Two of our recent projects have been in the news over the last couple of weeks. The first is the Nova Waste Solutions proposed plasma gasification program (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-waste-solutions-boat-harbour-sludge-containment-cell-alternative-1.6003759).

The second is the a project with the Halifax Regional Municipality. Working with the Centre for Water Resource Studies at Dalhousie University and McCallum Environmental Ltd to conduct a pilot study on the prevention of Yellow Floating Heart in Little Albro Lake. (https://www.halifaxtoday.ca/local-news/pilot-project-aims-to-study-yellow-floating-heart-prevention-3679830)

By the end of 2017 we are happy to report we have successfully completed environmental assessments on approximately 1475 MW of Wind Power in Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.  We have worked with developers on 2253 MW of Projects, but markets being what they are, some never make past field studies. We are also working on 311 MW of solar in Canada.

In 2016 McCallum Environmental completed the environmental assessments (birds, bats, wetlands, watercourses, land use, micro-siting of infrastructure) and environmental effects assessment for successful permitting of the 113MW Stirling Wind Power Project.  The Project is being developed through a partnership between Potentia Renewables Inc. and Greengate Power Corporation.

beThe Stirling Wind Project (Project) began development in 2007 and includes approximately 17,000 acres of land located five kilometres northeast of the Town of Stirling. The Project is located in townships 7-18-W4M, 8-18-W4M and 7-19-W4M on privately owned cultivated land and will generate clean energy while allowing landowners to continue with their daily activities. The Project area has an excellent wind resource which has been verified with over seven years of collected onsite wind data.

The Project will be approximately 113 megawatts (MW) in size and is anticipated to be under construction in 2018. The Project involves the installation of up to 46 wind turbines, an electrical collection system, access roads and the construction of a new wind collector substation, called the Red Coat Substation. The turbines in the Project will be connected through a combination of 34.5 kilovolt (kV) above ground and underground collector lines that connect at the proposed Red Coat Substation. The Project will also require a temporary laydown area during construction and also an operation and maintenance building during the operation of the Project.

The Project will also require construction of new access roads and upgrades to existing roads in the area. These roads are required to transport materials for turbine assembly during the construction stage, and to access turbines for regular maintenance during operation. SWLP will look to the local community where possible during construction for local trades and other business opportunities.

The Project proposes to connect to Alberta’s electric grid through an existing 138kV transmission line located west of the Project.

The Project received the Alberta Environment & Parks Referral Report (aka “sign-off”) in 2017.  The Project is currently being reviewed by the Alberta Utilities Commission.

We worked on the Project in conjunction with Bear Tracks Environmental Services.

Prospects for growth in installed wind power has received a boost of some 5GW from Alberta’s plan to phase out coal, and another 2GW from Saskatchewan’s greenhouse gas reduction targets. The percentage of demand met by renewable sources will triple from 9% today to 30% within 15 years!

We would like to welcome Jeff Bonaza and Ryan Power into our group.  They will be helping our client, Valard Construction LP, with compliance during the construction of 1400km of overhead power line through Labrador and Newfoundland.