TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 PROJECT INTRODUCTION... 1-1 1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND... 1-2 1.2 PROJECT PROPONENT... 1-2 1.3 PROJECT OVERVIEW... 1-3 1.4 PROJECT REGULATORY APPROVAL PROCESS... 1-4 1.4.1 Existing Approvals... 1-4 1.4.2 Application Approvals... 1-4 1.4.3 Additional Approvals Associated with the Application... 1-5 1.5 APPLICATION GUIDE AND DESCRIPTION... 1-5 1.6 REGIONAL SETTING... 1-6 1.7 DEVELOPMENT PLAN... 1-7 1.7.1 Development Schedule... 1-7 1.7.2 Project Development Area... 1-7 1.8 PUBLIC CONSULTATION PROGRAM... 1-7 1.9 ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAM... 1-8 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION... 2-1 2.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW... 2-1 2.2 SITE SELECTION OF PROJECT FACILITIES... 2-1 2.3 BITUMEN EXTRACTION AND PROCESSING COMPONENTS... 2-2 2.3.1 Well Pairs... 2-2 2.3.2 Well Pads... 2-2 2.4 CENTRAL PROCESSING FACILITY... 2-2 2.4.1 Gas Flaring System... 2-5 2.5 MATERIAL AND ENERGY BALANCE... 2-6 2.5.1 Material Balance... 2-6 2.5.2 Energy Balance... 2-7 2.6 UTILITY AND TRANSPORTATION COMPONENTS... 2-8 2.7 SITE MANAGEMENT... 2-9 2.7.1 Water Management... 2-9 2.7.2 Surface Water Management... 2-10 2.7.3 Sewage Treatment... 2-11 2.7.4 Waste Management Program... 2-11 2.8 HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT... 2-15 2.8.1 General... 2-15 2.8.2 Corporate Policies... 2-16 2.8.3 Health and Safety Program... 2-16 Page i
2.8.4 Emergency Response Plan... 2-17 2.8.5 Environmental Protection Program... 2-18 2.8.6 Health, Safety and Environment Integration into Project Management... 2-18 2.8.7 Fire Control Plan... 2-19 2.8.8 Worker Competence and Training Program... 2-19 3 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION... 3-1 3.1 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION STRATEGY... 3-1 3.2 COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSIONS... 3-2 3.3 INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSIONS... 3-3 3.4 FIRST NATIONS CONSULTATION... 3-3 4 ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION... 4-1 4.1 AIR QUALITY... 4-2 4.1.1 Introduction... 4-2 4.1.2 Background Concentrations... 4-2 4.1.3 Potential Impacts... 4-3 4.1.4 Mitigation and Monitoring... 4-6 4.1.5 Summary... 4-7 4.2 AQUATIC RESOURCES... 4-7 4.2.1 Introduction... 4-7 4.2.2 Baseline Setting... 4-7 4.2.3 Potential Impacts... 4-9 4.2.4 Mitigation and Monitoring... 4-10 4.2.5 Summary... 4-11 4.3 GROUNDWATER... 4-11 4.3.1 Introduction... 4-11 4.3.2 Baseline Setting... 4-12 4.3.3 Potential Impacts... 4-14 4.3.4 Mitigation and Monitoring... 4-17 4.3.5 Summary... 4-17 4.4 HISTORICAL RESOURCES... 4-17 4.4.1 Introduction... 4-17 4.4.2 Baseline Setting... 4-18 4.4.3 Potential Impacts... 4-18 4.4.4 Mitigation and Monitoring... 4-19 4.4.5 Summary... 4-19 4.5 HYDROLOGY... 4-19 4.5.1 Introduction... 4-19 4.5.2 Baseline Setting... 4-19 Page ii
4.5.3 Potential Impacts... 4-22 4.5.4 Mitigation and Monitoring... 4-25 4.5.5 Summary... 4-25 4.6 NOISE ASSESSMENT... 4-25 4.6.1 Introduction... 4-25 4.6.2 Baseline Conditions... 4-26 4.6.3 Potential Impacts... 4-27 4.6.4 Mitigation and Monitoring... 4-29 4.6.5 Summary... 4-29 4.7 SOIL AND TERRAIN... 4-29 4.7.1 Introduction... 4-29 4.7.2 Baseline... 4-30 4.7.3 Potential Impacts... 4-35 4.7.4 Mitigation & Monitoring... 4-37 4.7.5 Summary... 4-37 4.8 VEGETATION AND WETLANDS... 4-37 4.8.1 Introduction... 4-37 4.8.2 Baseline Conditions... 4-38 4.8.3 Potential Impacts... 4-42 4.8.4 Mitigation and Monitoring... 4-43 4.8.5 Summary... 4-43 4.9 WILDLIFE... 4-44 4.9.1 Introduction... 4-44 4.9.2 Baseline Conditions... 4-44 4.9.3 Potential Impacts... 4-49 4.9.4 Mitigation and Monitoring... 4-55 4.9.5 Summary... 4-56 4.10 LAND AND RESOURCE USE... 4-56 4.10.1 Introduction... 4-56 4.10.2 Baseline Conditions... 4-56 4.10.3 Potential Impacts... 4-67 4.10.4 Summary... 4-69 5 CONCEPTUAL CONSERVATION AND RECLAMATION PLAN... 5-1 5.1 INTRODUCTION... 5-1 5.2 PROJECT... 5-1 5.3 CONSERVATION AND RECLAMATION PROGRAM... 5-2 5.4 VEGETATION REMOVAL... 5-3 5.5 FINAL RECLAMATION... 5-4 Page iii
5.6 SOIL RESOURCES... 5-4 5.7 SOIL SALVAGE... 5-6 5.7.1 Access / Pipeline Corridors... 5-8 5.7.2 Borrow Pits... 5-9 5.7.3 Pipeline Re-Routing & Source Water Line... 5-10 5.7.4 Soil Storage Areas... 5-10 5.7.5 Construction, Operations and Supervisor s Camps... 5-12 5.7.6 Well Pads... 5-13 5.7.7 CPF... 5-14 5.7.8 Remote Sumps... 5-14 5.8 SOIL STORAGE... 5-14 5.9 FINAL SITE GRADING AND RE-CONTOURING... 5-15 5.10 EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL... 5-16 5.11 SOIL REPLACEMENT PLAN... 5-16 5.11.1 Access / Pipeline Corridors... 5-16 5.11.2 Borrow Pits... 5-17 5.11.3 Pipeline Re-routing & Source Water Line... 5-17 5.11.4 Soil Storage Areas... 5-18 5.11.5 Construction, Operations and Supervisor Camps... 5-18 5.11.6 Well Pads... 5-18 5.11.7 CPF... 5-19 5.11.8 Remote Sumps... 5-19 5.12 POST RECLAMATION LAND CAPABILITY... 5-22 5.13 REVEGETATION PLAN... 5-23 5.13.1 Reclaimed Ecosites... 5-23 5.13.2 Weed Management... 5-24 5.14 RECLAMATION MONITORING PROGRAM... 5-24 6 APPROVAL AMENDMENT APPLICATION... 6-1 6.1 APPLICATION... 6-1 6.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION... 6-1 6.3 ENERGY & UTILITIES BOARD APPROVAL... 6-1 6.4 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT... 6-1 6.5 EXISTING APPROVALS... 6-2 6.6 PROJECT SCHEDULE... 6-2 6.7 EMISSIONS AND CONTROL... 6-2 6.8 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SUMMARY... 6-2 6.9 EMISSION CONTROL PERFORMANCE... 6-3 6.10 EMISSIONS JUSTIFICATION AND CONTROL... 6-3 Page iv
6.11 WASTE MANAGEMENT... 6-3 6.12 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS... 6-3 6.13 EMERGENCY RESPONSE... 6-3 6.14 ACCIDENTAL RELEASE CONTINGENCY PLANS... 6-4 6.15 CONSERVATION AND RECLAMATION... 6-4 6.16 PUBLIC CONSULTATION... 6-4 6.17 SUPPLEMENTARY SUBMISSIONS... 6-4 6.18 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION... 6-4 7 REFERENCES... 7-1 Appendix 1 Existing Approvals Appendix 2 Consultation Appendix 3 Pre-Disturbance Assessment Appendix 4 Glossary and Acronyms Appendix 5 Project Team List of Appendices Consultant Reports Consultant Report #1 Air Quality Consultant Report #2 Aquatic Resources Consultant Report #3 Groundwater Consultant Report #4 Historical Resources Consultant Report #5 Hydrology Consultant Report #6 Noise Consultant Report #7 Soil and Terrain Consultant Report #8 Vegetation and Wetlands Consultant Report #9 Wildlife Page v