All of the work shall be carried out in accordance with any permits or authorizations issued by the Essex Region Conservation Authority (E.R.C.A.) or the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (D.F.O.), copies of which will be provided, if available, and the notes in Appendix “REI-A”. The Contractor is advised that no work may be carried out in the existing drain from March 15th to June 30th of any given year because this is classified as a sensitive time that can have impacts on aquatic life and habitats as per E.R.C.A. and D.F.O.

As part of its work, the Contractor will implement the following measures that will ensure that any potential adverse effects on fish and fish habitat will be mitigated:

  1. As per standard requirements, work will not be conducted at times when flows in the drain are elevated due to local rain events, storms, or seasonal floods. Work will be done in the dry.

  2. All disturbed soils on the drain banks and within the channel, including spoil, must be stabilized immediately upon completion of work. The restoration of the site must be completed to a like or better condition to what existed prior to the works. The spoil material must be hauled away and disposed of at a suitable site or spread an appropriate distance from the top of the drain bank to ensure that it is not washed back into the drain.

  3. To prevent sediment entry into the Drain, in the event of an unexpected rainfall, silt barriers and/or traps must be placed in the channel during the works and until the site has been stabilized. All sediment and erosion control measures are to be in accordance with related Ontario Provincial Standards. It is incumbent on the proponent and their Contractors to ensure that sediment and erosion control measures are functioning properly and are maintained and upgraded as required.

  4. Silt or sand accumulated in the barrier traps must be removed and stabilized on land once the site is stabilized.

  5. All activities including maintenance procedures should be controlled to prevent the entry of petroleum products, debris, rubble, concrete, or other deleterious substances into the water. Vehicular refuelling and maintenance should be conducted away from the water.

lll. M.N.R.F. & M.E.C.P. ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT CONSIDERATIONS

The Contractor is to note that the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (M.E.C.P.) screening process by way of a Species at Risk (S.A.R.) review of the M.E.C.P. “Endangered Species Act, 2007” (E.S.A.) will be completed as a self-assessment by the City pursuant to Section 23.9 of the E.S.A. prior to construction. This Section allows the City to conduct eligible works of repair, maintenance and improvement to existing municipal drains under the Drainage Act, and exemptions from Sections 9 and 10 of the E.S.A., provided that the requirements are followed in accordance with Ontario Regulation 242/08. The results of the review will be provided to the Contractor and copies of the mitigation measures, habitat protection and identification sheets will be included within Appendix “REI-B”.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (M.N.R.F.) - M.E.C.P. mapping has basically confirmed that snake species including Butler’s Garter Snake and Eastern Fox Snake are threatened and endangered, respectively, on this project. Because snakes are mobile and