Atco Salt Cavern Storage Expansion Project
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ATCO SALT CAVERN STORAGE EXPANSION PROJECT Summary of a Detailed Project Description March 31, 2021 SUMMARY OF A DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION ATCO SALT CAVERN STORAGE EXPANSION PROJECT CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................. 1 PART A: UPDATED GENERAL INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................... 3 1. THE PROJECT’S NAME, TYPE OR SECTOR AND PROPOSED LOCATION .................................................................. 3 2. PROPONENTS NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION ............................................................................................ 4 PART B: PLANNING PHASE RESULTS .................................................................................................................................. 6 3. ENGAGEMENT WITH JURISDICTIONS OR AGENCIES ............................................................................................. 6 4. ENGAGEMENT WITH INDIGENOUS GROUPS ........................................................................................................ 7 5. REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS AND RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES .............................................................. 13 6. STRATEGIC ASSESSMENTS ................................................................................................................................... 14 PART C: PROJECT INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................... 15 7. PROJECT PURPOSE AND NEED ............................................................................................................................ 15 8. PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES REGULATION ..................................................................................................................... 16 9. PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND PHYSICAL WORKS ...................................................................................................... 17 10. ESTIMATED MAXIMUM PROJECT CAPACITY........................................................................................................ 31 11. PROJECT SCHEDULE ............................................................................................................................................ 32 12. PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ...................................................................................................................................... 33 PART D: LOCATION INFORMATION .................................................................................................................................. 37 13. GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION .............................................................................................................................. 37 14. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................................................... 43 15. HEALTH, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT ....................................................................................................... 47 PART E: FEDERAL, PROVINCIAL, TERRITORIAL, INDIGENOUS AND MUNICIPAL INVOLVEMENT AND EFFECTS ................ 53 16. FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM FEDERAL AUTHORITIES .......................................................................................... 53 SUMMARY OF A DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION ATCO SALT CAVERN STORAGE EXPANSION PROJECT 17. USE OF FEDERAL LANDS FOR PROJECT ............................................................................................................... 53 18. JURISDICTIONS THAT HAVE POWERS, DUTIES OR FUNCTIONS IN RELATION TO AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PROJECT’S ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS. .............................................................................................................. 54 PART F: POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT ................................................................................................................ 59 19. POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON FISH AND FISH HABITAT, AQUATIC SPECIES AND MIGRATORY BIRDS ........................... 59 20. POTENTIAL EXTRA-PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL IMPACTS ................................................................................... 65 21. IMPACTS TO INDIGENOUS GROUPS INCLUDING TRADITIONAL LAND USE, PHYSICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE, AND HISTORICAL, ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND PALAEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ................................. 66 22. IMPACTS TO INDIGENOUS HEALTH, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ...................................................... 69 23. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT ...................................................................... 73 24. WASTE AND EMISSIONS GENERATED BY THE PROJECT ...................................................................................... 75 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................................................... 79 TABLES Table 1: Indigenous Groups Engaged during the Initial Planning Phase and their Proximity to the Proposed Project ................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Table 2: Estimated Project Schedule ............................................................................................................................... 32 FIGURES Figure 1: Project Location .................................................................................................................................................. 5 Figure 2: Site Plan ............................................................................................................................................................ 18 Figure 3: Salt Cavern Development (to Scale) ................................................................................................................. 19 Figure 4: Solution Mining Process (Not to Scale) ............................................................................................................ 29 Figure 5: Cavern Development and Operation (Not to Scale) ......................................................................................... 30 Figure 6: First Nations, Métis Settlements, and Local Communities ............................................................................... 38 Figure 7: Energy Infrastructure, Occupied Residences, Private Water Wells and Archaeological Sites .......................... 40 Figure 8: Proximity to Schools, Seniors' Lodging and Recreational Sites ......................................................................... 41 Figure 9: Environmentally Significant Areas, Military and Federal Lands, and Airports .................................................. 42 SUMMARY OF A DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION ATCO SALT CAVERN STORAGE EXPANSION PROJECT APPENDICES Appendix A: Summary of Results of the Screening Assessment .................................................................................. A.1 ATCO SALT CAVERN STORAGE EXPANSION PROJECT INTRODUCTION ATCO Energy Solutions Ltd. (AES; ATCO Energy Solutions), a division of the ATCO Group of Companies (ATCO), is pleased to submit this Detailed Project Description (DPD) for the ATCO Salt Cavern Storage Expansion Project (the proposed Project; the Project). The Project is an expansion of the existing Strathcona Salt Cavern Storage Facility, which consists of four underground natural gas liquids (NGL) storage caverns. The Project will add four additional storage caverns. The Project is proposed to be located on an existing industrial site on lands that are owned by AES. The local area is zoned for heavy industrial use, and the Project lands and surrounding lands are privately owned and generally cultivated or developed. The Project requires limited surface disturbance and infrastructure, and expected effects associated with operation of the Project are minimal. In accordance with the Impact Assessment Act, AES submitted an Initial Project Description (IPD) to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) for the Project on January 13, 2021. IAAC conducted public engagement on the IPD and solicited comments until February 16, 2021. Issues raised in the public engagement period were summarized by IAAC in a Summary of Issues document provided to AES on March 1, 2021. Pursuant to subsection 15(1) of the Impact Assessment Act, the Detailed Project Description (DPD) responds to the issues identified in the Summary of Issues (Appendix A) and includes the information described in the Information and Management of Time Limits Regulations, Schedule 2 (Information Regulations) under the Impact Assessment Act. This Summary of the Detailed Project Description was prepared in accordance with the Impact Assessment Act Guide to Preparing an Initial Project Description and a Detailed Project Description, and item 25 of the Information Regulations under the Impact Assessment Act. AES prepared a Screening Assessment (SA) in support of the DPD to qualify and evaluate certain potential environmental, health, social and economic effects, and impacts on Indigenous peoples and rights of Indigenous peoples that may result from the construction and operation of the proposed Project. A summary of the results of the SA is provided in Appendix A. The SA, in conjunction with the