricity.ca
Resource Library
CEA Documents
- Species at Risk Act and the Electricity Sector April 2005
- CEA-DFO MOU on Habitat Management, Objectives and Principles for the Compliance Framework (pdf) October 2003
- The Electricity Industry and the Fisheries Act, CEA Perspectives (pdf) September 2002
- Considering Fish and Fish Habitat in Existing Hydroelectric Operations and Maintenance: Electricity Industry Practices (pdf) July 2001
- Memorandum of Understanding between The Canadian Electricity Association and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (pdf) July 2002
Presentations from the Species at Risk Workshop
Ottawa May 31-June 1, 2005
Final Workshop Report
Issue 1: Reconciling the Habitat Protection Provisions of SARA, the Migratory Birds Convention Act and the Fisheries Act
- Anne Phelps, DFO
- Ken Harris, Environment Canada
- Hélène Lévesque, Environment Canada
- Ken Meade, Nova Scotia Power
Issue 2: Addressing Incidental Take/Harm through Permits and Licences under SARA, the Migratory Birds Convention Act and the Fisheries Act
- Anne Phelps, DFO
- Greg Thompson, Environment Canada
- Hélène Lévesque, Environment Canada
- Debbie Nielsen, SaskPower
Issue 3: Potential Impacts of the Application of SARA to Existing Facilities and Operations and to New Projects
- Ted Cooke, DFO
- Greg Thompson, Environment Canada
- Hugh Smith, BC Hydro
Issue 4: Using Stewardship to Achieve Compliance under SARA
- Trudie Forbes, DFO
- Réal Bisson, Environment Canada
- Debbie Nielsen, SaskPower
Issue 5: Incorporating Socio-economic Costs and Benefits of Species Listing and Recovery into Government Decision-making
- Saba Khwaja, DFO
- Rishi Basak, Environment Canada
- Bonny Hill, BC Hydro
Issue 6: Managing the Electricity Sector's Role in Developing and Implementing Recovery Strategies, Action Plans and Management Plans
- Heidi Schaefer, DFO
- Robert Décarie, Environment Canada
- Recovery: Some Aspects (ppt)
- Ken Meade, Nova Scotia Power
Presentations from the CEA-DFO Stewardship Workshop
Niagara-on-the-Lake Session November 2004
- Fish Passage Interpretation Bulletin – How Do We Get There From Here? (pdf) Julie Perrault, DFO & Terry Toner, Nova Scotia Power
- MOU Joint Research Agenda
- Report from Fish Passage Science Team
Chris Katopodis, DFO Central & Arctic - eport from Flow Management Team
- Natural Flow Paradigm (pdf)
Dave Scruton, DFO Nfld. - Instream flow studies (pdf)
Michel Bérubé, Hydro-Québec
- Natural Flow Paradigm (pdf)
- Report from Reservoir Management Team
Karen Smokorowski, DFO Central & Arctic
- Report from Fish Passage Science Team
- Fisheries Act> Sign-off on WUPs/WMPs (pdf) Ed Debruyn, DFO OGLA: Ontario Water Management Plans & Hugh Smith, BC Hydro: Stave River Water Use Planning
- Strategy for Hydro and Transmission Regulatory Efficiency Initiative (pdf) Al Clark, Senior Advisor, Regulatory Affairs, NRCan
- SARA Session
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SARA and the Fisheries Act
Anne Phelps, Habitat Policy and Regulatory Affairs - SARA and DFO Science
Anne Phelps, Habitat Policy and Regulatory Affairs - SARA and Stewardship (pdf)
Steve Hounsell, Corporate Environment, OPG
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CEA Stewardship Task Group St. John’s Session June 2004
SARA Deliberations:
- Howard Powles, Head, Species at Risk Secretariat, DFO (pdf)
- Anne Phelps, Habitat Policy and Regulatory Affairs, DFO(pdf)
- Bonny Hill, Senior Environmental Coordinator, BC Hydro (pdf)
- Don Lawseth, SAR Coordinator, DFO, Pacific Region and Rebecca Reid, Director of Policy, DFO Pacific Region (pdf)
- Rick McKelvey, Manager, Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada (pdf)
Presentations from the CEA-DFO Stewardship Workshop "Drafting the Components of the In-stream Flow Interpretation Bulletin" Vancouver, April 2-3, 2003.
- Report on Pacific Workshop on In-Stream Flow - Currently Unavailable
Mike Bradford, DFO Pacific & Paul Higgins, BC Hydro - Report on Quebec Workshop on In-Stream Flow (pdf)
Gordon Walsh, DFO Quebec & Michel Bérubé, Hydro Québec - Hydro Operation 101 (pdf)
Brian Fast & Hugh Smith, BC Hydro - Existing Facilities: DFO view (pdf)
Ed DeBruyn, DFO Ontario - Existing Facilities: CEA view (pdf)
Harvey Walsh, Great Lakes Power - New Facilities: DFO view (pdf)
Chris Katopodis, DFO Central & Arctic - New Facilities: CEA view (pdf)
Michel Bérubé, Hydro-Québec - Administrative Issues: DFO view (pdf)
Steve Macfarlane, DFO Pacific - Administrative Issues: CEA view (pdf)
Terry Toner, Nova Scotia Power
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