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Effects Assessment Methods Table of Contents 5.0 EFFECTS ASSESSMENT METHODS ........................................................................... 5-1 5.1 Types of Environmental Effects ........................................................................... 5-1 5.2 Scope of the Environmental Assessment ............................................................ 5-2 5.2.1 Factors to be Considered ........................................................................................... 5-4 5.2.2 Scope of the Factors to be Considered .................................................................... 5-4 5.3 Environmental Assessment Methods .................................................................. 5-5 5.3.1 Step 1 – Scoping Issues and Selecting Valued Environmental Components ....... 5-5 5.3.2 Step 2 – Establishing Boundaries ..............................................................................5-8 5.3.2.1 Spatial Boundaries .......................................................................................... 5-8 5.3.2.2 Temporal Boundaries .................................................................................... 5-12 5.3.2.3 Administrative Boundaries ............................................................................ 5-13 5.3.3 Step 3 – Definition of Significance........................................................................... 5-13 5.3.4 Step 4 – Description of Existing Environment ....................................................... 5-14 5.3.5 Step 5 – Identifying White Rose Extension Project-Valued Environmental Components Interactions and Existing Knowledge of Environmental Effects ...5-15 5.3.6 Step 6 – Environmental Effects Analysis and Mitigation ...................................... 5-20 5.3.7 Step 7 – Cumulative Environmental Effects ........................................................... 5-23 5.3.8 Step 8 – Determination of Significance ................................................................... 5-26 5.3.9 Step 9 – Evaluating the Need for Follow-up and Monitoring ................................ 5-27 5.4 Determining the Effects of the Environment on the White Rose Extension Project .................................................................................................................. 5-28 List of Figures Figure 5-1 Nearshore Project Area .................................................................................... 5-9 Figure 5-2 Nearshore Study Area .................................................................................... 5-10 Figure 5-3 Offshore Project Area ..................................................................................... 5-11 Figure 5-4 Offshore Study Area ....................................................................................... 5-12 Page i of ii Effects Assessment Methods List of Tables Table 5-1 Example Potential White Rose Extension Project-Valued Ecosystem Component Interactions Matrix ....................................................................... 5-15 Table 5-2 Example Environmental Effects Assessment Matrix ....................................... 5-21 Table 5-3 Past, Present and Likely Future Projects and Activities in the Nearshore Area Considered in the Environmental Assessment ....................................... 5-23 Table 5-4 Past, Present and Likely Future Projects and Activities in the Offshore Area Considered in the Environmental Assessment ................................................ 5-24 Table 5-5 Example Residual Environmental Effects Summary Matrix ............................. 5-27 Table 5-6 Environmental Effects of the Environment on the White Rose Extension Project ............................................................................................................ 5-28 Page ii of ii Effects Assessment Methods 5.0 EFFECTS ASSESSMENT METHODS The methods used to assess potential environmental effects of the WREP are described in this Chapter. 5.1 Types of Environmental Effects The types of effects considered in this environmental assessment are: • The environmental effects of the WREP on the environment • The effects of the environment on the WREP Environmental effects are defined in Section 2(1) of CEAA as: a) any change that the project may cause in the environment, including any change it may cause to a listed wildlife species, its critical habitat or the residences of individuals of that species, as those terms are defined in subsection 2(1) of the Species at Risk Act, b) any effect of any change referred to in paragraph (a) on (i) health and socio-economic conditions, (ii) physical and cultural heritage, (iii) the current use of lands and resources for traditional purposes by aboriginal persons, or (iv) any structure, site or thing that is of historical, archaeological, paleontological or architectural significance, or c) any change to the project that may be caused by the environment, whether any such change or effect occurs within or outside Canada. An environmental effect is similarly defined in section 2(o) of the EPA as: a change in the present or future environment that would result from an undertaking; The potential environmental effects of each phase of the WREP (Sections 2.6 to 2.15) have been evaluated for each of the selected Valued Ecosystem Components (VECs). The environmental effects analyses also include both direct and indirect effects. Cumulative environmental effects have been evaluated in accordance with the CEAA and its guidance documentation (Hegmann et al. 1999), as well as the EPA and its guidance documentation. As required by the Development Plan Guidelines (C-NLOPB 2006) and the CEAA, residual environmental effects, or those environmental effects remaining after the application of mitigation measures, are presented. Socio-economic effects resulting from environmental effects are described herein for commercial fisheries. Page 5-1 of 5-29 Effects Assessment Methods The analyses of the effects of the environment, particularly the physical environment, on the WREP include the effects of oceanographic and climatic conditions, among other environmental factors, and the subsequent implications for WREP design. 5.2 Scope of the Environmental Assessment The scope of the WREP includes surveys (geophysical, geotechnical, geohazard, VSP and environmental), construction, installation, commissioning, development drilling, operations and maintenance and decommissioning of the WHP and/or drilling centres and associated facilities. The subsea development option, which includes the subsea drill centre, flowlines and the activities associated with that development option, has previously been assessed under the Husky White Rose Development Project: New Drill Centre Construction and Operations Program Environmental Assessment Addendum (LGL 2007a). The construction of the subsea drill centre for the West White Rose pool was one of the potential subsea drill centres assessed and compensated for in 2007. A fish habitat compensation agreement (Authorization No. 07-01-002) has been in place with DFO since 2007 to compensate for the excavation of up to five subsea drill centres sites, of which only two have been excavated to date (the NADC and SWRX). The WHP development option will consist of construction of a CGS in Argentia, NL. The construction site is a brownfield location on the northeast portion of the Northside Peninsula, bordering Argentia Harbour. The topsides will be constructed at an existing fabrication facility and therefore are not considered part of this environmental assessment. The CGS will be constructed in the dry, in a de-watered graving dock. Upon completion of the CGS, the CGS will be floated to a deep-water mating site in Placentia Bay, where it will be mated with the topsides structure. The WHP will then be towed to and installed in the western portion of the White Rose field and tied back to the SeaRose FPSO. New subsea drill centres, using subsea drill centre technology, may be developed in conjunction with the WHP development option. The project to be assessed consists of the following components: On-land and nearshore WREP components are related solely to the WHP development option. There will be no nearshore components associated with the subsea drill centre development option. Husky has identified the following key WREP-related activities in the Nearshore Project Area: • Graving dock excavation. Associated activities may include graving dock side stability/reinforcement (e.g., sheet piles, bund wall, etc.) and site grading and levelling • Site dewatering and disposal • Use of The Pond for disposal of excavated soil material and dredged material • CGS construction at the graving dock • shoreline dredging • Tow-out channel dredging Page 5-2 of 5-29 Effects Assessment Methods • Tow-out to the deep-water mating site • Topsides mating and commissioning at the deep-water mating site • Tow-out of the WHP to the White Rose field. • Operation of support craft associated with the above activities, including but not limited to heavy lift vessels, construction vessels, supply vessels, helicopters, tow vessels and barges • Associated surveys for all above activities, including: remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) surveys, diving programs, geotechnical programs, geophysical programs, geological programs, environmental surveys. Husky has identified the following key WREP-related activities in the Offshore Project Area: • Offshore site and clearance surveys • Installation of the WHP/subsea drill centre at its offshore