Environmental effect

Effective and established mitigation measure (technically and economically feasible)

Soil erosion/compaction during the passage of machinery and the storage of materials

• Clearly delineate work and storage areas. •
• Mark the access paths.
• Identify sensitive areas (special status plants, wetlands and waterways).
• Transport and store construction materials on previously identified gravel and grass surfaces.
• Choose the size of the machinery according to the scope of the work to be done.

Soil and backfill quality (soil contamination following a spill or accidental breakage)

• Refuel and maintain construction machinery and vehicles at a site designated for this purpose, as far as possible from a watercourse or wetland.
• Biodegradable hydraulic oils must be used for machinery.
• Use machinery in good working order to minimize the risk of accidental spillage.
• Provide for the establishment and application of an emergency plan in the event of an accidental spill of contaminants. Clearly identify the persons and authorities responsible as well as the procedure to follow in the event of an environmental emergency. Ensure that the response plan contains, at a minimum, a response plan and an alert structure that are known to all employees.
• Have recovery kits on site, as well as absorbent materials in the event of a spill.
• No storage of petroleum products (tanks) is authorized on the work site.
• Carry out, under constant supervision, all handling of fuel, oil, other petroleum products or contaminants, including transfer, in order to avoid accidental spills and to react promptly if necessary.
• Maintain equipment in perfect working order. Check daily for the presence of contaminants leaking on the equipment, which must be repaired immediately if necessary.
• If soil showing signs of contamination (stain, odor, presence of debris, etc.) is encountered during excavation work, stop the work and immediately notify the site supervisor. In the presence of contaminated soil, surface and underground water, it must be properly managed (safe storage, among other things) and disposed of in a site authorized by the MELCC.
• Characterize the backfill to ensure its good quality if it is reused in the structures.
• In the event of a spill, apply the emergency plan, notify ECCCC and the MDDELCC, use protection and containment measures (absorbent berms), quickly clean the area (if possible). Notify ECCC National Environmental Emergency Center (1-866-283-2333) and Urgence Environnement Québec (1-866-694-5454) of any accident that could disrupt the environment. Phone numbers will be posted in the construction trailer.
• Store any potentially contaminated material on an impermeable surface and cover it so as to avoid wind erosion or surface runoff of particles.
• Hazardous residual materials are disposed of in a site duly authorized by the MELCC. Manage contaminated soils in accordance with the Intervention Guide - Soil Protection and Rehabilitation of Contaminated Sites.

Vegetation

• Before deforestation begins, carry out an inventory to ensure that special-status plant species are absent. If colonies are present, mark off the areas to be protected using colored tape.
• To prevent the introduction and spread of invasive plant species in the study area, machinery must be cleaned before arriving on site to remove any material that could increase the risk of spreading invasive plant species.
• Preserve the plant cover until the earthworks are completed.
• Before clearing, be sure to inventory the vegetation colonizing the work areas to avoid cutting or affecting species with status.
• Limit deforestation to the areas needed to carry out the work by putting up protective fences or banding the work areas.
• Accurately identify the clearing area, using fences, before the start of felling work.
• Wood chips and cut vegetation must be removed from the site.
• Ensure that all surfaces that will be bare and affected during the work will be revegetated (seeding and shrub planting) using local native plant species. The revegetation program must be approved by ECCC.

Wetlands (mainly for the Camarine sector)

• Before work begins, precisely delineate the area of ??wetlands to be protected using fences.
• Limit the work to the areas necessary for their completion by maximizing the protection of previously identified areas.
• All soil temporarily excavated in wetlands must be set aside to be reused if possible in the same place after the work.
• All temporary encroachment surfaces in wetlands that will be bare and affected during the work will be revegetated (seeding of local native species) using plant species specific to wetlands.
• Excess materials may be salvaged and, if possible, used for improvements to compensate for permanent losses incurred as part of the project.
• All permanent encroachment surfaces in wetlands must be subject to compensation projects.

Wildlife and habitat (disturbance and modification of habitat)

• Carry out the work outside the periods of reproduction and rearing of the young of avian fauna and terrestrial fauna. The general nesting period for the Îles-de-la-Madeleine extends from mid-April to the end of August.
• Avoid regional nesting and brood-rearing periods so as not to disturb migratory birds, special-status wildlife species and other species in the area.
• Mark the limits of the right-of-way of the work
• Limit the number and area dedicated to storage areas to a minimum in order to limit encroachment on the natural environment.
• Prior to the work, mark out the work area and have the storage areas approved by the Supervisor. Ensure that the boundaries put in place are functional and visible throughout the work.
• The machinery must circulate within the projected limits of the work right-of-way. Turn off engines when machinery is not in use.

Management of residual and hazardous materials

• Keep the site free of waste or dispose of it temporarily in sealed containers intended for such purpose.
• No new hazardous material can be discarded. At the end of the work, the contractor must take back all his unused hazardous materials in order to leave the site perfectly clean.
• The same mitigation measures identified for the soil, surface water and groundwater components in the construction phase can be applied.
• Any residual materials produced during the work must be picked up and disposed of according to their nature. The contractor must ensure that no debris is left on the work site.
• Recover or recycle residual materials when possible or transport them off site, particularly for wood chips and cut vegetation, and dispose of them according to the regulations in force. Waste disposed of off-site will be transported to a location authorized by the MDDELCC.
• The contractor must remove from the site all residual materials, hazardous residual materials, temporary installations, tools, equipment, machinery and materials found on the site in order to leave it perfectly clean.

Vegetation, wetlands, wildlife and habitat

• Limit the right-of-way of the infrastructures to the minimum areas required in order to minimize as much as possible the loss of vegetation by the occupation of the infrastructures.

Soil and backfill quality

• The same mitigation measures identified for the same components in the construction phase can be applied.