A Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) report highlighting “significant concerns” with the environmental assessment for the Hillsburgh dam and bridge could delay the process for the high-profile project.
The report, to be presented on Jan. 20 to the CVC board, states the Town of Erin elected to reconstruct the Station Street bridge and rehabilitate the dam “after the inappropriate removal of four of the original alternatives.”
The CVC states the rationale for removing those alternatives – all involving the decommissioning of the dam – was that the property owner, Wellington County, would not provide permission to carry out the work associated with them.
“In the opinion of CVC staff, it was not appropriate to remove the alternatives, as had these alternatives been evaluated, each of them would have ranked higher in preference than the selected alternative,” the report states.
The report also outlines times when the town acted without CVC input, including filing a project report with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) in December.
CVC staff are seeking permission from the board to file a part two order to the MOECC, if the town and the CVC cannot reach an agreement.
A part two order is requested when outstanding issues have not been addressed in the EA process. The order could stall the expected completion date of the EA.
The resolution will be voted on at the Jan. 20 CVC board meeting in Mississauga.
The original options for the Station Street bridge and dam project were:
– do nothing;
– rehabilitate dam and reconstruct bridge;
– rehabilitate both dam and bridge;
– rehabilitate bridge and decommission dam;
– rehabilitate bridge, decommission dam and construct an offline Pond;
– reconstruct bridge and decommission dam; or
– reconstruct bridge, decommission dam and construct an offline pond.
On Dec. 6, Paul Ziegler of Triton Engineering recommended Erin council reconstruct the Station Street bridge and rehabilitate the dam.
Ziegler told council that officials “had to shortlist the (seven) options to what was practical.”
