July 11, 2012 – The Ontario Waterpower Association (OWA) says it is pleased to announce the release of “Best Management Practices Guide for the Mitigation of Impacts of Waterpower Facility Construction”, saying this resource document—authored by Genivar Inc. and Natural Resource Solutions Inc.—”is another example of the collaboration between industry and the federal and provincial governments”.

“The completion of this initiative is very timely and I want to thank all who have contributed,” said Paul Norris, OWA president. “Many of the waterpower projects contracted through the Feed-in-Tariff Program are expected to begin construction this year.”

“My ministry plays a key role in managing Ontario’s Crown land and resources for renewable energy development,” said Michael Gravelle, natural resources minister. “The Best Management Practices Guide is a great tool to improve waterpower project development across the province.”

Waterpower construction in Ontario is largely regulated by the provisions of the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act (LRIA), explains OWA, administered by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and the Federal Fisheries Act, administered by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). These best management practices focus on the construction component of the development cycle, adding to the series of guidance documents prepared thorough a collaborative effort between OWA, MNR and DFO. Over the course of the summer, individual best practices will be added to the background document released today, adds OWA.