Manitoba Clean Environment Commission (CEC)
"Report on Public Hearings - Wuskwatim Generation and Transmission Projects"

• confirms the need for regional land use planning prior to development;
• recommends a regional planning initiative to address existing and future hydroelectric and other developments;
• includes both existing and future protected areas commitments;
• acknowledges the need for higher standards for environmental assessment (EA) of hydro projects;
• recommends the enactment of EA legislation;
• identifies a need for an environmental policy for cumulative effects assessment;
• notes the lack of a risk analysis as part of the Wuskwatim 'Justification, Need For and Alternatives To' (JNFAAT) filing and recommends that future hydro project filings should include such analysis;
• identifies gaps in Manitoba Hydro's climate change policy;
• recommends Manitoba Hydro develop a climate change policy consistent with provincial and national climate change targets and policies to be applicable in environmental assessment of future hydroelectric developments; and
• makes recommendations about mitigation, monitoring, and public reporting that address concerns expressed by public participants;
• thresholds for biophysical effects; monitoring of woodland caribou populations; ecological integrity of protected areas; and greenhouse gas emissions during construction and operation of the Wuskwatim projects be part of future, public monitoring.