Montreal – April 28, 2025 – The authority has determined that the proposed project Installation of a fiber optic network at the Kuujjuaq airport is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

This determination was based on a consideration of the following factors:

• impacts on rights of Indigenous peoples;
• Indigenous knowledge;
• community knowledge;
• comments received from the public; and
• technically and economically feasible mitigation measures.

Mitigation measures taken into account for this determination are :

Soil disturbance, compaction and potential contamination

- Soil reuse must be done in accordance with Appendix 5 of  the Intervention Guide – Soil Protection and Rehabilitation of Contaminated Sites of the Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP).

- During excavation work, if soils showing signs of contamination or residual materials are observed, they must be stored on a waterproof membrane (also place a membrane over the soil pile) or in a container. Test soils and manage them according to their level of contamination, at a site authorized to receive them in the province chosen for disposal. These floors or materials must not be reused on site. Notify the airport manager immediately.

- At the end of the work, any unused soil or materials must be managed off-site, off TC property. They must be tested and transported to a site authorized to receive it by the province to which they are shipped. Shipments and disposal slips must be kept.

- Work involving the transportation of excavated soil containing contaminants from human activity (i.e. greater than criterion A), regardless of its concentration and volume, must be carried out in accordance with the Regulation respecting the traceability of excavated contaminated soil. The owner or authorized person must also register the project in Traces Québec to ensure the traceability of contaminated soil excavated outside the original land, and complete the tracking slips for all excavated soil associated with the project.

- All backfill materials imported to the site must be clean, which means that they must meet criterion "A" of the MELCCFP Intervention Guide. A certificate of analysis of the quality of the backfill materials is required before they are used.

- Restore the land to its pre-existing state.

- It is the contractor's responsibility to identify underground infrastructure if excavation work is planned. If the work is to be carried out near an observation well, the contractor must take the necessary measures to preserve the installation. If it is not possible to preserve the observation well, the contractor must dismantle the well in accordance with Art. 20 of the Regulation respecting the withdrawal of water and its protection. A plan of the observation wells present on the site will be provided to the contractor.

- Equip the site with all the sanitary equipment in sufficient quantity to prevent any dispersion of waste into the environment (transportable chemical toilets, bins, bins, etc.).

- Manage residual materials in accordance with the 3Rs (reduction at source, reuse, recycling). Only materials that cannot be used through one of these channels are sent for disposal.

- At the end of the site's use period, the work areas must be cleared of equipment, machinery, demolition materials, garbage, scrap, rubble and spoil from the work as quickly as possible. These materials will have to be managed in sites authorized to receive them according to the applicable regulations for all types of waste that will be produced as part of this work.

- Contamination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was detected in soil and groundwater in the area of the former firefighters' training site. Therefore, it is recommended that the soil excavated in this area be replaced. In the event that excavated soil is managed otherwise, please contact Transport Canada's Environmental Affairs team.

Surface water contamination

- Carry out maintenance, cleaning and refuelling of equipment and vehicles in the areas provided for this purpose, on a watertight surface, at a distance of at least 30 m from watercourses and 15 m from drainage ditches.

Vegetation disturbance

- The contractor will take the necessary measures to damage the vegetation as little as possible.

- Limit machinery traffic to minimize impacts on adjacent natural vegetation whenever possible.

- Ensure that work equipment and machinery are clean and free of invasive species upon arrival at the site and maintain them in this condition afterwards and at the end of the work.

Bird protection

- If a nest containing migratory bird eggs or nestlings is discovered near or within the work zone, stop all noisy activities in the vicinity of the nesting site, protect the nest(s) with a protection zone. Contact the departmental representative and ECCC's Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) immediately to ensure that the correct action is taken.

- It is recommended that brush-clearing, clearing and/or stripping activities be carried out outside of the sensitive nesting periods for migratory birds, the calendar of which extends from May 15 to August 15 for the Kuujjuaq region.

- Minimize areas of encroachment into the natural environment to reduce the loss of bird habitat.

Accidents and Malfunction

- Ensure that equipment and machinery are in good working order and free of hydrocarbon leaks for the duration of the work.

- Before the work begins, the equipment must be inspected and be in good working order, be clean and free of hydrocarbon or lubricant leaks.

- When refueling machinery, all measures will be taken to minimize the risk of accidental spills (stabilization of equipment and machinery before proceeding, constant monitoring during operations, presence of a complete response kit in the event of a spill of petroleum products, etc.).

- An environmental emergency response plan and an adequate response kit for the recovery of hazardous materials must be present at all times on the site and employees familiar with its use.  This must take into account the proximity of a body of water.

- Any spill must be reported immediately to ECCC's emergency services (1-866-283-2333) and to the MELCCFP's Emergency Environment service (1-866-694-5454).

- Any contaminant spill will have to be the subject of immediate intervention measures to limit and recover pollutants. Pollutants will have to be managed according to the standards in force.

- Any waste or pollutants associated with this incident must be managed and disposed of off-site in accordance with the regulations in force.

- In the event of an equipment breakdown or spill, the emergency response plan must be implemented immediately.

- Any equipment or machinery that leaks hydrocarbons, fuel, engine oil or hydraulic oil must be removed from surface water and sumps, then immediately taken out of service, contained in an enclosure and rehabilitated in order to continue the work.

- If soils are contaminated by an accidental spill, they will have to be piled on a waterproof membrane and covered with a waterproof membrane, or placed in waterproof containers.

The authority is satisfied that the carrying out of the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.