Order Made Under The Environmental Assessment Act

Declaration – Transformer Station at Stelco’s Lake Erie Works Steel Plant in Nanticoke

Having received a request from Stelco Inc. (“Stelco”) that an undertaking, namely,

The planning, designing, establishing, constructing, operating, changing, expanding and retiring of a new 262.5-kilovolt transformer station that will form part of Stelco’s proposed By-Product Energy Recovery Electricity Generation Facility Project (“proposed EGF Project”) at its Lake Erie Works steel plant in Nanticoke;

be declared not subject to the Environmental Assessment Act (Act) or its regulations, pursuant to subsection 3.2(1) of the Act; and

Having been advised by Stelco that if the undertaking is subject to the application of the Act, the following injury, damage or interference with the persons and property indicated will occur:

  1. Delay to the realization of positive environmental impacts associated with the undertaking, namely assisting with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the site.
  2. Delay to economic opportunities for Stelco and employment opportunities for the community.
  3. Additional costs and delays to the planned timelines for the construction and implementation of the undertaking.

Having weighed such injury, damage, or interference against the betterment of the people of the whole or any part of Ontario by the protection, conservation and wise management in Ontario of the environment which would result from the undertaking being subject to the application of the Act;

The undersigned is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to declare and declares pursuant to subsection 3.2(1) of the Act that the undertaking is not subject to the application of the Act or its regulations for the following reasons:

  1. The proposed EGF Project, for which the undertaking is a critical component, would have a positive environmental impact by helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the site. The proposed EGF Project would also help Stelco to grow and create additional jobs and reduce the demand on the provincial electricity grid during peak hours at the Lake Erie Works site.
  2. The potential environmental effects of implementing the undertaking are anticipated to be minimal given:
    • That the proposed undertaking is within Stelco’s existing industrial site, which is regulated by several permits and approvals;
    • Construction impacts are expected to be minimal while considering distance to the nearest sensitive receptor and that access to the site will be garnered through existing roads within an existing heavily industrial area; and,
    • To address potential spills, the company has identified that it will implement a Spill Prevention and Contingency Plan, which would be in place during the construction period.
  3. Stelco has consulted with the local community regarding the proposed EGF Project and plans to continue to inform the community as construction of the proposed EGF Project unfolds, including by additional press releases, website updates and meetings with its Community Liaison Committee.

Dated the 7 day of May, 2021 at Toronto.

[Original Signed by]
Jeff Yurek
Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

Approved by O.C. No.
Date O.C. Approved

Environmental Assessment Branch Contact: Kendrick Doll
Telephone No.: 289-980-0466
EA File No.: 21002

Order in Council 626/2021