Public Notice

Value Chain Solutions – Heartland Complex Expansion Project — Public Comments Invited

What is happening?

November 19, 2020 — The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (the Agency) has accepted an initial project description for the proposed Value Chain Solutions – Heartland Complex Expansion Project, located near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.

The Agency invites the public and Indigenous groups to review the summary of the initial project description and provide feedback related to the proposed project. This feedback, which includes comments, will help the Agency prepare a summary of issues. Once completed, the Agency will provide the summary of issues to the proponent.

The Agency recognizes it is more challenging to undertake meaningful public engagement and Indigenous consultation in light of the circumstances arising from COVID-19. The Agency continues to assess the situation, adjust consultation activities and provide flexibility as needed in order to prioritize the health and safety of all Canadians and conduct meaningful engagement with interested groups.

How can I participate?

Comments can be submitted online by visiting the project home page on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry (reference number 81148). All comments received will be published online as part of the project file. For more information on the project, the review process and alternative means of submitting comments, visit the Agency's website at canada.ca/iaac.

Written comments, in either official language, will be accepted until December 9, 2020.

To view the summary of the initial project description online, visit the Agency's website at canada.ca/iaac.

Virtual Information Sessions

The Agency invites the public and Indigenous groups to attend a virtual information session to learn more about the project and the impact assessment process. The Agency will also provide participants with details on how to submit comments on the summary of the initial project description.

December 3, 2020 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. MST (Session 1, click here)
December 3, 2020 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. MST (Session 2, click here)

More information on how to attend the virtual information sessions is available by contacting the Agency at IAAC.Heartland.AEIC@canada.ca.

Will there be more opportunities to participate?

This is the first federal comment period for the project. If the Agency determines a federal impact assessment is required, the public and Indigenous groups will have additional opportunities to participate over the course of the impact assessment process.

Stay updated by following the Agency on Twitter: @IAAC_AEIC #HeartlandComplexExpansion

What is the proposed project?

Value Chain Solutions Inc. is proposing to expand its approved Heartland Project, a bitumen upgrader and refinery, located in Alberta's Industrial Heartland, about 18 kilometres northeast of Fort Saskatchewan. As proposed, the Value Chain Solutions – Heartland Complex Expansion Project would increase the facility's input capacity by three hundred percent, bringing its total capacity to 119,240 m³/day or 750,000 barrels/day. The project would include activities such as the expansion of a petroleum storage facility, construction of administration and control room buildings and supporting infrastructure with laydown areas and parking, construction of railway loops, connections and loading facilities, and the drilling of additional water disposal wells.

For more information on the Agency's privacy policies, consult the Privacy Notice on its website at canada.ca/iaac.