Lacombe Lake (Photo: Anita Alexander)

By Sheldon Spackman

Decision Pending

Appeal hearing wraps up for Blackfalds’ Lacombe Lake stormwater plan

Jun 22, 2021 | 2:45 PM

A three-day Environmental Appeals Board hearing has wrapped up regarding the Town of Blackfalds’ plan to drain treated storm water into Lacombe Lake.

Held virtually on June 14, 17, and 21, the hearing heard submissions relating to a July 2020 approval from Alberta Environment and Parks under the Water Act for the North West Stormwater Management Plan.

The project would see rain water from new developments in Blackfalds transported through underground pipelines to a stormwater management facility for treatment before being discharged to Lacombe Lake, Whelp Brook and Wolf Creek.

The appeal was filed by environmental law charity Ecojustice on behalf of Anita Alexander, whose family has owned property at Lacombe Lake since 1960. Alexander has long been a vocal opponent of the project.

The appeal claimed the province failed to identify an adequate outlet for the stormwater management system, and that the Town of Blackfalds failed to present an analysis and modelling of stormwater quality in accordance with the province’s Stormwater Management Guidelines.

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It also claims the Town of Blackfalds failed to provide an analysis of the risk of oil, grease and other hydrocarbon contamination to Lacombe Lake, and that the province failed to consider the lack of such analysis in granting its approval.

The appeal also suggests the province’s designated director, Todd Aasen, “erred in failing to require monitoring that would determine the quality of stormwater discharging into Lacombe Lake.”

Gilbert Van Nes, General Counsel and Settlement Officer for the Environmental Appeals Board, summarizes the concerns as pertaining to water quality and water levels that would come into Lacombe Lake from the Town’s stormwater management system.

“The Town has developed a stormwater management system that involves three different ponds and an artificial wetland to basically filter the water and try to manage the water levels in the lake,” he explains. “But not withstanding that, the appellants are still concerned that the impacts on the lake will have a negative effect.”

He says the Environmental Appeals Board has yet to make a decision regarding the appeal, and notes that changes to the project, such as design changes, could also be made in efforts to address the appellant’s concerns.

“The board is made up of independent experts who are separate and apart from Alberta Environment and from the Government of Alberta,” says Van Nes. “And the board members have a wide variety of expertise in environmental issues, so you’re getting an independent decision from the board.”

Van Nes says the board now has 30 days to make a decision and forward its report to the Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon, who will make the final decision within 60 days of receiving the report.

RELATED: Environmental Appeals Board hearing scheduled over Blackfalds’ Lacombe Lake stormwater plan