The Study is following the approved environmental planning process for a Group ‘B’ undertaking under the requirements of the Ministry of Transportation’s (MTO) Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000). The purpose of the study is to develop a Recommended Plan in Preliminary Design that will be carried into Detail Design.
The Class EA process includes on-going opportunities for public involvement. Comments can be submitted to the project team by telephone or email. All comments received, with the exception of personal information, will become part of the public record. Once stakeholder input has been received, the Recommended Plans will be finalized. At the completion of the Preliminary Design, a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR) will be prepared to document the Study for the project including:
A summary description of the project;
An outline of the Class EA process;
A description of significant transportation engineering and environmental issues and how they have been addressed;
A summary of stakeholder consultation, and
A detailed description of the Recommended Plan, including the proposed mitigation strategy.
The TESR will be available for a 30-day comment period. Upon completion of the 30-day comment period and provided there are no outstanding concerns, the study will be considered to have met the requirements of MTO’s Preliminary Design and Class EA process and can proceed with Detail Design.
CLASS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS
1. Preliminary Design Notice of Study Commencement
2. Perform Field and Inventory Investigations and Review Existing Conditions
3. Identify, Evaluate, and Select Preferred Alternative Methods
4. Finalize the Preferred Plan
5. Prepare and Submit a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR) for 30-day Comment Period
6. Preliminary Design Class EA Process Approved, Proceed to Detail Design
