Hydro One is making a number of commitments in the construction of the St. Clair Transmission Line, assuring the public that they are taking their feedback into account.
"Hydro One is pleased to have reached this important stage in the planning of this transmission project that will address the forecasted energy demand and growth in southwest Ontario," said Sonny Karunakaran, the Vice President of Strategic Projects and Partnerships for Hydro One.
"Our team has been listening and working to ensure local community input is considered in a meaningful way. We're committed to using construction methods that minimize the effects of this project in the community and on natural resources and habitats, including groundwater and agricultural lands," he added.
The utility submitted its final Environmental Study Report (ESR) and Statement of Completion to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks on Monday. The report includes measures Hydro One intends to use to minimize negative effects on the environment and the residents along the transmission route.
One of the major concerns, especially in North Kent, involves water wells and damaging the aquifer, as there was a severe impact when a wind farm was installed in the area.
In an effort to minimize any effects on groundwater sources and water wells, Hydro One has committed to ensuring that any tower foundations will remain a minimum of 30 feet above the top of the aquifer layer. The energy company will also reduce vibrations and ground disturbances by using helical screws instead of pile driving.
As a result of using these practices, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks said that Hydro One will not need to conduct any groundwater assessments.
At Monday night's council meeting, representatives of Hydro One also said that they will continue working directly with landowners to understand the unique features of their property.
Another major concern that Hydro One addressed was the impact on woodlands, wetlands, and wildlife. Steps that they intend to take include:
keeping trees and plants that will not affect construction or line clearances, where practical
keeping stream bank vegetation, where practical
replacing hedgerows and windbreaks with compatible vegetation after construction, in consultation with the landowner
restoring any woodlands that have been disturbed with compatible vegetation once construction is complete
leave root systems intact to maintain soil stability, where practical
They will also continue to consult with regulatory agencies, municipalities, and Indigenous communities on detailed construction plans and measures to avoid or mitigate effects on wildlife and at-risk species.
When addressing the concerns of farmers, Hydro One plans to schedule construction outside of heavy growing seasons and extreme wet periods. Any lands that lose long-term production of crops will be compensated. The company also intends to keep the towers along property lines wherever possible, so that they don't impede on agricultural land.
Farmers who deal in livestock will be given advance notice of upcoming work, so animals can be rounded up and moved. Fencing will also be set up where needed to keep any animals out of construction areas.
Advanced notice will also be given to residences and businesses before construction begins in their area.
Mayor Darrin Canniff was appreciative of Hydro One's considerations.
"Hydro One has demonstrated a willingness to work closely with communities throughout this process by actively listening to our comments and providing mitigation measures, when possible," he said.
The Mayor of St. Clair Township, Jeff Agar agrees.
"We're pleased to see the community come together to provide Hydro One with the feedback they need to build this critical project that will ensure residents in St. Clair have reliable power, now and in the future," he explained.
The St. Clair Transmission Line is a proposed double-circuit 230 kilovolt transmission line between the Lambton Transformer Station (TS) in St. Clair Township and the Chatham Switching Station (SS) in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
The line is expected to be in service in 2028.
It's part of a network of infrastructure projects planned in Southwestern Ontario, where it's believed the demand for electricity will quadruple by 2035.
The full report is available here.