Public Notice

Upgrading petroleum product storage systems at Rapid Lake – Public Comments Invited

June 26^th, 2024 – Indigenous Services Canada must determine whether the proposed Upgrading petroleum product storage systems in Rapid Lake is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, Indigenous Services Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.

Written comments must be submitted by July 26th, 2024 to:

Environmental Advisor (Québec)

Indigenous Services Canada

aadnc.qcevalenvenvassessqc.aandc@canada.ca

The Proposed Project

The project involves bringing into compliance 4 tanks subject to the Storage Tank Systems for Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products Regulation, located in the Algonquin community of Barriere Lake, Rapid Lake. The tanks involved are the underground tank at the elementary school and gymnasium, as well as the above-ground tank at a teachers' residence and a heavy equipment dispensing station. Each of these storage systems have a volume of 5000L or less, and were installed between 1999 and 2008. Although there are no visible traces of contamination at the location of the tanks, the contractor will hire a specialized firm to carry out an environmental characterization of the excavated material to detect presence of contaminated soils. The walls and bottom of excavations following the removal of storage systems will be sampled, and contaminated soils, if any, will be disposed before backfilling the excavations with non-contaminated materials.