Topaz Generating Station near Houston, Texas is similar to the one that PROENERGY wants to build near Centre Village. Photo: PROENERGY

The New Brunswick government has approved construction of a 500 MW gas/diesel plant near Centre Village subject to 45 conditions that require the U.S. company PROENERGY to monitor air and water quality and submit a net zero greenhouse gas emissions plan after one full year of operation.

Other conditions require the company to:

• engage in on-going information sharing with the Elsipogtog First Nation throughout the project in relation to any impacts on plants or wildlife, including moose.
• work with the Tantramar Fire Department in the preparation of an Emergency Management Plan and Fire Safety plan that specifically addresses the provision of a water supply for firefighting purposes for potential fires at the facility. Those plans must be submitted to the government before construction begins.
• investigate any complaints from local water users about negative impacts during construction or operation on the quality and quantity of their private wells and if it’s determined that PROENERGY is responsible for any negative effects, the company will be required to provide a temporary water supply for short-term impacts or to repair remediate, or replace any permanently affected wells which might include deepening a well or drilling a new one.

PROENERGY would also be required to operate the generating plant using natural gas as the primary fuel and notify the government when it is using diesel and for how long.

Although the conditions state that PROENERGY must operate the plant primarily in synchronous condensing mode that does not require burning fuel, it will be allowed to operate up to 17% of the time calculated on a yearly basis.

Environment Minister Gilles LePage. Photo: Government of New Brunswick

During a 30-minute news conference, Environment Minister Gilles LePage said he is satisfied with the 45 conditions.

“Some of the concerns addressed in the conditions included potential risk to human health,” LePage said in his opening statement.

“A human health risk assessment concluded that risks are negligible to minimal. Air quality monitoring will be conducted to maintain compliance with regulatory standards during operations,” he added.

“I’m very confident that this project will minimize the impact on human health.”

When asked about local opposition to the project, LePage said he would reassure residents in Tantramar that the 45 conditions will address all of their concerns.

He also pointed out that one condition requires PROENERGY to inform the public regularly about construction activities and the project’s progress.

When asked how the government could continue to support the project if there is no Indigenous investment in it or approval for it, LePage pointed to the requirement to share information with the Elsipogtog First Nation.

“So, it is not a condition or essential to the project that there be Indigenous investment or buy-in or approval?” a reporter asked.

“No, my role and our role as an EIA process is to evaluate a project on the environmental impacts on a proposed project on a certain site,” the minister answered.

“The business case, the financial part, we are not engaged in that aspect,” he said, adding that the question should be directed to PROENERGY.

To read the complete list of 45 conditions, click here.