Environmental Services — October 26, 2009

Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy - FORCE announces Environmental and Community Advisory Teams

    EDITOR'S NOTE: For interviews with committee chairs or FORCE, please
    contact: Dr. Anna Redden, 902-585-1732; Lois Smith: 902-254-2280.; and
    John Woods, 902-497-7346. Names of committee members are at the bottom of
    this release.

HALIFAX, Oct. 26 /CNW/ - Nova Scotia's in-stream tidal power project -- the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) -- announced membership in two key advisory committees today.

The two advisory committees - environmental effects monitoring and community liaison - will provide independent advice to the project from individuals with a range of backgrounds.

"FORCE has an important public purpose and everyone can benefit from the advice of scientists, fishers, residents and First Nations people," said John Woods, chair of FORCE. "The work of the committees will help us direct the project and serve as an important link to the communities that surround the Bay of Fundy."

The Environmental Monitoring Advisory Committee will provide independent expert scientific and traditional ecological knowledge advice on environmental effects monitoring programs at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE).

Dr. Anna Redden, Director of the Acadia Centre for Estuarine Research at Acadia University and Dr. Donald Gordon, Emeritus Scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada will co-chair the committee."The role of the Committee will be to review the environmental effects monitoring programs and available data and make recommendations for monitoring the environmental effects of tidal power technologies in Minas Passage," said Dr Redden.

The Community Liaison Committee will act as a liaison between local organizations, community, and FORCE participants, providing a forum to discuss any issues related to the tidal project and to share timely information as the project proceeds. Lois Smith, Municipal Councilor in Parrsboro, is the co-chair, along with Joe Kozak, representing FORCE.

"This is about keeping everyone in the conversation," said Ms. Smith. "FORCE has international significance, but it's also a local project, and this committee will serve to keep the community actively involved."

Both committees will have representation from fishers, Mi'kmaq, government, technology developers, and FORCE. The environmental monitoring advisory committee will also include members of the academic community. The community liaison committee will also include members of the general public.

Energy Minister Bill Estabrooks welcomed the appointments.

"Tidal technology can play a role in protecting our environment and sustaining our communities," said Mr. Estabrooks. "These committees will help ensure that role is open and transparent, right from the start."

Initial appointments to both committees were made by FORCE, a partnership between developers and the province.

Names of Community Liaison Committee Members, followed by names and biographies of Environmental Monitoring Advisory Committee members:

Community Liaison Committee Members:

Mark Canton, Public; Terri McCulloch, Public; Gerard Cormier, Public; Shawna Eason, CREDA; Frank Hartman, Public; Joe Kozak - Interim Co-chair on behalf of FORCE; Ken Meade, NSPI; NS Mi'kmaq representative, to be named; Ross Robinson, Public; Lois Smith - Parrsboro Town Councilor, co-chair; Cindy Tupper, Parrsboro Harbour Commission; Croyden Woods Sr., Parrsboro Harbour Commission; Croyden Woods Jr., Lobster Fisher; Robert Yorke , Public.

Biographies of EMAC Members

Michael Brylinsky is a Senior Research Associate of the Acadia Centre for Estuarine Research at Acadia University and an Adjunct Professor in the Biology Department at Acadia University. Over the past 30 years, Dr. Brylinsky has worked extensively on various aspects of the biology of the Bay of Fundy ecosystems and communities and numerous other coastal systems in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Graham Daborn is an Emeritus Professor at Acadia University and the former Director of the Acadia Centre for Estuarine Research. Dr. Daborn co-chaired the Fundy Environmental Studies Committee (1976-1984) during the early proposals for tidal power development in the Bay of Fundy and led multi-disciplinary research related to tidal power for more than 30 years.

Donald Gordon is an Emeritus Scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and he previously worked with DFO for over 35 years. Dr. Gordon's research interests include the effects of benthic organisms on marine sediments, environmental impact assessment, ecosystem modelling, benthic habitat mapping, and environmental effects monitoring. Dr. Gordon co-chaired the Fundy Environmental Studies Committee related to the potential impacts of tidal power developments from 1976 to 1984.

Andrew Hebda is the Curator of Zoology for Nova Scotia Museum in Halifax, and he has been in this position for the over 14 years. Mr. Hebda is a member of the COSEWIC Mollusca Specialist Subcommittee and until 2008, he was a part-time Faculty member at Saint Mary's University.

Ken Meade is the Manager of Environmental Services with Nova Scotia Power Inc. Mr. Meade's responsibilities involves environmental studies and extensive regulatory and stakeholder consultation in the development of water and fish management strategies for hydroelectric systems. He is currently Chair of the Canadian Electricity Association Species at Risk Task Group.

Robert Miller is an Emeritus Scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Dr. Miller had a 37 year career with DFO as a marine ecologist and fishery scientist and his areas of research interest included performance of baited traps, organization in hard-bottom plant and animal communities, and the distribution of lobster larvae.

Anna Redden is an Associate Professor in Biology at Acadia University, Director of the Acadia Centre for Estuarine Research, and a member of the FORCE Board. Dr. Redden is actively engaged in collaborative research on the potential impacts of tidal power developments on migratory fishes and on sediment-animal relationships in the upper Bay of Fundy.

Michael Stokesbury is currently the Director of Research for the Ocean Tracking Network at Dalhousie University, and as well as an Adjunct professor of Biology at Acadia University. Dr. Stokesbury's research interests focus on fish marine migration and behaviour, and assessment of the impact of coastal engineering projects on the local marine environment.

Mark Taylor is a commercial lobster and scallop fisherman and has fished in the Minas Channel for 30 years. Mr. Taylor is the President of the Heavy Current Fishers Association, and he is also a member of DFO Lobster Advisory Board. Mr. Taylor brings significant local knowledge and understanding of the fisheries, currents and tides in the Minas Channel to the Committee.

Keith Thompson holds a Canada Research Chair in Marine Prediction and Environmental Statistics at Dalhousie University. Dr. Thompson is jointly appointed in the Department of Oceanography and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Dalhousie University. His research interests include shelf and deep ocean modeling, data assimilation, sea level variations and coastal flooding, and the analysis of extremes.

For further information: Ross McLaren, Department of Energy, (902) 424-4536, (902) 456-4212, mclarenr@gov.ns.ca; Beth Caldwell, Minas Basin Pulp and Power, (902) 684-1700, Cell: (902) 680-5378, bcaldwell@minas.ns.ca

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