Municipal Climate Change Action Plan (December 2013) — full text

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Municipal Climate Change Action Plan December 2013 Prepared by: Emily Tipton, P.Eng. 1 Municipality of the District of Shelburne Table of Contents Introduction to the Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 1 MCCAP Development Process 2 Climate Change Issues and Hazards 4 Coastal Flooding and Erosion 5 Drought and Wildﬁres 5 Increased Precipitation and Inland Flooding 6 Ohio Area 8 Clyde River / Ingomar 8 Lockeport Area 8 Jordan Bay Area 9 Sandy Point & Gunning Cove Area 9 Sable River Area 9 Facilities and Infrastructure 10 PIEVC Protocol Analysis of Sandy Point Sewage Treatment Plant 10 Facilities important during an emergency 15 Socioeconomic Impacts of Climate Change 16 Social Vulnerability 16 Evaluation of Adaptive Capacity 17 Economic Implications 19 Climate Change Implications for the Fishing Industry 19 Climate Change Implications for the Tourism Industry 19 Municipality of the DIstrict of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 1 Climate Change Implications for Agriculture 20 Environmental Issues 21 Coastal Management Strategy 21 Piping Plovers 21 Hazardous Materials 22 Emergency Preparedness 22 Priorities for Adaptation 24 Climate Change Mitigation 28 Energy and Emissions Inventory 28 Action Plan and Implementation 29 References 32 Appendix A: Stakeholder Consultation Results 33 Stakeholder Interviews 33 EMO Planning Committee Workshop 40 Appendix B: Aﬀected Location Maps and SCEEMO Plan Maps 43 Appendix C: Preliminary Results from ParCA Study 54 Appendix D: Coastal Management Strategy 55 Appendix E: Eastern Shelburne County Energy Strategy 56 Appendix F: Greenhouse Gas Inventory Results 2011 - 2012 57 Municipality of the DIstrict of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 2 Introduction to the Municipal Climate Change Action Plan Climate change is a growing concern across Canada and poses a risk to municipalities in Nova Scotia and the infrastructure for which they are responsible. This document has been prepared for the Municipality of the District of Shelburne to complement the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) adopted by Council in February of 2010. This document deals speciﬁcally with adaptation to and mitigation of Climate Change. Adaptation to climate change involves undertaking activities designed to reduce and minimize the harmful consequences of changing climate, as well as leveraging opportunities that climate change may create. Mitigation of climate change involves actions which reduce the human contribution to climate change, speciﬁcally the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In the ICSP, Council committed to the following Goals: Goal 9-1: We have a sound understanding of the potential impacts of climate change on our communities. Goal 9-2: We have implemented an eﬀective Climate Change Adaptation Strategy that includes anticipatory adaptation principles which have signiﬁcantly reduced the negative impacts of climate change on our communities. Goal 9-3: Our residents understand the importance of climate change adaptation and are protected from climate change events by appropriate and eﬀective emergency measures. The Municipality of the District of Shelburne has been working towards these goals and the adaptation to and mitigation of climate change since 2010 in a number of ways, including the development a Coastal Management Strategy, acquisition of detailed topographic information, and development and implementation of the Eastern Shelburne County Energy Strategy. This document aims to explore and establish a sound understanding of the hazards and impacts associated with climate change in the District of Shelburne as well as to tie together the work done previously in one document in order to ease implementation. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 1 MCCAP Development Process The MCCAP Development for the Municipality of the District of Shelburne was led by the Sustainable Development Coordinator and advised by a working group comprised of the following: - EMO Coordinator - Director of Public Works - Director of Recreation and Parks - Southwest Health Community Health Promoter - Two Council Representatives - Department of Natural Resources The MCCAP Working Group was deﬁned its mandate as follows: Municipal Climate Change Action Plan - MDS Working Group Working Group Mandate May 2012 Format - The MDS MCCAP Working Group will be a temporary group formed for the preparation of the MCCAP for the Municipality of the District of Shel- burne. Over time, as the planning process unfolds, this group may need to become permanent for the purposes of continued work and imple- mentation. Role - Primarily an advisory role to the Sustainable Development Coordinator Accountability & Reporting - The Working Group is accountable to Council and the community - Council will be updated quarterly as part of the ICSP Quarterly Report Collaboration - The MDS Working Group will collaborate with other Eastern Shelburne County Municipalities as appropriate during the process - At the Action Planning Stage, the MDS Working Group will reach out to other Shelburne County Municipalities to identify areas for collaboration in implementation Outcome - The MDS Working Group will aim to develop a Climate Change Action Plan that is eﬀective in communicating the severity of the issues and impacts on our community and in creating structure, opportunities and the political will for action to address the issue. The ﬁrst action taken by the group was to design a public consultation process from June 2012 - April 2013 which included outreach in the community at community events, press releases and newsletter articles, information on the municipal web site, posting of maps in community halls and public spaces and a public open house in April 2013. A four-hour outreach program was also delivered to Grade 10 Science students at Shelburne Regional High School. Outreach was also completed with stakeholders identiﬁed by the MCCAP working group in the form of interviews, a workshop with the EMO Planning Committee and a scenario planning workshop to evaluate socio-economic adaptive capacity. The results of the stakeholder interviews and the EMO Planning Committee workshop are included as Appendix A. The scenario planning workshop is discussed in more detail in the section titled Socioeconomic Impacts of Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 2 Climate Change. Neighbouring municipalities (Town of Shelburne, Town of Lockeport) were also consulted throughout the process and invited to participate in the public outreach activities and stakeholder consultation. The purpose of the outreach and public consultation was both to inform and educate the public about the anticipated impacts and hazards associated with climate change, and to gather data from the public and stakeholders about how those impacts and hazards could affect community infrastructure, as well as any social, economic or environmental impacts. Anecdotal evidence of historical impacts of climate change was collected, as well as geographic information about where impacts have been observed. This information was reviewed by the MCCAP working group and integrated into this planning document. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 3 Climate Change Issues and Hazards The anticipated changes in the climate through 2080 in the Municipality of the District of Shelburne are summarized in Table 1 below. Anticipated changes in sea level are summarized in Table 2. No data were speciﬁcally available for the Municipality, but the closest available scenario data from Liverpool, NS were used for the preparation of this plan, as recommended by the Nova Scotia Climate Change Directorate. Table 1. Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Scenario Data - Liverpool, NS Historical* Projected Projected Projected 1980's 2020's 2050's 2080's Annual 7.4 8.5 9.8 11.0 Winter 33.2 31.9 30.5 1.0 Spring 5.3 6.4 7.5 8.6 Summer 18.0 19.1 20.3 21.4 Autumn 9.4 10.5 11.7 13.0 Annual 1646.7 1691.9 1705.9 1756.5 Increase 7% Winter 502.3 526.7 539.3 568.7 Increase 13% Spring 424.1 438.2 444.5 461.9 Increase 9% Summer 287.2 292.0 291.1 291.5 Increase 1% Autumn 433.0 438.3 437.6 447.5 Increase 3% 4017.2 3679.6 3321.7 2975.0 Decrease 326% Warmer@temperatures@should@ reduce@heating@requirements. 153.0 220.0 313.9 425.1 Increase 178% Warmer@temperatures@may@ increase@cooling@demand. 6.2 11.8 20.4 29.9 Increase 0.0 0.5 1.1 2.6 Increase 2.5 1.5 0.7 0.2 Decrease 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Decrease 1915.9 2150.8 2432.0 2743.8 Increase 43% 1001.6 1169.0 1371.6 1594.6 Increase 59% Growing@Season@Length@(Days) 182.4 196.8 213.6 229.1 Increase 26% 1@3@2@months@longer@growing@ season@by@2100 2610.0 2904.6 3257.0 3586.6 Increase 37% 148.7 158.8 171.3 179.0 Increase 20% 184.8 211.7 231.9 249.4 Increase 35% 139.0 148.1 151.4 153.7 Increase 11% More@rain@in@winter,@snow@ days@turning@to@rain@days 25.0 45.9 37.9 30.9 Increase 24% Increased@precipitation Annual 109.8 99.2 83.8 70.2 336% Winter 48.8 48.7 46.5 43.9 310% Spring 37.3 32.3 24.4 18.1 351% Summer 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 3100% Autumn 23.6 18.1 13.0 8.3 365% 1356.2 1132.6 1098.0 1112.9 Decrease 318% 39.0 46.8 56.0 66.3 Increase 70% Higher@temperatures,@more@ evaporation,@summer@deficits. 0.0 5.0 9.0 16.0 Increase Source:(W.(Richards(Climate(Consulting,(August(2011 Water@Surplus@(mm) Water@Deficit@(mm) Change@in@Intensity@Short@Period@Rainfall@(%) Increase Winter@warming@the@most Greatest@increase@in@ precipitation@in@winter Substantial@increase,@should@ affect@choice@in@varieties@of@ perennials@and@agricultural@ opportunities Decrease Growing@Degree@Days@>10 Corn@Heat@Units Corn@Season@Length@(Days) Freeze@Free@Season@(Days) Days@with@rain Days@with@snow Temperature,@C Precipitation,@mm Freeze3Thaw@Cycles Heating@Degree@Days Cooling@Degree@Days Hot@Days@(Tmax@>@30) Very@Hot@Days@(Tmax@>@35) Cold@Days@(Tmax@<@310) Very@Cold@Days@(Tmax@<@320) Growing@Degree@Days@>5 Seasonality Parameter Trend %*Change Seasonal*Notes Climate*Change*and*Sea@Level*Rise*Scenario*Data*@*Liverpool,*NS Table 2. Extreme Total Sea Level Scenarios - Liverpool, NS Return'Period Exceedence'Probability Residual Level'2000 Level'2025 Level'2055 Level'2085 Level'2100 Total&Sea&Level&Rise&(m) 0.15&±&0.03 0.43&±&0.15 0.83&±&0.36 1.06&±&0.48 Extreme&TSL&(10&year&return) 10% 0.71&±&0.20 3.01&±&0.20 3.16&±&0.23 3.44&±&0.35 3.84&±&0.56 4.07&±&0.68 Extreme&TSL&(25&year&return) 4% 0.81&±&0.20 3.11&±&0.20 3.26&±&0.23 3.54&±&0.35 3.94&±&0.56 4.17&±&0.68 Extreme&TSL&(50&year&return) 2% 0.88&±&0.20 3.18&±&0.20 3.33&±&0.23 3.61&±&0.35 4.01&±&0.56 4.24&±&0.68 Extreme&TSL&(100&year&return) 1% 0.95&±&0.20 3.25&±&0.20 3.40&±&0.23 3.68&±&0.35 4.08&±&0.56 4.31&±&0.68 Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 4 Based on the above anticipated changes in climate, the MCCAP working group reviewed historical climate hazards and how they affected the community, and the community's historical capacity to respond. The group also discussed rated the severity, frequency and area affected by the hazard both in terms of historical experience and future potential. These results were also presented to the public and discussed and reﬁned at the workshop held as part of the March 2013 EMO Planning Meeting. Table 3 on the following page summarizes the Climate Hazards and Impacts including both past experiences and future potential. Overall the results of this analysis indicate that the climate hazards of greatest concern within the Municipality are related to sea level rise and storm surge (coastal ﬂooding), increasing summer temperatures (drought and wildﬁres) and increased precipitation (inland ﬂooding). The severity of these impacts is expected to increase as the climate changes. A more detailed discussion of each of these is included below. Coastal Flooding and Erosion Coastal ﬂooding is currently an event-based hazard resulting from the coincidence of storm surge and high tide, and in some instances and locations, river ﬂooding. As the climate changes in future, this hazard is likely to increase in frequency and severity as a result of predicted increases in sea level, continued geological subsidence (sinking) of Nova Scotia (which has been ongoing since the end of the last ice age) and increased frequency and severity of storms. Table 2 above describes Extreme Total Sea Level for Liverpool (Richards & Daigle, 2012). The scenarios include four different return periods or exceedance probabilities from 2000 to 2100. These water level scenarios are referenced to Chart Datum (the vertical reference plane for nautical charts) which uses the lowest normal tide as the zero point. In order to use these water level scenarios with the available topographic information, the water level scenarios need to be corrected. An offset of 0.80 m (District of Lunenburg) was used, giving an Extreme Total Sea Level of 3.51 +/- 0.68 m in 2100 with a 1% exceedance probability. In order to assess the risk posed to municipal and community infrastructure, the 5 m contour was selected based on available topographic information to delineate the risk of coastal ﬂooding. Infrastructure located below the 5 m contour is considered to be at risk of coastal ﬂooding in the long term. The maps included in Appendix B indicate coastal ﬂooding risk and illustrate signiﬁcant private and community infrastructure may be at risk for coastal ﬂooding. The potential for coastal ﬂooding impacts will need to be considered in emergency planning for the area. Speciﬁc affected locations are discussed in more detail with reference to the maps in Appendix B in the following section. Geological information was also reviewed in order to better understand the risk of coastal erosion, however, it was determined that erosion risk needs to be determined at the individual property level. Drought and Wildﬁres Increased temperatures and extended periods of dry weather in summer may increase the risk of wildﬁres and may signiﬁcantly impact the availability of groundwater. Wildﬁres are a hazard that has impacted areas of the Municipality in the past, particularly inland areas. The Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources is the primary agency responsible for response to wildﬁres, but in the event of evacuation of homes or shutdown of transportation routes, there would be involvement from the Municipality and EMO. Availability of groundwater is a potential future hazard during the summer months in all areas of the Municipality. Almost all municipal residents rely on well water to provide their potable water needs. Many of these wells are dug wells, with water availability directly impacted by groundwater levels. In fact, there are approximately 2100 private wells in Shelburne County, one-third of which are shallow dug wells (compared with 5% for the rest of Nova Scotia) Long term climate forecasts predict a 70% increase in the water deﬁcit (Richards and Daigle, 2012), a primary indicator of drought. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 5 Historically, local ﬁre departments have reﬁlled dry wells, or residents have relied on their neighbours' wells when theirs has gone dry. The Municipality of the District of Shelburne is not responsible for public drinking water, but although no speciﬁc municipal response is required to this potential issue, the municipality may play a role in increasing private water supply management awareness for residents and businesses. Increased Precipitation and Inland Flooding Inland ﬂooding typically occurs due to periods of prolonged heavy precipitation, where the amount of precipitation exceeds the amount of water that can be readily absorbed by the watershed. With a 16% increase in the intensity short period rainfall predicted by the 2080's (Richards & Daigle, 2012) inland ﬂash ﬂooding may become an even greater potential hazard in the Municipality. Historically signiﬁcant rainfall events have damaged road and bridge infrastructure, isolated small numbers of residents and required evacuation. Some indication of areas susceptible to inland ﬂooding are shown on the map of Ohio in Appendix B, where inland ﬂooding impacts have been recorded in the past. The Depth to the Water table shown on the map is an indication of drainage, with 0 - 0.10 m indicating poor drainage, particularly when in communication with bodies of water. This map shows little built infrastructure at signiﬁcant risk but there are several areas where roads and transportation routes may be impacted. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 6 Table&3.&&Climate&Hazards&and&Impacts&6&Past&Experiences&and&Future&Potential Climate&Hazard Past&Experiences Future&Potential Severe Moderate Minor Often Sometimes Rarely Large Medium Small Sea$level$Rise Have$noticed$changes$in$the$last$5310$years,$seems$higher.$$Notice$near$ older$homes$in$particular.$$Goes$hand$in$hand$with$storm$surge.$Dock$ street$may$be$under$water.$$Past$impacts$of$sea$level$rise$limited$but$ will$exacerbate$strom$surge.$$Will$also$impact$natural$habitat. Estimated$to$be$0.94$m$in$Nova$Scotia$ including$subsidence$by$2100.$$Gradual$ issue$that$requires$planning$for$ adaptation,$mainly$for$private$residents. o x xo xo Storm$Surge Actual$damage$3$Lockeport$causeway$and$sea$wall$$900,000.$$Has$been$ fixed$many$times$before.$$Worst$when$storm$surge$happens$at$lunar$ high$tide$and$high$tide.$$Worst$of$any$storm$will$be$on$coming$tide.$$ Campers$on$Louishead$beach$in$danger.$$Effects$can$be$localized.$$Goes$ hand$in$hand$with$hurricanes.$Wharf$&$infrastructure$damage$possible.$ Acutely$vulnerable$areas$in$East$Green$Harbour,$Jordan$Bay,$Cranes$ Point$Road,$Beaches$(Roseway,$Round$Bay,$Louishead). May$happen$more$frequently$if$storms$are$ more$frequent.$$Exacerbated$by$sea$level$ rise.$$It$is$an$'event$based'$problem$now$ and$will$continue$to$be$so. xo xo xo Erosion Primarily$coastal$erosion,$severe$in$some$areas$(e.g.$Pleasant$Point,$ Stephen's$Road).$$Has$impacted$natural$habitat.$$Three$homes$in$West$ Green$Harbour$area$fall$into$the$ocean.$$Fish$shacks$have$fallen$in$the$ ocean$due$to$erosion. Increasing$severity$as$sea$level$rises. o x xo xo Flooding 2010$3$highest$ever$level$of$Roseway$River.$$Largely$farming$ communities$so$homes$usually$not$at$risk.$$Roads$closed,$bridges$closed,$ people$isolated,$no$transporatation$or$access$for$emergency$vehicles.$$ Homes$damaged.$$Once$had$to$rescue$people$with$boat$in$Birchtown$3$ heavy$rain$coinciding$with$high$tide.$$Clyde$river$also$flooded.$Shelburne$ mall$floods$regularly.$$Primary$impact$is$limited$transportation.$Only$ one$house$would$be$impacted$by$the$Roseway$River$Dam.$$Possible$ice$ jams$on$bridges$over$Jordan,$Sable$and$Clyde$Rivers.$$Should$look$into$ DNR$policies$on$dams. May$increase$in$severity. o x xo xo Drought Wells$drying$up.$$Pressure$on$Lake$Rodney$(Town$water$supply).$$Low$ lake$levels$impact$recreation.$$Affects$on$natural$habitat.$$Health$ impacts$of$reduced$quality$and$quantity$of$water.$$Never$had$to$open$a$ cooling$station.$$When$wells$run$dry$people$buy$water$or$use$ neighbours$water$temporarily. If$agriculture$industry$grows,$could$be$ more$severe$impact.$$In$future$may$need$ cooling$stations$as$part$of$EMO. o x xo xo Forest$Fires Indian$Fields$3$1960's.$$April$26,$1997$3$Woods$Harbour,$Welshtown,$ Jordan$Ferry,$Granite$Village,$all$on$the$same$day.$$Strong$winds$ contributed.$$Have$lost$power,$houses,$damage$to$property.$$Should$ look$into$DNR$policy$on$fighting$forest$fires$vs.$allowing$them$to$burn. In$future$could$be$more$severe$and$more$ frequent. xo o x o x o x Hurricatnes/Wind/Tornadoes Groundhog$Day$3$1976.$$Damage$can$be$catastrophic.$$Statistically$we$ are$past$due.$$Wharves$have$been$damaged,$disappeared.$$Shelburne$ Harbour$Yacht$Club$fell$in$the$ocean.$$Barrington/Lockeport$causeways$ have$been$damaged/impacted. Possibly$more$frequent?$$Related$to$storm$ surge.$$Response$will$be$the$same. xo xo xo Lightning$Storms Power$outages,$livestock/pets$killed,$STP$lift$station$over$voltage$ (recently),$Rec$programs$cancelled$on$or$around$water,$fires,$ infrastructure$damage.$$Ground$potential$rise$can$also$cause$damage$to$ infrastructure$as$a$result$of$lightning$in$areas$where$single$phase$ distribution$is$present.$$NSP$can$mitigate$risk. No$change$anticipated. xo xo xo Extreme$cold/frost Rare,$minor,$no$known$impacts. Probably$less$likely$in$future. xo xo xo Snow$&$Ice$Storms 4x4$club$ran$hospital$shift$changes,$twice$a$Province$wide$state$of$ emergency$was$declared.$$Primary$impact$is$on$transportation.$$Ice$ storms$also$affect$infrastrcutures.$$Have$had$storms$where$power$is$out$ for$several$days. Probably$less$likely$in$future. xo xo xo x$=$past$experiences o$=$future$potential Severity Frequency Area&Affected Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 7 Aﬀected Locations Following the climate hazard and impact analysis, more detail was developed on the locations of past impacts, and possible locations for future impacts. Maps of the different areas of the Municipality showing areas of observed coastal impacts, observed inland impacts and potential future impacts along with signiﬁcant community infrastructure were developed in consultation with the MCCAP working group. These maps are included as Appendix B to this document and were further reﬁned through the community outreach activities described in the MCCAP Development Process. The maps indicate speciﬁc locations where coastal and inland ﬂooding have occurred in the past, as well as potential areas where storm surge and sea level rise may result in future impacts. Also included in Appendix B are maps excerpted from the Shelburne County East Emergency Measures Organization (SCEEMO) Plan identifying areas where Transportation infrastructure is at risk (including critical bridges), the location of Telecommunications Infrastructure, Nova Scotia Power Distribution Infrastructure, and Areas at Risk of Tidal Inundation. No municipal infrastructure is located in areas vulnerable to these impacts, however the potential impacts may be summarized by location as follows: Ohio Area Historical impacts in the Ohio area have been limited to inland ﬂooding of the Roseway River. Areas where inland ﬂooding has impacted roads and access for residents to their property are indicated on the map included Appendix B. No community or municipal infrastructure is at risk in the Ohio area, although there is potential risk to private property. Potential future impacts in the Ohio area are anticipated to be an increase in inland ﬂooding severity and frequency and an increased risk of wildﬁres. Clyde River / Ingomar Historically the Clyde River area has seen both inland and coastal ﬂooding. Inland ﬂooding in adjacent to the Clyde River has caused damage to private property. Coastal ﬂooding related to storm surge has temporarily impacted road access to private residences in two locations along the coast. Proximity to the coast does pose some risk of coastal ﬂooding to community ﬁre halls in Northeast Harbour and Ingomar, but no historical impacts have been reported. Potential future impacts in the Clyde River/Ingomar area are anticipated to be increased inland ﬂooding severity and frequency, and increased coastal ﬂooding severity and frequency. Lockeport Area The area surrounding the Town of Lockeport has historically seen coastal ﬂooding and coastal erosion, speciﬁcally at Pleasant Point where public roads have been impacted, as well as in East Green Harbour, again where both private property and public roads have been impacted. The number of residents impacted is small, and no community infrastructure is at signiﬁcant risk, however historical impacts have caused signiﬁcant damage. Also of concern is access and egress from the Town of Lockeport itself, where the Lockeport Causeway has been signiﬁcant impacted by coastal ﬂooding and storm surge in the past. Although the Lockeport Causeway is the responsibility of the Town of Lockeport, any impediment to access to services in Lockeport may have signiﬁcant impacts for Municipal residents. Speciﬁcally of concern is access to ﬁre and ﬁrst responder services. It is regular practice during severe storms for the Lockeport Fire Department to relocate at least one vehicle to the other side of the causeway as a risk reduction measure. No community or municipal infrastructure is speciﬁcally at risk in the Lockeport Area. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 8 Potential future impacts in the Lockeport area are related to increased frequency and severity of coastal ﬂooding and erosion, which may impact a larger number of residents as well as access to private residences due to impacts to public roads. Jordan Bay Area The Jordan Bay area has seen some historical impacts as a result of coastal ﬂooding and coastal erosion, but most private residences in the area are located at a high enough elevation that historical damage has been minimal. Some coastal erosion and impacts on access to private residences on public roads have been observed in West Green Harbour, speciﬁcally at the end of West Green Harbour Road and at the end of Stevens Road. No community or municipal infrastructure is speciﬁcally at risk in the Jordan Bay area. Potential future impacts in the Jordan Bay area will be related to increased frequency and severity of coastal ﬂooding and erosion, which may continue to impact private property and access on public roads. Sandy Point & Gunning Cove Area Historical impacts in the Sandy Point and Gunning Cove area are related to coastal ﬂooding and storm surge. Speciﬁcally, a historical incident of coastal ﬂooding in Birchtown required evacuation of several private residences. Community infrastructure at risk includes the Black Loyalist Heritage Society Museum, Birchtown Community Hall, Sandy Point Lighthouse Community Centre and the Churchover-Gunning-Carleton Village Cove Fire Hall. This area represents the highest population density level in the Municipality, and is also where municipally-owned sanitary sewer and storm water infrastructure is located in the Shelburne Industrial Park. Potential future impacts in this area are related to increased frequency and severity of coastal ﬂooding and storm surge, which may cause damage to community infrastructure and private residences as well as damage public roads and impact access and egress. In may areas Highway 3 (the primary access road) is very close to the coast and may be at risk of ﬂooding. Sable River Area Historical impacts in the Sable River area are related to coastal ﬂooding and storm surge. Impacts have been seen from storm surge at Louishead beach, where several residences located on the beach have been damaged. Storm surge at Louishead beach also poses a safety risk to users of the campground in the area. Several public roads in the area have also been temporarily impacted by coastal ﬂooding, and most recently damage was sustained at the Little Harbour wharf during a storm surge in 2012. Community infrastructure at risk in this area includes the Sable River Fire Hall and the Sable River Community Hall because of their elevation and proximity to the coast. Potential future impacts in the area are related to increased frequency and severity of coastal ﬂooding and storm surge, which may continue to impact private residences, public roads and community infrastructure. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 9 Facilities and Infrastructure The Municipality of the District of Shelburne own and operate the following municipal infrastructure: Category Infrastructure Description Water System None N/A Sanitary Sewer System Sandy Point Sewage Treatment Plant 100,000 USGPD lagoon facility commissioned in 2011. Collection System Gravity Sewer and Forecemain servicing Shelburne Industrial Park, Commission Street, School Street, NSCC-Shelburne Campus, Roseway Hospital Pumping Stations Shelburne Industrial Park (Hero Road) 354 Sandy Point Road Storm Sewer Shelburne Industrial Park Manholes, piping and 3 outfalls to Shelburne Harbour located within the Industrial Park Municipal Buildings Municipal Administration Building 136 Hammond Street Approximately 16,000 sq. feet Municipal ofﬁces, rented ofﬁce space & Lock Up. Original building 1902. Addition 1969. Public Works Garage 243 Sandy Point Road Garage approximately 3000 sq. feet Built approximately 1940. Construction & Demolition Site Ofﬁce Scale House Approximately 120 sq. feet Approximately 140 sq. feet Parks & Trails Welkum Park Lakeside park with beach, playground, changing rooms and portable toilets Trails Roseway River, Tom Tigney, Foot Bridge, Jordan River, Seven municipal interpretive sites Wind Turbine 50 kW COMFIT Wind Turbine 2447 Sandy Point Road The MCCAP preliminary risk assessment spreadsheet provided by the Canada-Nova Scotia Infrastructure Secretariat was completed and is included on the following page. Based on this assessment, none of the municipally owned infrastructure is at high risk due to climate change. Some portions of the Sanitary Sewer system is at moderate risk due to its proximity to the coast, and a map of this infrastructure is included following the risk assessment spreadsheet. At greatest risk is the pumping station on Hero Road in the Shelburne Industrial Park. This infrastructure was assessed in detail using the PIEVC Protocol as described below. PIEVC Protocol Analysis of Sandy Point Sewage Treatment Plant The Protocol developed by the Public Infrastructure Engineering Vulnerability Committee (PIEVC), established by Engineers Canada, was used to assess the vulnerability of the Sandy Point Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade to the effects of climate change during the design process in 2011 (the new facility was commissioned early in 2012). The Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 10 " " " " " " " " " " "" "" " """"" "" " " " " "" " " "" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "" " " " " " "" "" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " !C GF n ! ! # ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! # !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! "J !! ! ! ! !! # # Municipality of the District of Shelburne Wastewater and Stormwater Infrastructure Shelburne Industrial Park Area Sanitary Sewer Type ! manhole "J plant # pumping station Storm Sewer and Outfall Type outfall storm sewer Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 11 Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 12 assessment was conducted in response to growing concerns about the vulnerability of public infrastructure located in coastal areas of Atlantic Canada to the expected local impacts of climate change including increasing storm frequency and intensity, rising sea levels, storm surge, and coastal erosion and ﬂooding. This project was one of a series of case studies being conducted with the support of Engineers Canada to enhance the PIEVC Protocol and is the ﬁrst assessment to be conducted in Nova Scotia. The PIEVC Protocol combines basic risk assessment procedures into a process that ﬁrst identiﬁes vulnerabilities in public infrastructure systems and then applies an engineering analysis methodology in order to recommend mitigation measures to address the identiﬁed vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities are deﬁned as a combination of a climate event and its potential impact on a system component. The likelihood and consequence of the climate event and the system impact are considered, in order to determine the risk and whether mitigating action is required. In this case, the PIEVC Protocol was applied at the pre-design stage of the project, rather than conducting the assessment after the infrastructure has been constructed. The Sandy Point Sewage Treatment Plant was originally constructed in 1969 to provide primary wastewater treatment to a small development area that includes residential, industrial and institutional development. The existing facility had a capacity of 30,000 USGPD and has been extensively studied since 2001 when deﬁciencies in treatment effectiveness were ﬁrst identiﬁed. In response to previous studies and the Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater Efﬂuent, endorsed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) in 2009, the decision was taken to replace the existing plant with a new secondary treatment facility which would both expand the capacity of the existing plant, and incorporate a more suitable and sustainable treatment technology. The pre-design process identiﬁed suitable sites for the new facility and recommended a combination of a lagoon system with ultraviolet treatment as the most suitable technology given operational, maintenance and social consideration as well as capital costs, particularly for a system like this which is prone to peak ﬂows during rainfall events as a result of inﬂow and inﬁltration into the aging collection system. In parallel with the technology and site selection process, the PIEVC Protocol was used to deﬁne the categories and components of system for assessment, which includes the new treatment facility and the existing collection system. Historical climate data as well as climate change model predictions for 2020, 2050 and 2080 were also gathered with support from Environment Canada. Relevant climate parameters were identiﬁed for the region and included: - Precipitation as rain - Precipitation as snow - Sea level elevation - Wind speed - Frost - Fog - Storm surge - Ice - Temperature A vulnerability (risk) assessment was then conducted based to identify interactions between infrastructure components and climatic events which could lead to vulnerability. The risk assessment included screening of the interactions by the engineering team, as well as a workshop that included participation from the Municipality of Shelburne, Environment Canada, Nova Scotia Environment, Municipality of Yarmouth, Emergency Measures Organization (Eastern Shelburne County) and ABL Environmental Consultants Ltd. Workshop participants were ﬁrst asked to identify relevant interactions and then to rank the interaction as low, medium or high risk. This represented a signiﬁcant simpliﬁcation of the process Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 13 suggested in the Protocol, but the team felt it was appropriate given time limitations and the scale of the infrastructure being assessed. The risk assessment identiﬁed a total of eleven (11) interactions which were deemed to be high risk: - Personnel / Hurricane Event - Sanitary Manholes / Heavy (Intense) Rain - Sanitary Gravity Mains / Heavy (Intense) Rain - Pipe Connections and Fittings / Heavy (Intense) Rain - Existing Pumping Station Power Supply / Hurricane Event - Existing Pumping Station Power Supply / Ice Storm Event - New Pumping Station Power Supply / Hurricane Event - New Pumping Station Power Supply / Ice Storm Event - Ocean Outfall / Sea Level Elevation - Process Building Structure / Hurricane Event - UV Disinfection / Sea Level Elevation - Process Building Power Supply / Hurricane Event - Process Building Power Supply / Ice Storm Event - End Users / Hurricane Event There were also one hundred eleven (111) interactions deemed to be medium risk. These interactions were all then subjected to engineering analysis to determine whether mitigation is necessary and possible, and then to recommend appropriate mitigation steps. Much of the data required for the Engineering Analysis did not exist or was difﬁcult to obtain, but professional judgment and experience was employed where data were not available. For the thirty-ﬁve (35) components for which potential vulnerabilities were identiﬁed, the analysis resulted in twenty-one (21) remedial engineering actions and four (4) management actions being recommended. Many of the recommendations could be combined and are summarized as follows: - Reduce inﬂow and inﬁltration (I&I) into the collection system (IN PROGRESS) - Install backup power supplies at the pumping stations (COMPLETE) - Ensure the process building meets code for hurricane resistance (COMPLETE) - Install a radio communications system at the pumping stations and process building (COMPLETE) - Install high level pump shutoffs at the existing pumping station (COMPLETE) - Install a bypass on the grit removal system (COMPLETE) - Implement a policy to protect staff from hurricanes, storm surges and ice storms (IN PROGRESS) - Discuss safe conditions for deliveries with septage haulage companies (IN PROGRESS) - Adjust scheduling to accommodate required maintenance (COMPLETE) Conducting the vulnerability assessment in parallel with the pre-design process also implicitly impacted design decisions about technology and site selection and ensured that data on the potential local effects of climate change was available and considered. It was also identiﬁed that climate monitoring equipment could easily be designed into new infrastructure to ensure that data are collected during the life of the system for future assessments as the effects of climate change become more apparent. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 14 Facilities important during an emergency The Shelburne County East Emergency Measures Organization (SCEEMO) Plan identiﬁes the following facilities which will be important in an emergency. The Emergency Operating Centre is located within the Town of Shelburne and the Lockeport Emergency Management Site is located within the Town of Lockeport. Comfort Centres located at the Sable River Community Centre, Middle and Upper Ohio Fire Hall, the Churchover/Gunning Cove/Carleton Village Fire Hall and the Northeast Harbour Fire Hall are all located within the Municipality of the District of Shelburne. The Sable River Community Centre, Churchover/Gunning Cove Fire Hall and the Northeast Harbour Fire Hall have all been identiﬁed as potentially at risk of coastal ﬂooding in the event of a severe storm surge due to their location. - Shelburne County East - Emergency Operating Centre (SCEEOC) is located at the Shelburne Civic Centre, 63 King Street, Shelburne (Fire Hall) on the 2nd Floor. - Alternate EOC is located at the Shelburne Lion's Hall, 188 Elliott Street, Shelburne. - Lockeport Emergency Management Site (LEMS) at the Lockeport Fire Hall, 67 Hall Street, Lockeport, next to the Chief's ofﬁce - Alternate Lockeport EMS will be the Lockeport Fire department mobile command post, which will be driven to a safe location - Shelburne Evacuation Centre in the auditorium of the Shelburne Civic Centre, 63 King Street, Shelburne (Fire Hall) - Lockeport Evacuation Centre at the rear of the Lockeport Fire Hall, 67 Hall Street, Lockeport - SCEEMO Comfort Centres - Sable River Community Centre (SRCC) - Middle and Upper Ohio Fire Hall - Churchover/Gunning Cove/Charlton Village Fire Hall - Northeast Harbour Fire Hall Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 15 Socioeconomic Impacts of Climate Change Social Vulnerability Vulnerability of communities, individuals and groups to climate change may be considered as a combination of their exposure to hazards (due to location or other factors), their sensitivity to the hazards, and their capacity to adapt. Usually emergency management professionals focus primarily on exposure by assessing the physical areas most likely to be impacted and identifying spatially where populations may be impacted (for example, in the case of ﬂooding, by identifying populations that may be isolated if roads became impassable. This type of spatial analysis has been completed and is incorporated into the SCEEMO Plan and further work on exposure due to location was incorporated into the MCCAP process through the development of the information included in the section in this document on Affected Locations. Evaluating sensitivity of populations can prove more complex. Census data from 2011 for the Municipality data do indicate some patterns of note: - More than 56% of the population of the Municipality of the District of Shelburne are over the age of 44, and 20.8% are 65 years or older. The population is continuing to age, and older people may be more sensitive to event based climate hazards, and are more likely to be isolated. - 20.4% of individuals have low-income status (based on after-tax low-income measure), compared to the provincial average of 17.4% - Only 70% of dwellings are occupied year-round, indicating a large seasonal population and increasing the potential for residents to be isolated without help from neighbours - 92% of dwellings are single, detached homes Of primary concern in the event of a climate hazard with the potential to affect the health and safety of residents would be ensuring those in need of assistance are able to access the assistance required. This is most likely an issue when there is an event-based impact such as a severe storm, ﬂooding, drought or heat wave. The primary response from emergency management will be based on spatial location, as well as local knowledge of those who may be more sensitive to impacts, such as the socially isolated, or elderly. Connecting vulnerable residents to the appropriate support network can also reduce their risk. The following organizations and agencies would provide support in the event of a weather-related emergency and the Municipality should continue to ensure that all residents are informed of how to access assistance should they need it. - Shelburne County East Emergency Measures Organization (SCEEMO) - Red Cross - RCMP - Department of Community Services - Emergency Health Services - Roseway Hospital - Tri-County Regional School Board - Department of Environment - Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal - Department of Natural Resources - Fire Departments: Little Harbour, Sable River, Lockeport, Jordan, Lower Ohio, Middle and Upper Ohio, Churchover/ Gunning Cove, Northeast Harbour, Ingomar, Port Clyde Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 16 Evaluation of Adaptive Capacity The ﬁnal piece in helping to evaluate community resilience with respect to climate change is to try to understand the adaptive capacity of the community as a whole. This has been extensively studied by the Nova Scotia Climate Change Directorate (Stantec, 2012) and a scenario planning process suggested as a means to help communities evaluate their vulnerability. In June 2013, the MCCAP Working Group along with other invited stakeholders undertook a scenario planning workshop in an attempt to better understand the adaptive capacity of the Municipality of the District of Shelburne with respect to Climate Change. The workshop included the following steps: - Characterization of the community as thriving, stable, decline or crisis in the following ten themes: 1. Health 2. Eduction 3. Demographics 4. Sense of Community 5. Governance 6. Safety & Preparedness 7. Infrastructure 8. Local Economy 9. Macro Economy 10. Technology - Consideration of the community's ability to respond to an event-based scenario with four different sets of external circumstances discussing in each case: - What could be our community's strengths in this scenario? What could be our vulnerabilities? - What could happen to our community in this scenario if nothing changes? - What would you do now to impact how the community may respond in this scenario? - Are there obvious 'leverage points' for lessening social and economic vulnerability? - Harvesting common themes and strategies or adaptations that are robust under all scenarios Characterization of the community gave the following results, showing the community as a combination of stable and decline, depending on the theme. Theme Thriving Stable Decline Crisis Health Education Demographics Sense of Community Governance Safety & Preparedness Infrastructure Local Economy Macro Economy Technology Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 17 Further discussion of the characterization is recorded in the table below: Thriving Stable - Our community is very different from thriving - Some things are the same - people are proud to live here, have a strong sense of community - Huge potential - Quality of life - Communities rally to help those in need - People don't always see the big picture - our standards may be too low - Our community is a lot like this - Investing in the future and trying new things - Safety, EMO, high standards - Long established patterns - Not enough "selling" to create growth - Young professionals - Increased engagement with local government Decline Crisis - Some similar, some different than this characterization - Economic deﬁnitely in decline or crisis - Housing, impact of high proportion of seasonal residents on property value, price - Population declining - Not able to support infrastructure (water, power, transportation) - Not able to support volunteer organizations/safety - Outmigration - Aging population - Volunteer burnout (ﬁre, emergency response) - At risk populations increasing - Some families in quiet despair The Harvest from the workshop identiﬁed the following points, which have been incorporated into the Priorities for Adaptation Section of this document: - Building strong enduring partnerships between municipal units and with other levels of government and with non- traditional partners (businesses, community groups) is important to increase resilience - Proactive planning for responsibilities and improved communications - Advocate for more supportive Provincial policies and structure for rural vs. urban - Continue to provide services but ensure that residents are comfortable with accessing them and aware of how to engage with and use them - Continue to encourage communities to become more self sufﬁcient and sustainable (particularly with respect to food and energy) - Develop strategies for supply and sharing of potable water sources in the event of an interruption in supply - Develop policy and support for innovative and sustainable solutions to our own problems from within the community - Collaborate on advocacy with other communities in the Province facing similar challenges - Encourage citizen science projects - Share knowledge of the current reality and future possibilities with the community - Sustain sense of community through longer term thinking and better coordination and connection of people, skills and situations - Support small, renewable energy projects - Compile a list of vulnerable infrastructure and prioritize adaptation - Develop and work with tools for community level infrastructure and coastline assessment Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 18 Economic Implications As noted in the Municipality of the District of Shelburne's ICSP (2010), the primary economic activities in the District are ﬁshing, ﬁsh processing and related marine industries. There is also a signiﬁcant tourism industry. More than 23% of people in Shelburne County are employed in the natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations (Census, 2011). The Fishery, Tourism and Agriculture are the economic sectors most likely to be impacted by climate change. The Municipality of the District of Shelburne is part of a study being conducted by the Partnership for Canada-Caribbean Community Climate Change Adaptation (ParCA) about the vulnerability of the Fishing and Tourism industries to climate change. A preliminary summary of key ﬁndings from this study is included as Appendix C to this document. Climate Change Implications for the Fishing Industry The Ecology Action Centre (2012) identify the following six expected stressors on the Fishing Industry in Atlantic Canada as a result of Climate Change: - Increasing Temperatures: Global increases in air temperature will result in increased sea surface termperature. This may result in bottom dwelling species migrating northwards and to deeper waters as well as an increase in algal blooms and has the potential to impact cod, mackerel and lobster stocks - Reduced Salinity: Coastal waters are becoming less saline due to melting sea ice and more rainfall which may increase water stratiﬁcation resulting in a warmer, fresher upper surface and saltier, colder deep layer, and less mixing. This may reduce spring phytoplankton growth which relies on mixing to bring oxygen to deep water and nutrients to the surface. - Decrease in Oxygen: Warmer water holds less oxygen, which may negatively impact crustaceans and ﬁsh, but may not impact more tolerant species such as mollusks, worms, sea stars, sea urchins and jellyﬁsh - Increased Acidity: Increases in atmospheric CO2 resulting in ocean acidiﬁcation may reduce the growth and productivity of crustaceans and mollusks - Less Sea Ice and Snow Cover: This may increase coastal erosion as well as expanding distribution of grey seals which may impact ﬁsh stocks - Rising Sea Level and Storm Surges: This may result in increased vulnerability of ﬁshing industry infrastructure. Preliminary ﬁndings from the ParCA study indicate that ﬁshers in the area are already ﬁnding it increasingly difﬁcult to predict natural cycles such as weather patterns, storms, ﬁsh spawning, species migration, which is impacting their ability to ﬁsh effectively and increasing their vulnerability. As the climate continues to change vulnerabilities in the ﬁshing industry also include damage to physical infrastructure (wharves, vessels), increased maintenance costs, and increased risk to health and safety due to increasing intensity and severity of weather. Opportunities for ﬁshers include the possibility of increased lobster catches, as are already being observed, but this introduces an economic vulnerability in the form of low wharf pricing for lobster. As the climate continues to change it will be important to engage the ﬁshing industry in monitoring changes and working to develop innovative adaptive solutions. Climate Change Implications for the Tourism Industry Vulnerabilities created by climate change for the tourism industry include poor weather and property damage both of which contribute to low tourist rates and increased costs. Interviews conducted by the ParCA project also indicated that tourism operators are concerned about coastal erosion making it difﬁcult to sell property and the risk of evacuation of campsites and beaches due to safety concerns as a result of storms reducing the attractiveness of the destination to Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 19 tourists. Some concern was also raised about water resource vulnerability as much of the Municipality is dependent on wells, particularly dug wells, which can be vulnerable to poor quality and supply in the summer months, an effect that will worsen with the predicted increased water deﬁcit. Opportunities created by climate change in the tourism industry include agricultural tourism, culinary tourism, wine tourism, surﬁng, clam digging, ﬁshing expeditions, shipbuilding workshops, sailing related opportunities. The summer tourism and golf season could certainly be extended in future and there is an opportunity for tourism operators to reframe weather experiences for visitors so "bad" weather doesn't equate to a bad vacation. Climate Change Implications for Agriculture Although agriculture is not currently a signiﬁcant economic sector in the District of Shelburne, the current and future climatic attributes of the area may make alternative agricultural models feasible such as the production of high value fruit crops such as peaches, highbush blueberries and wine grapes. These are relative new crops to Nova Scotia that have very speciﬁc climatic requirements. An attempt to better understand the climatic conditions in Southwest Nova Scotia is current underway through the deployment of 42 temperature and solar radiation stations by the Applied Geomatics Research Centre in the spring of 2011. Based on initial data from this study, the area does offer signiﬁcant potential for high value agricultural crops. Shelburne has heat accumulations comparable to the Annapolis Valley and suitable and in some cases superior climatic suitability for high value crops such as peaches, highbush blueberries and grapes than the agricultural standard represented by the Annapolis Valley (Lewis, 2011). Combined with anticipated climate change trends that will further increase frost free days and increase temperatures and heat accumulation, high value agricultural crops represent a signiﬁcant opportunity for the area. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 20 Environmental Issues Environmental issues experienced in the past due to weather and anticipated as a result of climate change are almost exclusively related to coastal ecosystems and habitats. The health and productivity of natural systems, landscapes and features along the coast including salt marshes, wetlands, beaches, dunes and islands is essential for the social and economic health of our communities. Environmental issues in coastal areas are addressed in detail in Municipality's Coastal Management Strategy, as described below. Also of concern are the potential impacts of climate change on species at risk in the area, particularly Piping Plovers, whose habitat and breeding areas may be impacted by climate change. Procedures and facilities for the temporary storage of Household Hazardous Waste at the Municipal Public Works Garage are also reference below, as are Environmental Hazards addressed by the Shelburne County East Emergency Management Organization Plan. Coastal Management Strategy The Municipality of the District of Shelburne is a coastal community with over 350 km of coastline. More than 80% of homes and infrastructure in the Municipality are located within 5 km of the coast. In an asset mapping workshop held in 2008 as part of the public consultation process for developing the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan for the Municipality of the District of Shelburne, residents and stakeholders identiﬁed the coast as our community's most important natural asset. On October 15, 2012, the Municipality of the District of Shelburne adopted a Coastal Management Strategy. The purpose of the Coastal Management Strategy was to lay out short, medium and long term actions within the jurisdiction of the Municipality of the District of Shelburne which would balance environmental protection with public access and sustainable economic development to ensure coastal areas maintain their social, economic and environmental value for future generations. It was designed to provide a structure to help better manage our community's interactions with the coast to ensure its long term sustainability. The development of the Coastal Management Strategy included public engagement through outreach programs, interviews with residents and stakeholder consultation and was guided by the Coastal Management Strategy Planning Advisory Committee. Included in the Coastal Management Strategy are three focus areas: Coastal Development, Sea Level Rise & Storm Events and Coastal Ecosystems & Habitats. Goals and objectives are stated for each focus area and a ﬁve-year action plan focused ﬁrst on Education, Research and Outreach and progressing to Planning, Policy and Regulation is outlined. Committing to this strategy and taking this work forward will require continued coordination by the Sustainable Development Coordinator as well as engagement with a Planning Advisory Committee and other staff and stakeholders as described in the Implementation section of the Strategy. The Coastal Management Strategy is included as Appendix D to this document, and the goals and action plan from the Coastal Management Strategy have been incorporated into the Priorities for Adaptation in this document. Piping Plovers In a study completed in 2010, it was found that if plover habitat cannot migrate, SLR [sea-level rise] is likely to reduce breeding areas. However, if habitat is able to migrate upslope and inland, breeding areas could actually increase with SLR. Unfortunately, this potential habitat gain is stymied by human development, which was found to reduce migrating habitat by 5-12%, depending on SLR estimates. It was also found that the spatial conﬁguration of developed areas mattered more than intensity of development in blocking the migration of potential habitat area" (Seavey et al. 2010). Though this study was based on the New York coast, the ﬁndings are likely quite applicable to beaches in Shelburne County With rising sea levels and post-glacial subsiding coastline in Southwest Nova Scotia, beaches in Shelburne County will need the space and ability (e.g., free of hard structures such as armouring) to move landward to maintain Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 21 enough suitable nesting habitat for nesting Piping Plover. Some of the most productive beaches in NS are barrier beaches - beaches that can move and change in response to storms. Hazardous Materials The Municipality of the District of Shelburne operate a Household Hazardous Waste Depot at the Public Works Garage located at 243 Sandy Point Road to collect and temporarily store hazardous materials from households within the service area of the Municipality of the District of Shelburne. No collection services for the industrial sector are provided at this facility. The depot is owned and operated by the Municipality of the District of Shelburne and will accept household hazardous waste from resident taxpayers in the Municipality of the District of Shelburne (with no fee) and also provides a fee-based collection service for residents of the Town of Lockeport and the Town of Shelburne. No hazardous waste is kept at the depot for more than 90 calendar days. The purpose of the facility is to prevent landﬁlling of residual hazardous materials and process hazardous waste in a save and cost effective manner while providing maximum protection to the environment. Operation of the facility is guided by the document "Operation Procedures for the Temporary Storage of Hazardous Materials at the Public Works Facility for the Municipality of Shelburne" (December, 2002). The Household Hazardous Waste Depot is not at signiﬁcant risk of climate impacts due to its location. However, in the event of a spill or loss of containment, the largest weather-related risk would be high intensity rainfall which would cause dispersion of the spilled material. In 2013, the Municipality of the District of Shelburne installed secondary containment at the site in the form of a curb to provide 110% containment for waste volumes stored at the site, as well as a roof shelter and controlled drainage system to prevent rainwater from accumulating in the storage area. Other locations for the storage of Hazardous Materials are identiﬁed in the SCEEMO Plan as part of the Threat and Risk Assessment. These include the Town of Shelburne's Water Plant, Ven Rez (Shelburne Industrial Park) and Kenney and Ross (Clyde River). These locations are shown in the map excerpted from the SCEEMO Plan on the following page. Emergency Preparedness The Shelburne County East Emergency Management Organization Plan is an "All Hazards" Emergency Response Plan which covers weather-related as well as environmental emergencies and disasters. In the SCEEMO Plan a chemical spill as a result of a motor vehicle accident or industrial accident is rated as the second most probable hazard, primarily due to the non-availability of hazardous response suits or equipment in all of Shelburne County. The response would be dependent on assistance from Liverpool or Yarmouth. Also identiﬁed as a signiﬁcant risk is an offshore oil spill, which could have a devastating impact on the ﬁshing industry with long term economic consequences. There is very little oil spill emergency response capability in the county. Neither of these environmental hazards are signiﬁcantly impacted by weather or climate change. Vulnerability to the impacts of a hurricane is also identiﬁed in the SCEEMO plan, the impacts of which may worsen with the impacts of climate change. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 22 FIGURE'14.1.5' SCEEMO'PLANNING'MAP' THREAT'&'RISK'ASSESSMENT' HAZARDOUS'MATERIALS' Map'Legend:' Hazardous)Materials) 1.)Kenny)&)Ros ) ) ) 2.)Ven)Rez) ) ) ) 3.)Water)Plant) ) ) ) 4.)Plastic) ' Critical)Bridge) Threat/Risk:)))Hazardous)Materials) Date:))) ) Yarmouth'County' Queens'County' Route'203' Route'103' Broad'River' Cape'Sable'Island' Barrington'River' Shelburne' Jordan'Falls' Lockeport' Granite'Village' Port'Joli' Shelburne' County' Clyde'River' Roseway' River' Sable' &' Tidney' DO#NOT#COPY# DO#NOT#DISTRIBUTE# ) T) N) 1' 3' 2' 4' Updated:)05/02/13) Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 23 Priorities for Adaptation The three priority climate hazards identiﬁed in this analysis are Coastal Flooding and Erosion, Drought and Wildﬁres and Increased Precipitation and Inland Flooding.The following table summarizes the impact associated with each of these hazards. Hazard Impact Risk Coastal Flooding and Erosion Risk to Public Safety High Property damage Medium Economic Infrastructure - Damage and Disruption of Service (Power Outages, Fishing Wharf Damage) Medium Damage to Roads and Bridges, Transportation and communication disruption and isolation of residents Medium Drought and Wildﬁres Reduced quality and quantity of well water High Crop damage Medium Risk to Public Safety from Wildﬁres Medium Property damage Low Power utility disruption Low Increased Precipitation and Inland Risk to Public Safety High Flooding Property damage Medium Damage to Roads and Bridges, Transportation and communication disruption and isolation of residents Medium The table below identiﬁes priority adaptation actions for each hazard. Some of these actions are taken from existing related plans and documents (SCEEMO Plan, Coastal Management Strategy, PIEVC Assessment of Sandy Point Sewage Treatment Plant) and others are new as a result of this analysis. Action Item Supporting Document Responsibility Hazard: Coastal Flooding and Erosion Integrate Climate Risks into SCEEMO Plan: Continue to work with EMO Planning Committee and the SCEEMO Plan to integrate climate change considerations into emergency response planning. Integrate coastal ﬂooding risk maps into SCEEMO Plan. SCEEMO Plan EMO Coordinator Sustainable Development Coordinator Storm Surge Monitoring: Initiate a program with ﬁre departments and other emergency response organizations to record high water levels during storm surge events so they can be surveyed and integrated into coastal ﬂood risk mapping. MCCAP EMO Coordinator Sustainable Development Coordinator Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 24 Action Item Supporting Document Responsibility Increase Public Awareness of Emergency Preparedness: Continue to take an active role in communicating to residents best practices for being prepared for an emergency. MCCAP EMO Coordinator Coastal Flood Risk Mapping: Work with the Nova Scotia Climate Change Directorate and the Applied Geomatics Research Centre to use newly acquired LiDAR data to complete coastal water level ﬂood risk mapping to identify long term risk as well as to complete evacuation planning exercises for storm surge events in Eastern Shelburne County MCCAP Sustainable Development Coordinator EMO Coordinator Coastal Impact Area: Deﬁne and communicate the deﬁnition of a coastal impact area within the Municipality using distance and elevation from the ordinary high water mark for the pur- poses of education and information gathering. Coastal Management Strategy Sustainable Development Coordinator Eduction and Outreach Program: Develop and implement an education and outreach program for coastal landowners about stewardship and development best practices, including recom- mendations for distance and elevation for development from the high water mark, erosion control and vegetative buffers. Include a checklist or point system to help landowners assess devel- opment plans for ﬂood risk. Make information packages avail- able through the building inspection department. Coastal Management Strategy Sustainable Development Coordinator Beach Planning: Work with stakeholders and other partners to examine the suite of beaches in the municipality and prioritize for conservation or development of recreation/tourism infra- structure. Advocate for the development of beach manage- ment plans and work with other levels of government to help manage our impacts on these valuable coastal resources. Coastal Management Strategy Sustainable Development Coordinator Community Consultation: Consider creating a requirement for community consultation in coastal areas to ensure community members are consulted about signiﬁcant non-residential devel- opments (commercial, industrial). Coastal Management Strategy Sustainable Development Coordinator Municipal Council Consider Zoning Sensitive Areas: Investigate and consider mechanisms, such as zoning or protection by deﬁnition, for the protection of sensitive areas within the coastal impact area. Coastal Management Strategy Sustainable Development Coordinator Municipal Council Integrate Climate Change into Sustainability Outreach Programs: Ensure that climate change is included in public outreach related to Sustainability and continue to communicate the results of the MCCAP process to residents and in schools. MCCAP Sustainable Development Coordinator Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 25 Action Item Supporting Document Responsibility Consider Land Use Planning in Coastal Areas: Based on the results of the education and planning activities, consider the implementation of land use planning including setbacks (hori- zontal and vertical) from the ordinary high water mark. Include ﬂexibility in the policy where reasonable for variances if property owners can prove the suitability of the development based on soil type, shoreline type and other site speciﬁc data. Coastal Management Strategy Sustainable Development Coordinator Municipal Council Communicate and Support Citizen Science: Communicate opportunities and encourage participation in citizen science projects designed to monitor and improve understanding of the impacts of climate change, particularly in the ﬁshing industry. MCCAP Sustainable Development Coordinator Municipal Council Support the development of Tools and Criteria for Coastal Adaptation: Support Saint Mary's University in as a pilot site for a project focused on the development of tools and criteria for selecting appropriate coastal adaptation strategies for infra- structure and private property. MCCAP Sustainable Development Coordinator Weather Safety Policy: Implement a policy to protect staff and users at the Sandy Point Sewage Treatment Plant and Septage Receiving Facility from hurricanes, storm surges and ice storms. PIEVC Assessment Public Hazard: Drought and Wildﬁres Private Water Supply Management Awareness: Work with Nova Scotia Environment and explore other partnerships to communicate and promote strategies for private water supply management for residents and businesses. Work with the Prov- ince to develop a tool to help residents assess their risk and plan for managing their private water supply long term. MCCAP Sustainable Development Coordinator Support DNR Wildﬁre Prevention Programs: Explore ways to ensure residents are aware of wildﬁre prevention strategies. MCCAP Sustainable Development Coordinator Hazard: Increased Precipitation and Inland Flooding Minimize inﬂow and inﬁltration in the wastewater system: Reduce inﬂow and inﬁltration into the wastewater collection system through the implementation of a long term cleaning, inspection and repair program (IN PROGRESS) PIEVC Assessment Public Works Municipal Engineer Inland Flood Risk Mapping: Work with the Nova Scotia Climate Change Directorate and the Applied Geomatics Research Centre to use newly acquired LiDAR data to complete inland water level ﬂood risk mapping to identify long term risk as well as to complete evacuation planning exercises for storm surge events in Eastern Shelburne County MCCAP Sustainable Development Coordinator EMO Coordinator Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 26 Action Item Supporting Document Responsibility Watershed Mapping: Incorporate surface water systems into ﬂood risk mapping and ensure that any watershed features and drainage are considered in any land use or development planning processes. MCCAP Sustainable Development Coordinator Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 27 Climate Change Mitigation Energy and energy efﬁciency were identiﬁed as signiﬁcant considerations in the Municipality of the District of Shelburne's Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP). The ICSP identiﬁes the following goals for 2030: Goal 12-1: Our community uses energy eﬃciently and is dependent on secure, renewable sources. Goal 12-2: A renewable energy industry has developed in Shelburne County which includes both power generation and manufacturing. Since 2009, the Municipality has been actively working to both better understand corporate and community energy use and to improve efﬁciency and promote renewable energy wherever possible. In June 2009, the Municipality of the District of Shelburne joined the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Protection Program (PCP). The Municipality has now completed Milestones 1, 2 and 3 of this program, including adopting the following greenhouse gas reduction targets in December 2010: - A 20% reduction in corporate emissions from 2007 levels by 2020; and - A 8.2% per capita reduction in community emissions from 2007 levels by 2020. These targets were developed as part of Milestone 3 of the PCP program and as a result of the completion of the Eastern Shelburne County Energy Strategy (ESCES), developed in 2010 and adopted by Council in December 2010. The ESCES was developed in collaboration with the Towns of Shelburne and Lockeport and identiﬁes renewable and alternative energy opportunities for Eastern Shelburne County as well as measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, an approach to outreach and education about energy for residents and businesses, and an action plan to pursue opportunities. The ESCES is included as Appendix E of this document. Energy and Emissions Inventory The Municipality of the District of Shelburne completes a greenhouse gas inventory every two years and has done since 2007. Results of the 2011-2012 inventory are summarized below and the the full inventory results are included as Appendix F. - Municipal operations result in approximately 903 tons of eCO2 to be emitted annually. This is a 1.5% decrease from 2007-2008 data, but a 2.7% increase from 2009-10 data. - The increase from 2009-10 data can be primarily attributed to the commissioning of the new wastewater treatment plant and pumping station, which has three times the capacity of the infrastructure it replaced. - These emissions also result in approximately 11,141 kg of air pollutants to be emitted annually. - By far, the greatest source of emissions is electrical consumption (82%), accounting for 77% of costs - By far, the greatest functional source of emissions is streetlights, accounting for 64% of fossil fuel costs - The District of Shelburne spends $342,467 annually on the direct purchase of fossil fuel services. - GHG emissions and energy use the C&D Site, Municipal Administration Building, and Public Works Garage decreased 59%, 12% and 40%, respectively, since 2007. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 28 0.00# 100.00# 200.00# 300.00# 400.00# 500.00# 600.00# Municipal# Administra8on# Building# Public#Works# Garage# Joint#Services# Board#C&D#Site# Waste#Water# Treatment#Plant# Waste#Water# Treatment#Plant#I# Pumping#Sta8ons# Street#Lights# Vehicle#Fleet# (Public#Works#&# Recrea8on# Vehicle#Fleet# (Shared#Services#I# Waste#Diversion)# Annual#GHG#Emissions#by#Facility#(Tons#eCO2)# 2007# 2008# 2009# 2010# 2011# 2012# Municipal)Administra0on) Building) 8.9%) Public)Works)Garage) 1.7%) Joint)Services)Board) C&D)Site) 0.3%) Waste)Water)Treatment) Plant) 2.4%) Waste)Water)Treatment) Plant)K)Pumping)Sta0ons) 1.1%) Street)Lights) 63.6%) Vehicle)Fleet)(Public)Works) &)Recrea0on) 3.5%) Vehicle)Fleet)(Shared) Services)) 18.6%) Share)of)Total)Fossil)Fuel)Service)Costs:)Average)Based)2011K2012) Action Plan and Implementation The ESCES identiﬁes short and long term actions for the municipalities in Eastern Shelburne County, the ﬁrst of which was to establish an Energy Strategy Coordinator for the three municipal units to focus on implementation. This dedicated resource was not established, however, implementation of several of the identiﬁed actions has proceeded and others are in progress or being considered. An updated action plan (including projects that have already been completed) is presented in the table below. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 29 Action Responsibility Estimated Cost Status Wind Turbine Development Plan and Land Use Bylaw: Develop policy and implement a Wind Energy Development Plan and Wind Turbine By-Law for the District of Shelburne which balances the beneﬁts of development with Sustainable Development Coordinator Project funded by Department of Energy COMPLETE Energy Eﬃciency Improvements - Public Works Garage: Complete lighting retroﬁt, insulation and programmable thermostats as recommended in Energy Audit in 2009. Public Works $3000 COMPLETE Municipality of the District of Shelburne 50 kW COMFIT: In the summer of 2013 the Municipality of the District of Shelburne installed a 50 kW wind turbine under the COMFIT program in Sandy Point. It is anticipated that this turbine will generate over 100,000 kWh per year in electricity, which will be sold to Nova Scotia Power. Sustainable Development Coordinator $450,000 COMPLETE Energy Eﬃciency Improvements - Shelburne County Arena: Complete lighting retroﬁt, new roof membrane, furnace and condenser, including heat recovery for domestic hot water. Director of Recreation and Parks $350,000 COMPLETE Activating the Energy Transition in Eastern Shelburne County: Implement recommended awareness and engagement programs to inform businesses, institutions and residents about the Energy Strategy and ways to access funding and programs including information sessions and targeted workshops. This project has been underway since October 2012 and is funded by Environment Canada (EcoAction) and led by the Shelburne County Women's Fishnet, a local non-proﬁt. Shelburne County Women's Fishnet, Municipality of the District of Shelburne. The project budget over 18 months including in-kind contributions is approximately $200,000. In progress until March 31, 2014 Solar Thermal Project - Lockeport High School: As part of the Activating the Energy Transition Project, a workshop was held in March 2013 at the NSCC - Shelburne Campus where 17 local residents and tradespeople learned how to build and install solar hot water and solar air systems. Part of the project was refurbishing a solar thermal system and gathering donated parts in order to install it at the Lockeport High School. Final installation is expected by April 2014. Shelburne County Women's Fishnet, Municipality of the District of Shelburne. The materials and labour for this project were donated, but valued at $20,000. Fall 2013 Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 30 Action Responsibility Estimated Cost Status Facilities Renewal: Improve energy efﬁciency of municipal administration building through the construction of a new, shared Government Services facility for the region including energy efﬁcient and renewable energy technologies. Study completed in 2011 identiﬁed opportunities to incorporate a 40% reduction in energy use through the use of solar thermal for water and air space heating as well as heat pumps and improved lighting design CAO The total project costs are estimated at $7,000,000 Planning Large Wind (800 kW) COMFIT Project: Continue to assess the feasibility of proceeding with a large wind COMFIT project in the Sandy Point area based on wind energy data collected since 2011. Sustainable Development Coordinator $3,000,000 Feasibility Analysis Streetlight Policy and LED Transition: Continue to work with Nova Scotia Power to ensure an efﬁcient transition to LED streetlights and reduce or remove streetlights where they are not needed. Public Works To be determined Planning Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 31 References Adapting Atlantic Canadian Fisheries to Climate Change. Ecology Action Centre, 2012. Colville, David & Wayne Reiger. South West Nova Scotia (SWNS) Temperature and Solar Radiation Study: 2011 Project Summary. Richards, William and Réal Daigle. Scenarios and Guidance for Adaptation to Climate Change and Sea Level Rise - NS and PIE Municipalities. August 2011. Seavey, J. R., et. al. Effect of sea-level rise on piping plover (Charadrius melodus) breeding habitat. Biol. Conserv. (2010), doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2010.09.017 The Municipal Climate Change Action Plan Assistant: Learning From Others. Elemental Sustainability Consulting Ltd., 2011. Tools for Community Climate Change Adaptation in Nova Scotia: Socio-Economic Indicators & Scenario Planning, Stantec, 2012. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 32 Appendix A: Stakeholder Consultation Results Stakeholder Interviews Early in the MCCAP development process, a series of stakeholder interviews were conducted in order to understand work being undertaken by other government departments and external organizations, which was synergistic with the Municipality's work on the MCCAP. The following notes from the stakeholder interviews informed how the Municipality approached the MCCAP development process. July 23, 2012 Department of Fisheries & Oceans Paul MacDonald MacDonaldPG@dfo-mpo.gc.ca 902.863.5670 - DFO is completed in a multi-year federal program looking at the impacts of climate change, from a science point of view, for both ﬁsh management and infrastructure (Aquatic Climate Change Adaptation Services Program) o 5-year funding started in Spring 2012 and involves a number of other departments, it is a fairly high proﬁle program focused on what science is needed to evaluate strategies for adaptation - Small craft harbours is focused on properties and infrastructure and what is the best process to identify vul- nerability - Should also talk to the Coast Guard about their infrastructure (to send contact) e.g. lighthouses - DFO is looking harbour by harbour at the synergistic effects of climate change and the socio economic fac- tors (e.g. value of boats, ﬁsh landings, social value of harbour as a gathering location) - Are at the early stages of developing a national matrix for evaluating (Paul will send information) but meth- odology is not yet ﬁnalized and has not been rolled out to the Harbour Authorities - No timeline to do this, they are right now focusing on the sustainability of programs - Vulnerability of harbours will inform policy decisions for the long term including protection, relocation, etc. - Should talk to Justin Houston at Fisheries and Aquaculture (have emailed) - Could also talk to policy people in Halifax re expected long term impacts of climate change on ﬁsh stocks - Jennifer Mullane indicated that there would be a workshop in October regarding the development of a tool for risk assessment along the coast and that we may be permitted to participate as observers ! - Generic info about the program (click here). - This project will carry out a pilot implementation of methodologies for estimating extreme high sea levels associated with multiple climate change inﬂuences, with consideration of their uncertainties. These method- ologies will primarily focus on the lower-frequency ocean variables, such as changes in mean sea level. This project will also provide pilot tools for ocean waves generated by storms and expected changes related to the future climate scenarios. The exact form of the tools will be determined through consultation and will partly depend on the methodology or methodologies chosen in and the external sea level projection experts. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 33 July 25, 2012 Nova Scotia Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Dr. Bob Pett (902) 424-4082 pettrj@gov.ns.ca - So far, our department's climate change activities have focused on the Chignecto Isthmus. - Hoping to have the ﬁnal report out very soon and available on the ACAS website. - NSTIR also created an overview report of its ACAS activities (pdf copy provided). - The report shows our intentions in the near term - something that I've been trying to get going this summer (not too much so far). - We are looking to start an inventory of coastal problem areas that either have had frequent stormtide dam- age or are likely to in the near future. This year I intend to start the inventory along three coasts/Counties (Northumberland Strait/Cumberland, Atlantic/Lunenburg and Gulf/Inverness) and then do considerably more next summer, hopefully with the aid of a student. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 34 August 2, 2012 Insurance Bureau of Canada Amanda Dean 902.429.2730 x 225 adean@ibc.ca ! - IBC is increasingly interested in climate change because their members are seeing an increase in water- related claims - "Water is the new ﬁre" - they are most concerned with rainfall, sea level rise, storm surge, also hurricanes and wind storms which are happening with greater frequency and intensity - Overland ﬂooding and coastal erosion is NOT covered by home insurance but water coming in through drains and sewers is insured, hence their interest in municipal infrastructure - Will release research report about the "cost of doing nothing" in late summer or early fall - Working with Natural Resources Canada and the regional adaptation collaboratives to develop a tool to identify the weakest points in infrastructure and help municipalities decide how to allocate limited resources (in its second year of testing but may not be available for 1-2 years) - Can provide some claims evidence at a provincial level - IBC does some consumer outreach and has done research in how to develop consumer friendly materials about how to talk about these issues with consumers which they can share - Have 1-800 consumer information number which we can publish on our materials - Can help develop consumer information pieces, clarify insurance coverage (e.g. sometimes poor mainte- nance can cause a claim to be denied) Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 35 August 21, 2012 Bell Aliant Marcus Goodick Marcus.goodick@aliant.ca 902.487.3329 - General emergency planning - EMO type operations, groups are monitoring when there are storms etc. There is a lot of resiliency in the network (e.g. cable cuts can be looped back) - Based on Hurricane Juan and White Juan there have been improvements - Bell Aliant has their own power systems plus a ﬂeet of portable generators so that smaller facilities can carry on - usually 8 - 18 hours without electricity and then portable generators are looped around to recharge batteries. After white Juan the battery life was increased for some sites because roads were not cleared in time. - Beneﬁts in operating across the province/region, a lot of reserve to draw on from other locations - inter- communication and cooperation between regions - Some communication with NS Power, but fully independent so they can supply their own power in the event of an outage - Jeff Moore (Atlantic Network Operations Centre - within Bell Aliant) - tied into provincial and municipal EMO ofﬁces, always tightly tied to EMO if there is an outage. - Just starting to work on other climate change impacts - for example in the Moncton area certain equipment and battery backup was moved from basement to 2nd ﬂoor because it was below 100 year ﬂood line. - Have contracts with pumping companies - high on priority list in the event of a ﬂood - some work looking at that...looking to have more conversations internally. - Fibreop - aerial cable - if we are expecting more extreme weather, higher winds, need to understand net- work infrastructure vulnerabilities - Evaluating key network infrastructure and doing a risk assessment - more risk management overall across the company - Have done a cursory analysis of where the sites are, for the most part they are well out of reach, mainly Moncton and Fredericton have some risk with respect to battery supply. - Also looking at recent incidents that have caused concern. - Identiﬁed in risk management to do some mapping of all facilities and plant - have it all in GIS now, LiDAR being considered, would be interested in partnering on LiDAR if it covered the area where Bell Aliant infra- structure is located. - Can send info on where infrastructure is located - Really extreme rainfalls called washouts in a number of areas last year more severe weather than ever be- fore - underground infrastructure and vehicles can be at risk - cable washouts. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 36 August 21, 2012 West Green Harbour Harbour Authority Thomas MacKay 656-2018 - Tried garbage boxes, but were ﬁlled with household garbage - Had 3 barrels on top of oil tank for ﬁlters and oil jugs, they were also ﬁlled with garbage, had to take barrels - No storm damage - Just had cement wharf done, new concrete piles and cross piles put in two years ago, wharf should be pretty stable - 20 boats at the wharf - Lots of erosion on blue island off the point, seems to be eroding faster - Beaches on East Green harbor side, one beach completely washed out, used to be a high beach - Beaches around the point have rocks driven away into the woods. - Temperatures are changing - things seem to be about a month behind time, usually get lobsters coming on in April, now not until the end of May (water is warm enough) - Started out in 1958 - Milder winters, not as much snow - Open winter, more out winds, harder for ﬁshing - can't get out every day (lobster ﬁshing) - No one from WGH wharf goes long lining any more - no quota, to buy quota defeats the purpose, it was too expensive - Interested in being contacted with more information about the workshop for stakeholders Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 37 August 30, 2012 Little Harbour Harbour Authority Borden Williams 875-1526 - Have had frequent storm damage in recent years, and infrastructure has not been recently upgraded, is degrading and not always properly repaired - 10 boats at the wharf - Have noticed signiﬁcant changes in water temperature, lobsters molting early and in some cases twice in one year, resulting in poor quality catch - Would be willing to participate in stakeholder meetings. Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 38 September 6, 2012 Geological Services Division Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources Rob Naylor 902-424-8119 - Biggest thing being done is the coastal work o Will support the Province's Coastal Strategy (PON) - but that was Fisheries based, now DFA needs rebuilding o Within DNR 3-4 years ago, looked at how to better make available expertise o Traditional expertise on mineral industry, mining, exploration o Broadened to include groundwater, geohazards and started a program to look at coastal erosion and ﬂooding o Also had someone working on best practices for protection of coastal infrastructure o Very under-resourced - Building climate change planning into overall strategic approach (e.g. siting of parks) - Ultimately looking to be able to provide support to Municipalities (3-5 years) - Could provide some models etc. (e.g. hurricane) - Also want to tie into EMO to make sure they know where the risk is in case of emergency. - Work in Lunenburg, Pugwash - Bunch of work going on at Dalhousie, some funding to apply their modeling to communities - sea level rise, storm surge, wave run-up - Areas of higher density and lower elevation - Open ocean rather than bays - These are what we recognize as being the risks - some information on the geology of the coastline - People talk about sea level rise as being the big risk, but in fact the biggest risk is planning for major coastal storms - Although there is a large camp of people that climate change will pose a large risk, however TODAY our com- munities are vulnerable to major coastal storms. The risk may change as climate changes, - DNR could help us identify those areas - Could look at provincial DEM, (2-3m), look at everything below 8-10 m is at risk - Could certainly provide some support, good databases - Also have a student coming on in the fall and she is looking at how to translate information that DNR has into a format that can be used by planners - Could give some background on how geology may affect coastal processes - Site assessments for Coastal Impact Area rather than setbacks Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 39 EMO Planning Committee Workshop In March 2013, a workshop was held for the EMO Planning Committee where the potential impacts of climate change in the Municipality of the District of Shelburne were discussed and members were given the opportunity to provide feedback into the process. This Committee covers all of Eastern Shelburne County so the feedback gathered also covers the Towns of Shelburne and Lockeport. The input gathered also included a review of the Affected Locations maps, where additional information was collected. The input is summarized below. CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLANNING EMO PLANNING MEETING MARCH 2013 What impacts have we seen from weather and changing climate in our communities already? - Storm surge, high tidal water levels - High winds for prolonged periods - Soil erosion from torrential rain - Flooding - Coastal Erosion - Higher Tides - The ﬂooding of Clyde River - Beach eroding - Extension of ﬂoating dock - More trees have blown down - Less ice in the winter - More pest & Insects (ticks &Mosquitos) - Water over the roads - Milder winters - Wetter Springs - Dryer warmer summers - Wildﬁres - Higher wind velocity for longer periods of time (more intense) - Increase of wind and sustainability - Seasons weather starting later every year How well are we prepared - what if these events occurred more frequently? - Not very well at present - I don't think the average person is very prepared - As Municipal Ofﬁcials we need to complete some preventative measures and educate the public on how we can be more prepared Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 40 - More erosion - Seems to have lots of notice through local media. Not sure if we or even the Province could handle a long duration event - Red Cross group founded - Comfort Stations set up - I personally feel attempts are being made but community/residents deﬁnitely need to be more aware and take this seriously - Our Fire Departments has been made into a comfort centre. We have also established a Red Cross group here to assist - Continue Planning - Develop Zoning & Information - More events would make our community to work harder at getting prepared - Although not at the top of the spectrum, feel we could "hold our own" in an emergency that last up to 3 days; unsure if emergency were to be longer - To have lots of local notice through local media. Not sure if we or even the Province could handle a long duration event What climate change hazards will have the largest impact in our communities? - Tidal - Storm Surges - Costal Erosion - Access from road washouts - Trees are falling - Increase in disease - Ticks & Mosquitos - Increase Agricultural & Farming - Water temperature - affecting lobster & ﬁshing industry What opportunities may arise for our community as a result of climate change? - Longer warmer summers - Tourism - Warmer weather - longer seasons could create economic spin offs - More land ﬂooding - Becoming an Island - No Road Access - Potential for extending growing seasons - maybe a variety of crops (ie. Watermelons) - Different ﬁsh species - Attract more tourists with warmer summers and milder winters. People are coming to local cottages in the wintertime now as appose to when the winters were colder and snowier Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 41 - Construction (i.e. moving, rebuilding houses) Where in our communities might climate hazards have the greatest impact? (indicate on maps) - Crescent Beach - Calf Island Road - Chetwynds Beach any; low lying coastal areas - Concerns for Black Point/Ingomar - Storm Surges * Residents close to the water - Water comes up over the roads in Ingomar and Round Bay making roads in passable - Dock Street - Magill - Coastal predominately - All along our coast - Wharves - Dock Street - Lockeport - Causeways - Cape Sable Island Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 42 Appendix B: Affected Location Maps and SCEEMO Plan Maps Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 43 ![![ ![ ") d ") #7 ![ ") ") Clyde River _Cultural/Historic Site nmDay Care dElectrical Supply Infrastructure ![ Fire Station #7 Gas Station ") Hall GFHospital $8 Library !C Long Term Care Facility ! Municipal $ Police Station nSchool !P Town Water Infrastructure ") Wharf Potential Impact Areas Observed Inland Impacts Observed Coastal Impacts Potential Coastal Flood Areas 0 1 2 3 4 0.5 Kilometers ¯ Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 44 ![nn !C ") n ") nm #7 $8 ") d ![![ d") ![ ")") ") ![ !P ![ Lockeport Area _Cultural/Historic Site nmDay Care dElectrical Supply Infrastructure ![ Fire Station #7 Gas Station ") Hall GFHospital $8 Library !C Long Term Care Facility ! Municipal $ Police Station nSchool !P Town Water Infrastructure ") Wharf Potential Impact Areas Observed Inland Impacts Observed Coastal Impacts Potential Coastal Flood Areas 0 1 2 3 4 0.5 Kilometers¯ Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 45 ") _ !C !P GF nm") n ! !C ") ") ![ n ") _nm _ #7 ") ") )! ! !P ") Sandy Point & Gunning Cove _Cultural/Historic Site nmDay Care dElectrical Supply Infrastructure ![ Fire Station #7 Gas Station ") Hall GFHospital $8 Library !C Long Term Care Facility ! Municipal $ Police Station nSchool !P Town Water Infrastructure ") Wharf Potential Impact Areas Observed Inland Impacts Observed Coastal Impacts Potential Coastal Flood Areas 0 1 2 3 4 0.5 Kilometers ¯ Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 46 Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 47 ") ![ ") ") d ") ![ !P Jordan Bay Area _Cultural/Historic Site nmDay Care dElectrical Supply Infrastructure ![Fire Station #7Gas Station ") Hall GFHospital $8Library !CLong Term Care Facility ! Municipal $Police Station nSchool !P Town Water Infrastructure ") Wharf Potential Impact Areas Observed Inland Impacts Observed Coastal Impacts Potential Coastal Flood Areas 0 1 2 3 4 0.5 Kilometers ¯ Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 48 #7 #7 ![ ") ") Sable River Area _Cultural/Historic Site nmDay Care dElectrical Supply Infrastructure ![Fire Station #7Gas Station ") Hall GFHospital $8Library !CLong Term Care Facility ! Municipal $Police Station nSchool !P Town Water Infrastructure ") Wharf Potential Impact Areas Observed Inland Impacts Observed Coastal Impacts Potential Coastal Flood Areas 0 1 2 3 4 0.5 Kilometers¯ Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 49 FIGURE'14.1.1' SCEEMO'PLANNING'MAP' THREAT'&'RISK'ASSESSMENT' TRANSPORTATION' Map'Legend:' ......!Single!Access!Road! Flood!Closure!Risk! ' Critical!Bridge! Threat/Risk:!!!Transportation! Date:!!! ! Yarmouth'County' Queens'County' Route'203' Route'103' Broad'River' Cape'Sable'Island' Barrington'River' Shelburne' Jordan'Falls' Lockeport' Granite'Village' Port'Joli' Shelburne' County' Clyde'River' Roseway' River' Sable' &' Tidney' DO#NOT#COPY# DO#NOT#DISTRIBUTE# ! T! N! Updated:!05/02/13! Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 50 FIGURE'14.1.2' SCEEMO'PLANNING'MAP' THREAT'&'RISK'ASSESSMENT' TELECOMMUNICATIONS' Map'Legend:' ........." Critical"Telephone"and"Cable"TV"Route" Critical"Bridge" Threat/Risk:"""Telecommunications" Date:""" " Yarmouth'County' Queens'County' Route'203' Route'103' Broad'River' Cape'Sable'Island' Barrington'River' Shelburne' Jordan'Falls' Lockeport' Granite'Village' Port'Joli' Shelburne' County' Clyde'River' Roseway' River' Sable' &' Tidney' DO#NOT#COPY# DO#NOT#DISTRIBUTE# " T" N" Radio/TV"Station" Cell"Sites"(TMR)" Grid"Sites" Telephone"Office" Updated:"05/02/13" Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 51 FIGURE'14.1.3' SCEEMO'PLANNING'MAP' THREAT'&'RISK'ASSESSMENT' NSPI8HI'LEVEL'DISTRIBUTION' Map'Legend:' Major&Substation& ' Critical&Bridge& Threat/Risk:&&&NSPI>Hi&Level&Distribution& Date:&&& & Yarmouth'County' Queens'County' Route'203' Route'103' Broad'River' Cape'Sable'Island' Barrington'River' Shelburne' Jordan'Falls' Lockeport' Granite'Village' Port'Joli' Shelburne' County' Clyde'River' Roseway' River' Sable' &' Tidney' DO#NOT#COPY# DO#NOT#DISTRIBUTE# & T& N& Updated:&05/02/13& Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 52 FIGURE'14.1.4' SCEEMO'PLANNING'MAP' THREAT'&'RISK'ASSESSMENT' TIDAL'INUNDATION' Map'Legend:' Area%at%Risk% ' Critical%Bridge% Threat/Risk:%%%Tidal%Inundation% Date:%%% % Yarmouth'County' Queens'County' Route'203' Route'103' Broad'River' Cape'Sable'Island' Barrington'River' Shelburne' Jordan'Falls' Lockeport' Granite'Village' Port'Joli' Shelburne' County' Clyde'River' Roseway' River' Sable' &' Tidney' DO#NOT#COPY# DO#NOT#DISTRIBUTE# % T% N% Updated:%05/02/13% Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 53 Appendix C: Preliminary Results from ParCA Study Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 54 Appendix D: Coastal Management Strategy Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 55 Appendix E: Eastern Shelburne County Energy Strategy Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 56 Appendix F: Greenhouse Gas Inventory Results 2011 - 2012 Municipality of the District of Shelburne Municipal Climate Change Action Plan 57