Coal and Oil Sands Exploration Reclamation Requirements

Transcription

1 External Directive Directive Number: SD Date: January 25, 2010 File Reference: Coal and Oil Sands Exploration Reclamation Requirements Purpose This directive provides information and guidance to Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (ASRD) staff, the coal exploration program (CEP), and oil sands exploration (OSE) Industry on the process used to verify successful reclamation of CEP and OSE dispositions and obtain reclamation certification. Context Reclamation criteria have been developed with an understanding that post-reclamation land use will be similar to pre-disturbance conditions. Successful reclamation of forested landscapes will involve the establishment of native vegetation representative of the disturbed ecosite(s). Successful reclamation of peatland and/or native grassland will involve the re-establishment of site conditions and vegetation species indicative of the anticipated land use. These criteria assess the development of the site along the trajectory towards the target community. To properly assess the effectiveness of reclamation practices on exploration sites three different criteria need to be evaluated. These criteria include landscape, vegetation and soils. Landscape and vegetation must be assessed on all sites and site access roads, but soil assessment is only required on sites where surface and/or soil disturbance has occurred. In addition to ground-truthing all soil-disturbed sites (i.e., soils stripped, compacted, rutted or other soil structure alterations), ten per cent (10%) of the remaining sites within the exploration program must be ground-truthed to verify aerial assessment. It is also important that when sites are assessed for reclamation, the assessor should give attention to access roads as these may have suffered more damage than the exploration site itself. Background Coal Exploration Program and Oil Sands Exploration dispositions are regulated through Alberta Environment (AENV) code of practice and ASRD approvals: applicable Code of Practice for Exploration Operations September 2005 o On disturbed land, the person who conducts or reclaims an exploration operation shall: (a) backfill, grade and contour disturbed areas to conform with the surrounding topography (b) replace soil materials salvaged for reclamation (c) re-vegetate so that the re-established plant community is compatible with the land use intended by the landowner applicable Public Lands Approval Conditions

2 o o o o o Specifies access conditions Specifies woody debris management/ mulch loading Specifies drilling waste handling Weed control requirements Specifies natural recovery unless otherwise authorized The Code of Practice and public lands approval conditions allow the landowner (ASRD) to specify reclamation requirements. This directive clarifies the reclamation assessment requirements for CEP and OSE programs. Policy Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act: The ability of the land to support various land uses after conservation and reclamation is similar to the ability that existed prior to an activity being conducted on the land, but that the individual land uses will not necessarily be identical (Conservation and Reclamation Reg. s. 1e). working definition the condition in which ecosystem processes are functioning in a state that will support the production of ecosystem goods and services consistent in quality and quantity as present prior to disturbance. Procedure The procedure directed below applies to Industry clients assessing dispositions for reclamation certification: All corehole sites contained within the exploration program require either an Aerial and/or Ground Assessment with recorded data to qualify for reclamation certification for the program. All sites where a minimum 25 per cent of the location has had soil disturbance (i.e. soils stripped, compacted, rutted or other soil structure alterations) requires an on-the-ground assessment of landscape, vegetation and soils. Ten per cent (10%) of the remaining sites in the CEP or OSE program requires groundtruthing (Landscape and Vegetation assessment) to verify corresponding aerial assessments. For assessment purposes CEP and OSE program sites should be classified based on slope position (upland, lowland and transitional) or ecosite type and a percentage of each ecosite is to be included in the 10 per cent sample. Access Roads are to be Aerial assessed to verify removal of water crossings and culverts and to further identify potential erosion issues and/or third party impact (i.e. ATV's). Potential issues are to be ground assessed. For ground-truthing assessments on sites with soil disturbance the detailed grid layout must be maximum 40x40m.To accommodate soil and vegetation variability, assessments are to be conducted within a 1.78 m radius plot totaling 10 m 2 which is representative of the entire grid.

3 Assessment Parameters: The assessment parameters contained within the Appendix have been adopted from the 2010 Reclamation Criteria for Wellsites and Associated Facilities. For more detailed rationale and methodology see the Wellsite documents. Summary of Criteria and Pass Fail Points for Landscape, Vegetation and Soils Forested Landuse Landscape: All landscape criteria must be met for an assessment to pass Vegetation Pass or Fail Conditions Sites Reclaimed Prior to June 1, 2007 Sites Reclaimed After June 1, 2007 Minimum 50% compatible vegetation cover if seeded. If Natural Recovery: Minimum 25% canopy cover of herbaceous species as compared to control and either; Minimum 25% canopy cover of woody species or Minimum stem/plant count of 5 (natural recovery) or 2 (planted) within 1.78m radius assessment area as compared to the control. Minimum 25% canopy cover of herbaceous species as compared to control and; either Minimum 25% canopy cover of woody species or Minimum stem/plant count of 5 (natural recovery) or 2 (planted) within 1.78m radius assessment area as compared to control Soil Pass or Fail Conditions Sites Constructed Prior to April 30, 1994 Sites Constructed After April 30, 1994 No minimum depth or distribution requirement. No rooting restrictions allowed. For 1 lease and 1 control (40x40m): If only one assessment point on-site no rating drops are allowed compared to the control off-site. For 4 lease and 2 control (80x80m): The maximum total allowable drop is 2. The maximum allowable drop is one (1) rating for two (2) sampling location or two (2) ratings for one (1) sampling location.

4 Authorities Public Lands Act (PLA), Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (AEPEA), Code of Practice for Exploration Operations, Forest and Prairie Protection Act (FPPA). Contacts Land Management Branch, Lands Division 3 rd Floor Petroleum Plaza South Street NW Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2G8 Telephone: (780) Approved Original signed by Glenn Selland, Executive Director Land Management Branch, Lands Division Alberta Sustainable Resource Development

5 Appendix Assessment Scheme: Maximum disturbance plot size (m) or (ha) Minimum number of sampling locations based on max 40 x 40 m grid size 40 x 40 or 0.16ha x 80 or 0.64ha x120 or 1.44ha 9 4 >120 x >120 or >1.44ha X Minimum number of Representative Controls x/2 (round up to nearest whole number) Note: based on landscape variability more control assessments may be required. 70 m 70 m The assessment parameters have been adopted from the 2010 Reclamation Criteria for Wellsites and Associated Facilities. For more detailed rationale and methodology see the Wellsite documents. Landscape Assessments Surface and Sub-Surface water flow To meet the landscape criteria, surface and subsurface drainage must be consistent with the surrounding landscape and the landscape of the reclaimed site must not pose a negative impact to site capability. Identification of negative impacts to site drainage should be done by documenting the presence of restricted soil layers, assessment of surface water flow both on, and off-site, and assessment of subsurface water flow.

6 Rooting Pattern Ratings in Forest Soils Rooting Pattern (Surface and Subsurface) Rating Category Rooting Pattern 1 Good No restriction, inped 2 Fair Slight restriction, mostly inped roots. 3 Poor Moderate restriction, mostly exped roots. 4 Unsuitable Severe restriction, root mats Changes in sub-surface flow can be indicated by changes in off-site vegetation health and vigour or yield and/or cover density. Assessment of the criteria is visual and there shall be no evidence of off-site impacts to sub-surface hydrological patterns resulting from the lease site or any associated disturbance. Erosion Assessment Channels or gullying must be consistent with off-site Slumping and wasting must be consistent with off-site Subsidence/settling must be consistent with off-site although where localized and small (<4 m 2 ) areas of subsidence are stable and unlikely to risk the site s stability, subsidence may be deemed acceptable. In such cases provide documentation of the size, location and severity of the subsided area(s) and an explanation of why further reclamation efforts are not needed. Micro, meso & macro contour (10 cm to 100 m scale): Micro contour is encouraged. Meso - and macro-contours should be integrated with adjacent off-site landscape features and retain the character of the adjacent area s relief. The topography shall not result in excessive erosion, slumping/wasting or altered water flow patterns. Woody Debris Management (Coarse versus Fine) Coarse woody debris and slash from windrows and brush piles should be redistributed over the site. Woody debris should not be piled, windrowed or concentrated in one area as this may pose a fire hazard. Mulching of non-merchantable stands and residual woody materials that produce large amounts of fine wood chips can be detrimental to soil thermal conditions, carbon: nitrogen (C:N) ratio and vegetation recruitment. Excess fine chipped woody debris (5cm) would require management as per Directive ID Management of Wood Chips on Public Land. Surface stoniness Presence of naturally occurring stones within reclaimed areas is assumed to present no significant risks to ecosystem functioning, or normal forested land uses and can often aid in creating small-scale roughness to enhance vegetation development.

7 Vegetation Assessments Vegetation assessments will occur in each 40x40 meter sampling grid using a 1.78 m radius plot (10m 2 ). Desired Plant Community The assemblage of vegetation species should indicate development of an early successional community for the target community or pre-disturbance assessment community if completed. o Forested Landscape: The target forest type as described in one of the three Guides to Ecosites of Alberta. (Field Guide to Ecosites of: West-central Alberta; Northern Alberta; and Southwestern Alberta; Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Center, Edmonton, 1996; UBC Press), provide lists of species typically found on different forest site-types in Alberta. o For other land uses (peatland/native grassland) please refer to representative off-site vegetation or pre-disturbance assessment if completed. Woody (trees and shrubs) and Herbaceous (grass and forbs) Vegetation Assessment Control Vegetation assessments at control locations are intended to identify the target community, ecosite and community variability. Ecosite field guides, pre-disturbance assessments, etc. may be used to identify appropriate vegetation targets. Woody Vegetation Assessment On-Site (Forested Land-use) List three dominant desirable species found on site Average Height (m) Total Woody Stem and Shrub Plant count: Stem counts of trees and plant count of shrubs are to be conducted within the basic sampling unit, a circular plot with a 1.78 m radius (10 m 2 ). Percent canopy cover (shrub and tree sp.) Estimate the percent cover of woody species within the basic sampling unit, a circular plot with a 1.78 m radius (10 m 2 ). Branch leader growth (cm) for previous year: record tree growth indicators of leader increment (length of past year s terminal growth using bud scale scars) and crown expansion. Branch leader growth (cm) for current year: record tree growth indicators of leader increment (length of the current year s terminal growth using bud scale scars) and crown expansion. Herbaceous Vegetation Assessment On-Site (All Land uses) List three dominant desirable species found on site Total percent canopy cover or desirable species Undesirable Plants / Weeds Non-native species and agronomics (e.g., Timothy and Clover) should not be the dominant species on site? and cannot contribute to the vegetation density measurements Weeds must be assessed and managed as per the Weed Control Act: restricted weeds destroyed and noxious weeds controlled. Undesired plants (including incompatible species) shall be controlled so that they do not impede

8 landowner/occupant operability and/or management. Enforcement of the Weed Control Act falls under the jurisdiction of the municipality. Disposition holders should contact the municipality for their list of noxious and restricted weeds. Weeds and Invasive measurements List species and distribution. Rating must be comparable to Control. Weed Distribution Ratings for Forest Soils Rating Class 1 0 Description None VEGETATION / WEED RATINGS 2 1 Rare 2 A few sporadically occurring individual plants 3 3 A single patch 4 A single patch plus a few sporadically occurring plants 4 5 Several sproadically occurring plants 6 A single patch plus several sporadically occurring plants 5 7 A few patches 8 A few patches plus several sproadically occurring plants 6 9 Several well spaced patches 10 Continous uniform occurrences of well spaced plants 7 11 Continous occurrence of plants with a few gaps in the distribution 12 Continous dense occurrence of plants Note: If Herbicides have been used to control weeds or invasive species a minimum of one full growing season must pass before the site can be re-assessed and an application for certification can be submitted. Grazing/browsing pressure Document the occurrence and extent of browsing if observed. Limitations affecting vegetation Document any visual indications affecting growth including drought, health or other third party impacts. Soil Assessments Salvage Requirements The entire A horizon as well as the forest floor (LFH) is extremely important because it contains important nutrients, microorganisms, seeds, and source of propagules for enhancing native vegetation growth. For areas where soils disturbance is planned all topsoil is to be salvaged and replaced.

9 Soils Assessment - Control In order to represent the soil salvaged from the site, when determining Control soil quantity and quality, collect a representative sample from the A horizons (Ahe, Ah, Ae) or, in thin soils, a mix of the top 15 cm of the mineral soils. The forest floor is not included when measuring the control topsoil depth. Measure depth, texture and consistence of control soils If site was stripped in two lifts control measurements should be of individual stripped horizons Soils Assessment - On-Site To accommodate soils variability, assessments should be completed on a location within the 1.78 m radius totaling 10 m 2 area representative of the maximum 40x40m grid. If there is documentation that soils have not been disturbed (stripped, compacted, rutted, etc) soils assessment will not be required. Determining physical properties of soil (i.e., compaction and soil structure) may be restricted to the core hole and access road locations as appropriate. These include the following: Quantity (Depth and Distribution) Topsoil depth should be assessed at each assessment location to determine quantity, including spatial distribution requirements, and quality. Topsoil depth measurement may be most effectively assessed and documented immediately after topsoil redistribution rather than at the time of site assessment, however, use of a larger soil assessment area should overcome problems where topsoil has been disturbed due to site rehabilitation techniques (i.e., plowing). Topsoil Rating for Forest Soils distribution Rating % of Control Mean >80% of Control mean 50-79% of Control Mean 30-49% of Control Mean <30% of Control Mean Quality (Texture) To maintain similar quality, soil textures on the lease and the control should be the same class (Canadian System of Soil Classification). Improvements in texture class, or water holding capacity, on the lease compared to the control would be acceptable. Quality (Consistence and Structure) These provide a subjective measure of the suitability or limitation of the soil air and water movement and root penetration. Soil moisture conditions at the time of the assessment should be noted. Moist conditions are the most suitable for determining consistence.

10 FRT.4 Soil Texture and Consistence Ratings for Forest Soils Soil Texture Topsoil Consistence (TS) Subsoil Consistence (SS) Consistence Result Consistence Result Rating Clay (C ) Sandy (S) Rating Moist Dry Moist Dry 1 Loam, Silt Loam, Silt 1 Very friable - Soft - Slightly Friable Hard Pass; no structure assessment Loose, Very friable, Friable, Firm Loose, Soft, Slightly hard, Hard Pass; no structure assessment 2 Sandy Clay Sandy Loam 2 Loose - Firm Loam, Clay Loam, Silty Clay Loam 3 Clay, Silty Clay, Loamy Sand 3 Very firm Sandy Clay Loose - Hard Very hard Proceed to assess structure Very firm Extremely firm Very hard Extremely hard Proceed to assess structure 4 Heavy Clay, Siltstone Sand, Gravel, Unconsolidated Bedrock 4 Extremely firm Extremely hard NA NA