Clean Environment Commission Recommends Issuance of Environmental License for Bipole III

Manitoba’s Clean Environment Commission has recommended the issuance of an environmental license to Manitoba Hydro for the building of the Bipole III Transmission Project. Manitoba Hydro had submitted its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on December 2011 and the results of the public participation process on February 2012 to the Commission which was tasked by the provincial government to conduct reviews and give recommendations.

The Commission has recommended the issuance of an Environment Act licence subject to meeting certain conditions. Environmental conditions like the continued monitoring of wildlife in the area during and after project construction have to be met to ensure that the integrity of caribou, black bear, and timber wolf populations are not compromised. Specific route changes, compensation for agricultural losses, and annual public reports are also some of the other stipulated conditions.

The Commission’s recommendations and the Crown’s consultations with the Aboriginal communities will ultimately determine if the provincial government will issue the needed Class 3 licence for Bipole III. The project became contentious after the NDP government scrapped the original plan to run the line to the east route to protect a proposed UNESCO World Heritage site. The proposed route now traverses the west side of the province and is estimated to cost $3.28 billion. Provided that all the regulatory approvals are met, the Bipole III is expected to be in-service in 2017.