Above Ground Pipeline Wildlife Crossing Directive

Transcription

1 Title: Number: ESRD, Public Land Management, 2014, No. 7 Program Name: Operations Effective Date: July 27, 2012 This document was updated on: February 3, 2014 Purpose This document describes the minimum requirements for mitigating the barrier effect of above ground pipelines on wildlife movement at thermal in-situ oil extraction facilities. This directive is intended to: Provide wildlife with reasonable opportunities for movement across above ground pipelines. Establish a minimum number of crossings per segment of pipeline. Set minimum design criteria for crossing opportunities. Procedure Public Lands Act, Section 15(2). The director may, in a disposition or renewal, prescribe terms and conditions to which the disposition is subject. Public Lands Administration Regulation, Section 10(1). The director may issue a formal disposition subject to any terms and conditions the director considers appropriate. Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, Section 68. The Director may issue an approval subject to any terms and conditions the Director considers appropriate. Proponents of in-situ projects involving above ground pipelines must demonstrate in their applications how the project will conform to this standard. Relevant applications include the Environmental Field Report for dispositions under the Public Lands Act, Environmental Impact Assessments for commercial-scale in-situ projects and applications to construct and operate in-situ facilities under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. Applicants are encouraged to include maps and cross-section schematics to illustrate the locations and design of mitigation measures. Maps should illustrate clearance under the pipe to the ground in colourcoded 5m sections as well as the locations of all over-pipe crossings. Displaying adjacent ecosites, wildlife trails, and related infrastructure will provide context and support. Cross-section schematics illustrating the relief across the entire right-of-way width, including ditches, roads, above ground pipes and any other infrastructure present, are encouraged for each unique crossing opportunity. Page 1 of 6

2 Appropriate conditions will be included in dispositions or approvals issued under the Public Lands Act or the Environmental Protection Enhancement Act. Preliminary Considerations Wildlife movement across pipelines can be facilitated by either above-pipeline crossings, or underpipeline crossings. Under pipeline crossings are preferred. All opportunities for under-pipe crossings must be incorporated into the pipeline design. The placement of crossings shall consider wildlife habitat corridors and attempt to maintain movement corridors for the full diversity of species expected to occur. Data sources such as wildlife monitoring, vegetation/topographical maps, and LIDAR may inform these decisions and influence crossing location. Discussions among industry, consultants, ESRD/AER are necessary prior to finalization of the pipeline design. Crossing Requirements The following section describes the minimum number of crossings that must be achieved, both inside and outside of caribou range, the design specifications for under- and over- pipe crossings, and the expected distribution of crossings on the landscape. Minimum Frequency Crossing opportunities are required at a rate of 3 crossings per 1000 m of continuous above-ground pipeline outside of caribou range. While in caribou range, crossing opportunities are required at a rate of 4 crossings per 1000 m of continuous above-ground pipeline. Pipelines extending less than 250 m from the central processing facility do not require a crossing opportunity. A continuous segment is defined as any mainline pipeline extending from the boundary of a central processing facility to a junction with a lateral pipeline, or boundary of a multi-well pad or boundary of another central processing facility; or any lateral pipeline extending from the boundary of a pad to the boundary of another pad, the boundary of a central processing facility or to a junction with a mainline pipeline. The number of crossing opportunities is calculated for each continuous segment of pipeline greater than 250m as: In caribou range: # crossings = 4 (Segment Length (m)) 1000 (m) Outside of caribou range: # crossings = 3 (Segment Length (m)) 1000 (m) Page 2 of 6

3 Where local environmental conditions constrain number of wildlife crossings possible, operators may opt to provide an equivalent extent of crossing opportunity for each above-ground pipeline segment, provided that minimum crossing widths and maximum intervals between crossings are met. Equivalent extent of crossing opportunity is equal to 8% of total length of above-ground pipeline within caribou habitat, and 6% of above-ground pipeline length elsewhere. Crossings Design Under-pipe crossing is the preferred type and is defined as any crossing that has a minimum clearance of 180 cm at apex between ground and bottom of the pipe. A minimum clearance of 175 cm above ground must be maintained for at least 20 m (clearance height is measured from the soil surface to the lowest obstruction). Under-pipe permeability is encouraged, even where minimum extent above 175 cm does not approach the 20 m minimum for a crossing due to topographical constraints. Under-pipe crossings must account for at least 65% of the crossing opportunities within an In-situ development. In situations where more than 35% of crossing opportunities are provided by over-pipe crossings, operators must pursue further dialogue with ESRD/AER. Over-Pipe Crossings are engineered structures whose intended function is exclusively for wildlife movement over the pipeline. Over-pipe crossings will be a minimum of 8 m wide at the surface of the crossing (excludes side slopes) and an approach and egress with a slope of 1:6 (unless adjacent natural gradient is steeper or additional clearing of habitat would be required to facilitate a slope of 1:6). Slopes of over-pipe crossings cannot exceed 1:3 under any circumstances. Over-pipe crossings shall only be used when under-pipe crossings are not feasible or logistically possible. Ancillary use of over-pipe crossings for vehicles is not permitted. To both encourage wildlife movement and discourage vehicle traffic; natural materials such as rocks, boulders, coarse woody material, earth berms, and live vegetation planting among others materials should be deployed. All over-pipe crossings are to be vegetated with species consistent with adjacent native plant communities. Over-pipe crossings must take into account the natural surroundings and potential wildlife use of the crossing (e.g. maintain line of sight across the right-of-way). Wildlife crossings must not be located in areas wildlife are likely to avoid (e.g. beside parking lot). Note: If safety rails are installed along the sides of the crossing then the minimum width of such crossings shall be 9 m. Distribution of Crossings For continuous segments requiring more than 1 crossing opportunity, the minimum distance between crossings within that segment shall be 100 m, while the maximum distance between crossings within that segment shall be 500 m. Page 3 of 6

4 Enforcement/Compliance ESRD/AER reserves the right to reject any application that fails to comply with the Standard. Applicants that cannot comply with the standard but still wish to seek authorization must describe all proposed deviations from the standard as well as alternative strategies for providing an equivalent level of mitigation for wildlife. Supporting literature must be provided and further discussion with ESRD/AER must be sought. Contact Information Wayne Holland, Regional Approvals Manager Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Lower Athabasca Region (780) Authorities Public Lands Act, Section 15(2), Public Lands Administration Regulation, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, Section 68 Approved Original signed by Kem Singh, Executive Director Land and Forestry Policy Branch Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Page 4 of 6

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6 Table 1.0 Tabular summary of frequencies of crossings required for example provided in Figure 1. Caribou Range (4 crossings /1000m segment) Segment Length (m) Length(4/1000) *No. Crossings Under Crossings Over Crossings A-B Lat Lat B-C Lat Lat C-D Lat Lat Total * Rounded to nearest whole number Crossing not needed if segment is <250m Over vs. Total Crossing Ratio =24 % Page 6 of 6