Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project

Attachment Fast Acting Natural Gas Power Generation Facility– Marshdale, Pictou County

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Administrator on behalf of Mi’kmaq Nation
• Reference Number: 25
• Submitted: 2026-02-10 - 8:02 AM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• See the attached submission / Veuillez consulter la pièce jointe
• Attachment Included
• Page 1 of 6 February 9, 2026 Jeremy Higgins Environmental Assessment Officer Environmental Assessment Branch Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change jeremy.higgins@novascotia.ca Mr. Higgins, Re: Fast Acting Natural Gas Power Generation Facility – Marshdale, Pictou County I write in response to your letter dated December 22, 2025, in which the province has declined to adhere to its consultation obligations pursuant to the Constitution Act, 1982 and the Terms of Reference for a Mi’kmaq-Nova Scotia-Canada Consultation Process (ToR) as ratified on August 31, 2010, on the above noted project. This letter will also serve as a response to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada’s (IAAC) letter dated January 5, 2026. The Mi’kmaq Nation in Nova Scotia has a general interest in all lands and resources in Nova Scotia as the Mi’kmaq Nation has never surrendered, ceded, or sold the Aboriginal title to any of its lands in Nova Scotia. The ...

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Attachment Please switch to renewables

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Nicole Corrado
• Reference Number: 22
• Submitted: 2026-02-09 - 11:54 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• Please switch to renewable energy projects.  ???I noticed a lot of wildlife live here.  ?????Please preserve the trees at this location. Please do not harm animals with this project. Please do not use animal testing for pollution and effluent monitoring. https://www.change.org/p/stop-testing-sewer-water-on-laboratory-fish ?Please work with the Canadian Centre for the Alternatives to Animal Methods. https://www.uwindsor.ca/ccaam/ Please only use non lethal ways to live with geese, beavers, and other wildlife. Develop a Living With Coyotes program with the animal welfare organization Coyote Watch Canada. www.coyotewatchcanada.com Please only use non lethal ways to manage wildlife. There are humane, non lethal ways to deal with beavers. Here's a great ...

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Attachment Marshdale and Salt Springs Proposed Gas Power Generation Plants

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Amanda Dunfield
• Reference Number: 21
• Submitted: 2026-02-09 - 10:59 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• please see comment attached as pdf file
• Attachment Included
• Please accept this correspondence as a formal request that the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada deny approval of the proposed natural gas power generation facilities in Marshdale and Salts Springs, Pictou County, Nova Scotia. I submit this request as a former resident of both Concord Road and Lorne Station Road, in the communities of Glengarry Station and Lorne, respectively. Basis for Request 1. Climate, public health, and policy alignment concerns Approval of these facilities is incompatible with Nova Scotia’s climate commitments and broader public health and sustainability objectives. Nova Scotia has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2035, while the proponent has indicated these facilities could operate upwards of 45 years. The combustion of natural gas and diesel fuel produces nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and greenhouse gases, all of which are associated with adverse public health outcomes. The Canadian Association of Physicians for ...

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Attachment Sierra Club Comments Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project, Ref. No. 90111

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Administrator on behalf of Gretchen Fitzgerald, on behalf of Sierra Club Canada Foundation
• Reference Number: 26
• Submitted: 2026-02-09 - 10:38 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• See the attached submission / Veuillez consulter la pièce jointe
• Attachment Included
• Comments on the Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project, Ref. No. 90111 February 9, 2026 Executive Summary Sierra Club Canada Foundation submits these comments to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) regarding the proposed Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility in Nova Scotia. These comments are directed specifically to IAAC’s screening role under the Impact Assessment Act (IAA). The question before IAAC at this stage is narrow but consequential: does the existing environmental assessment record provide a defensible basis to conclude that a comprehensive federal impact assessment is not required? Based on the Environmental Assessment Registration Document (EARD) and associated materials, Sierra Club Canada Foundation submits that it does not. Across multiple issue areas within federal jurisdiction, the EA record exhibits a consistent and material pattern: potential adverse effects are systematically understated, not because ...

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Attachment IESO beggars need to be stopped

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Salt Springs and Marshdale
• Reference Number: 20
• Submitted: 2026-02-09 - 10:32 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• The Proposed toxic gas plants in Marshdale and Salt Springs needs to be immediately rejected to prevent IESO from using anymore taxpayers dollars.  They refuse to speak to the public and there appears to be a lot of provincial corruption surrounding natural gas projects that are currently failing throughout Canada.     Stopping a natural gas plant requires a combination of local organizing, legal challenges, and political pressure to force municipalities and regulators to reject permits. Key strategies include  lobbying for municipal resolutions against the project, campaigning for stronger federal clean electricity regulations, and highlighting the health and environmental risks to build public opposition.  Here are actionable steps to stop a natural gas plant: 1. Organize Local Opposition  Form a Coalition: Build a community group to share information, ...

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Attachment Concerned but hopeful

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Danny Cameron
• Reference Number: 19
• Submitted: 2026-02-09 - 10:20 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• I have mixed feeling about these natural gas plants. I would prefer no fossil fuels but when it's a huge difference compared to coal and the timeline involved, it's hard to argue. However, there are significant concerns that I don't feel have been properly addressed/researched yet to make an informed decision if you're the government that is, anytime soon. I know we're under the gun for 2030 but we have to get this right if it's going to be done here and or in Salt Springs. I will copy and paste a document that I wrote-up and had touched-up a bit by AI for reading clarity: Marshdale Natural Gas Plant – Community and Environmental Concerns In regard to water: Summer 2025 produced a significant drought in our area. The East River flowing through Stellarton was so low that rocks were visible above the water — something I cannot recall seeing in my 39 years living here. We experienced several consecutive weeks without ...

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Attachment Environmental Concerns pertaining to the Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Ecology Action Centre
• Reference Number: 18
• Submitted: 2026-02-09 - 9:02 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• Attached are the Ecology ACtion Centre's concerns re the Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility to be sumbitted to the Imact Assessment Agency of Canada
• Attachment Included
• The Ecology Action Centre is concerned about the development of the proposed Marshdale Gas plant. These gas plants will not support decarbonization and ultimately limit environmental progress. Our comments are based upon the EA Registration Documents for the proposed project Marshdale. 1) The proponent – IESO – is a non-for profit responsible for the planning and reliable operation of Nova Scotia’s bulk electricity system. Whereas the purpose of EA is to promote sustainable development by protecting and conserving the environment, the EAC seeks to identify and assess adverse effects on the environment. The involvement of NGOs and the general public is crucial to achieve this goal, and the EAC appreciates the opportunity to engage with the IESO on the construction of gas plants. The Proponent’s Guide to Environmental Assessment notes that “in certain circumstances, special consultations may be held with First Nations.” The EAC urges the proponent to engage in the ...

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Attachment Physicians' comments on proposed Nova Scotia gas plants

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Administrator on behalf of Catherine Cervin
• Reference Number: 24
• Submitted: 2026-02-09 - 8:50 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• See the attached submission / Veuillez consulter la pièce jointe
• Attachment Included
• Impact Assessment Agency of Canada 200-1801 Hollis Street Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3N4 Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project Project reference number: 90111 Email: Marshdale@iaac-aeic.gc.ca Salt Springs Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project Email: SaltSprings@iaac-aeic.gc.ca Project reference number: 90114 Environmental Assessment Branch Department of Environment and Climate Change PO Box 442 Halifax, NS, B3J 2P8 Email: ea@novascotia.ca; EA@gov.ns.ca February 9, 2026 RE: Fast Acting Natural Gas Power Generation Facility – Marshdale and Salt Springs As physicians and healthcare providers representing the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) in Nova Scotia, we are submitting our concerns regarding the proposed fast-acting natural gas power generation facilities for Marshdale and Salt Springs in Pictou County, submitted by IESO Nova Scotia. CAPE is a national non-partisan, physician-led ...

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Attachment No to the Natural Gas Power Plants

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Lori Ashley
• Reference Number: 17
• Submitted: 2026-02-09 - 7:56 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• To Whom It May Concern,   I am writing as a concerned resident of Pictou County to make known my opposition to the proposed Natural Gas Power Generation Facilities in Pictou County.   The report appears to be a desktop review. There is lacking exploratory based information on the impacts to the actual rural locations for these Power Plants. One of the biggest concerns is the amount of water usage for cooling and cleaning (equivalent usage of 750 Rural Homes). Have alternative cooling solutions been explored? What were those solutions and what was the outcome? The report indicates mitigation if local water quality and supply are impacted, but nothing indicates what those mitigations will be. Residents should have a clear understanding of what that plan is. Is there a possibility of recycling the used water back into cooling the facility instead of releasing it into the environment? The report also indicates ...

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Attachment Sipekne'katik First Nation Comments on Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Project

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Administrator on behalf of Sipekne'katik First Nation
• Reference Number: 23
• Submitted: 2026-02-09 - 7:54 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• See the attached submission / Veuillez consulter la pièce jointe  
• Attachment Included
• February 9, 2026 Impact Assessment Agency of Canada 200-1801 Hollis Street Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3N4 RE: COMMENTS ON MARSHDALE NATURAL GAS POWER GENERATION PROJECT PROPOSED BY THE NOVA SCOTIA INDEPENDENT ENERGY SYSTEM OPERATOR (IESO) Sipekne’katik First Nation Initial Comments Disclaimer - (Impact Assessment Act, s. 12) This submission provides interim comments and observations from Sipekne’katik First Nation concerning the Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Project, as submitted for initial review to the Impact Assessment Agency Canada (IAAC) by the Nova Scotia Independent Energy Operator (IESO). These comments do not represent Sipekne’katik’s final position or decision on the Project, nor do they constitute consent. The project has not yet been formally under the Sipekne’katik Governance Initiative (SGI), which is the sole process recognized by Sipekne’katik First Nation for conducting consultation with its community ...

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Attachment No to Fast Reacting Fossil Fuel Power Plant pollution - we have clean energy options

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Environmentalist, Researcher
• Reference Number: 16
• Submitted: 2026-02-09 - 3:14 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• February 09, 2026 Public Comment on NS Project Environmental Assessment: Re: Fast Reacting Fossil Fuel Gas power plants  - comment to both [1] Saltspring, NS and [2] Marshdale, NS [1] NO to new fossil fuel power plants –there should be no approval to using combustion carbon fossil fuel technology due to the fossil fuel combustion air pollution and increased carbon accumulative impacts over the proposed 30 years – we need change and we have a clean tech option [2 NO to the location and concept model - while fast reacting power plants on demand are needed for grid balance the should be decentralized and distributed along the grid and clean technologies that do no release air pollution or carbon emissions [3] Agriculture and local food security relies on rural lands air and water --so it is not the place to construct brand new fossil fuel combustion power plants to release small Particulate matter pollution. [4] Current ...

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Attachment New fuel plants

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Administrator on behalf of Edna Del Zoppo-Hancock
• Reference Number: 14
• Submitted: 2026-02-05 - 7:33 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• As a registered voter in NS (Richmond County) I strongly feel the environmental sssessments for the proposed Marshdale and Saltspring gas plants In Nova Scotia should be summarily dismissed, and the projects cancelled.

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Attachment EAs for the Proposed Marshdale & Saltspring Gas plants

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Administrator on behalf of Jennyfer Brickenden/Scott Macmillan
• Reference Number: 13
• Submitted: 2026-02-05 - 11:19 AM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• Good morning;   I find it difficult to have to address this issue of the proposed Marshdale and Saltsprings Gas plants.  Nova Scotians have so roundly objected to fracking for Natural Gas to the point of banning it in our province. Without consideration this current government has made a complete reversal and has gone so far as to fund Dalhousie University to the tune of $30 million to promote industrial development of this industry in our province. These government directions are reckless and regressive, undermining the wishes of the people of NS to truly decarbonize but demonstrating quite clearly that it is the fossil fuel/oil interests that are all that really matter to this government.   The Environmental Assessments for two proposed 300MW gas plants lack independent unbiased scrutiny and have failed completely to fulfill the requirement to examine project alternatives. The report that renewables are not up for the task ...

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Attachment Gas

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Administrator on behalf of Emma FitzGerald
• Reference Number: 12
• Submitted: 2026-02-05 - 9:45 AM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• Hello representatives,   Please consider the following information before approving any Gas development.   We deserve to go in the right direction, away from fossil fuels, towards a better future that doesn't destroy this land and our air and water.   Thank you for your consideration,   Neal Livingston has had an independent career in Nova Scotia in energy production for over 45 years from domestic to commercial grid scale, in hydroelectric, wind, and solar. Parallel to this commercial career, as a volunteer he has been worked to promote clean energy solutions for Nova Scotia. Between 2010 and 2020 he was a founding member of a volunteer community group Clean Power Now, that worked to get Nova Scotia off fossil fuels by importing electricity from Hydro Quebec. This included holding meetings at the federal level with executive assistants to the federal minister of energy, provincial level ...

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Attachment EAs Marshdale and Salt Spring, Pictou Co.

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Administrator on behalf of David Craig
• Reference Number: 15
• Submitted: 2026-02-03 - 6:48 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• FYI   I am writing as a resident of Pictou Co.  Both of the Environmental Assessments for the proposed Marshdale and Salt Spring sites should be dismissed.  Below, please find comprehensive arguments prepared by alternate energy expert Neal Livingston that in my opinion, obviate any serious consideration of these projects.  I echo his objections.   To these comments I will also add my voice to the concerns already expressed by many Pictou County residents regarding the excessive use of water these proposed projects are projected to use.  The summer of 2025 should alarm all Nova Scotians given the lengthy drought that was experienced.  This type of drought should be expected to occur again in the future.  Large industrial sites such as those proposed that use huge amounts of water would put the public at risk and affect other industries such as agriculture.    Nova Scotia should not be ...

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Attachment The Environmental Assessments for the Proposed Marshdale and Saltspring Gas Plants In Nova Scotia Should be Summarily Dismissed, and the Projects Cancelled

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Administrator on behalf of Neal Livingston
• Reference Number: 27
• Submitted: 2026-02-01 - 4:39 AM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• See the attached submission / Veuillez consulter la pièce jointe
• Attachment Included
• From: Neal Livingston February 1, 2026 Box 55, Mabou, Nova Scotia Canada B0E 1X0 mobile 902-456-2004 blackriverneal@gmail.com www.blackriver.group To: Hon. Timothy Halman and Hon. Julie Dabrusin Minister Department of Environment Minister Environment 1894 Barrington Street, Suite 1800 House of Commons P.O. Box 442, Halifax, NS, B3J 2P8 OEawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 Minister.Environment@novascoMa.ca ministre-minister@ec.gc.ca The Environmental Assessments for the Proposed Marshdale and Saltspring Gas Plants In Nova Sco;a Should be Summarily Dismissed, and the Projects Cancelled ________________________________________________________________________________________ Neal Livingston has had an independent career in Nova Sco4a in energy produc4on for over 45 years from domes4c to commercial grid scale, in hydroelectric, wind, and solar. Parallel to this commercial career, as a volunteer he has been worked to promote clean energy ...

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Attachment Other locations

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Kristen Mackay
• Reference Number: 9
• Submitted: 2026-01-27 - 5:21 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• With so many other properties already ruined in the area by poor management and fouling of the environment why not use a pre-existing site already ruined?    Why create a plant on the back of people's home in the area with so many issues that could arise from it.    Imagine building a home to come home one and find you either have no drinkable water or water in your well at all.   That's just the beginning of your problems what value does your home that still has a mortgage on it hold? How is it possible that the company is exempt from any repercussions before they have even dug in the ground.  What this tells me is that they know this is going to become an issue and are protecting themselves before a shovel is even in the ground.    In this whole province there isn't an abandoned piece of property already affected or nowhere to build that doesn't risk huge financial loss to ...

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Attachment False information and no actionable guarantees when the plant is not run as advertised and ruins more land in Pictou County.

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Janna McCullough
• Reference Number: 8
• Submitted: 2026-01-27 - 4:53 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• The Conservative leader, Marco MacLeod, is blindly following a private company. If there is truly no risk to wells in the area, why is there no agreement in place that holds the company accountable if wells run dry or if the well water is no longer drinkable? If the plant is supposed to operate only as a backup power source, why is there no guarantee regarding the number of hours it will operate? From the information provided, there are no assurances to hold the company accountable if water becomes contaminated or wells go dry. There is also nothing addressing sound pollution or the devaluation of land in the surrounding area. Meetings regarding the construction of this plant were not widely advertised, and invitations were not even sent to those — including myself — who have been actively contacting the local MLA with questions and concerns about the project. As has been seen in other areas of Pictou County, there will likely be years of ...

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Attachment Formal Opposition to the Salt Springs Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: The Hollow at Lovat, our home
• Reference Number: 7
• Submitted: 2026-01-24 - 9:50 AM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• To Whom It May Concern,   I am writing as a resident of Lovat Road in Salt Springs (The Hollow) to formally register my opposition to the proposed Fast Acting Natural Gas Power Generation Facilities (PIDs 00851287, 65049983, 00846311, and 65177198).   As a homeowner whose property is  adjacent to the project area, I am deeply concerned by the lack of localized data regarding the long-term impacts on our community’s water security, air quality, and the fundamental rural character of Salt Springs.   1. Water Security and Aquifer Depletion The proposal indicates a water requirement equivalent to 750 households (approx. 330,000 liters per day). My property, and those of my neighbors, relies entirely on private wells tapping into a shared bedrock aquifer.   The Omission: The Environmental Assessment Registration Document (p. 51, 120) admits that a comprehensive hydrogeological field ...

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Attachment Excited

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Jane Fraser
• Reference Number: 6
• Submitted: 2026-01-06 - 6:47 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• Happy to hear for a plan to support in green energy transformation at home in Pictou county. Please approve! 

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Attachment Please enable this project

• Marshdale Natural Gas Power Generation Facility Project
• Author: Mel Maclean
• Reference Number: 5
• Submitted: 2026-01-05 - 7:04 PM
• Project Phase: Planning
• Participation Notice: Public notice - Comments invited on the summaries of the Initial Project Descriptions and funding available
• This is a win-win situation for Nova Scotia.  Bringing N.S. based natural gas to provide better electrical service is a no brainer.  PLEASE enable this project.  

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