Alton’s response to third party science review now available

Posted on May 13, 2016

Alton Natural Gas Storage L.P. (Alton) has released its response to the independent science review conducted last year by Conestoga Rovers and Associates (CRA).

Five actions were implemented and are described in Alton’s response to the review which is now available at altonnaturalgasstorage.ca/doc/Alton-CRA-Response-May-2016.pdf.

As described in the response, Alton has implemented five recommendations made by CRA which have improved Alton’s environmental monitoring with:

• Three actions focusing on striped bass, their eggs and young fish, including a longer shut down during striped bass spawning
• An action to increase modelling of sand and debris in the Shubenacadie River to ensure levels do not interfere with mixing of brine prior to release
• An action to augment reporting of the brine composition from the dissolved salt deposits

CRA was retained by the Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn Negotiation Office (KMKNO)on behalf of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs in the negotiations and consultations among the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia, the Province of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada about Alton. CRA focused its review on assessing potential impacts of the proposed project on fish and fish habitat of the Shubenacadie Estuary.

Alton’s response to the review is an outcome of discussions of a multiparty working group that met through the fall of 2015. The working group included representation from Alton, the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia, and federal and provincial governments.

Alton believes this process led to an improved understanding by the company of the values and interests of those around the table.

Alton remains committed to engaging and working with the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia, governments, and members of the community as the project progresses.