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Prepared For: Prepared By NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. Overview of the Hydrostatic Test Program Northwest Mainline Expansion August 2012 APPENDIX C WILDLIFE REVIEW Page C-1 WILDLIFE REVIEW FOR THE NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD. NORTHWEST MAINLINE EXPANSION HYDROSTATIC TEST WATER SOURCES, ACCESS AND BORROW PITS August 2012 7212 Prepared for: Prepared by: NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of TERA Environmental Consultants TransCanada PipeLines Limited Suite 1100, 815 - 8th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 3P2 Calgary, Alberta Ph: 403-265-2885 NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. Wildlife Review Northwest Mainline Expansion August 2012 / 7212 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 METHODS ....................................................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Field Data Collection ........................................................................................................... 2 2.2 Traditional Ecological Knowledge ....................................................................................... 2 3.0 RESULTS - KYKLO CREEK SECTION ........................................................................................... 3 3.1 Borrow Pit Sites ................................................................................................................... 3 3.2 Hydrostatic Test Site and Access ....................................................................................... 3 3.3 Traditional Ecological Knowledge ....................................................................................... 4 4.0 RESULTS - TIMBERWOLF SECTION ............................................................................................ 5 4.1 Hydrostatic Test Sites and Access ..................................................................................... 5 4.2 Traditional Ecological Knowledge ....................................................................................... 6 5.0 CRANBERRY SECTION - RESULTS .............................................................................................. 8 5.1 Hydrostatic Test Sites and Access ..................................................................................... 8 5.2 Traditional Ecological Knowledge ....................................................................................... 8 6.0 RECOMMENDED MITIGATION .................................................................................................... 10 6.1 Traditional Ecological Knowledge ..................................................................................... 10 6.2 Mitigation Measures .......................................................................................................... 10 7.0 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................... 11 7.1 GIS Data and Mapping ..................................................................................................... 11 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A Figures .............................................................................................................................. 13 Appendix B Photoplates ....................................................................................................................... 18 Appendix C Wildlife Observations – June 18 to 19 and August 4 to 6, 2012 ....................................... 22 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Summary of Wildlife Field Work and TEK Study Program for the Project .......................... 2 Table 2 Summary of Potential Water Sources and Access Routes for Hydrostatic Testing and Wildlife Observations - Timberwolf Section .................................................... 5 Page i NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. Wildlife Review Northwest Mainline Expansion August 2012 / 7212 LIST OF PLATES Plate 1 Aerial view south/southeast of the proposed borrow pits for the Kyklo Creek Section (June 18, 2012). ................................................................................................... 19 Plate 2 Aerial view north showing the water source and potential access for the Kyklo Creek Section (June 18, 2012). .............................................................................. 19 Plate 3 Aerial view east showing the Hay River water source site and access for the Timberwolf Section (HT-1) (August 4, 2012). ................................................................... 20 Plate 4 Aerial view south showing the water sources (HT-9 on bottom; HT-10 on top) for the Timberwolf Section (August 4, 2012). Note that the proposed access to HT-10 is not visible. ...................................................................................................... 20 Plate 5 View northwest showing the water source site on the Chinchaga River for the Cranberry Section (August 6, 2012). ................................................................................ 21 Plate 6 View east showing the water source at an unnamed lake for the Cranberry Section in NE and SW 29-96-9 W6M (HC-2)(August 6, 2012). ....................................... 21 Page ii NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. Wildlife Review Northwest Mainline Expansion August 2012 / 7212 1.0 INTRODUCTION NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL), a wholly owned subsidiary of TransCanada PipeLines Limited, has applied to the National Energy Board (NEB) under Section 52 of the NEB Act for authorization to construct and operate the Northwest Mainline Expansion (the Project). The Project includes construction of three separate pipeline loops referred to as the Horn River Mainline (Kyklo Creek Section), Northwest Mainline (Timberwolf Section) and the Tanghe Creek Lateral Loop No. 2 (Cranberry Section) (Figure 1). The Project was approved by the NEB on February 28, 2012. Construction is scheduled to commence during the fall of 2012 with a scheduled in-service date of April 2013. As part of the Project, NGTL is proposing the following (all Figures are provided in Appendix A): • Kyklo Creek Section: 1 water source for hydrostatic testing and associated proposed and alternative hydrostatic test access routes and 3 borrow pits (Figure 2); • Timberwolf Section: 3 proposed and 8 potential water sources for hydrostatic testing and associated hydrostatic test access routes (Figure 3); and • Cranberry Section: 2 proposed water sources for hydrostatic testing and associated hydrostatic test access routes (Figure 4). TERA Environmental Consultants (TERA) conducted a site visit to review the hydrostatic test sites, hydrostatic test access routes and borrow pits to identify any constraints from a wildlife habitat perspective on June 18 and 19, 2012 (Kyklo Section), August 4 and 5, 2012 (Timberwolf Section) and August 6, 2012 (Cranberry Section). The objective of the wildlife field work was to ensure important wildlife habitat features would not be affected and to recommend additional general or site-specific mitigative measures, where warranted, to avoid or minimize potential effects on wildlife (particularly species of concern) and important site-specific habitats. In alignment with the objectives of the TEK study program for the Project, shared traditional knowledge was documented during all biophysical studies conducted for the Project, to provide input to the design and execution of biophysical and socio-economic discipline programs. A TEK study was conducted for this wildlife review in collaboration with representatives from Beaver First Nation, Dene Tha’ First Nation, Doig River First Nation, Duncan's First Nation, Fort Nelson First Nation, Fort Vermilion Métis Local 74, Paddle Prairie Métis Settlement, Prophet River First Nation and TERA. Known reference points along the route are commonly referred to as KPs. As a result of the Project involving the construction of three separate pipeline loops, the following KP designators have been established to distinguish each pipeline loop: • Kyklo Creek Section: Kilometre Post Kyklo (KPK) starting at a point adjacent to the existing Sierra Gas Plant at b-25-K/94-I-11 (KPK 0) to a tie-in point at a-97-F/94-I-10 (KPK 29.1); • Timberwolf Section: Kilometre Post Timberwolf (KPT) starting at the proposed NGTL Moody Creek Compressor Station located at NW 3-109-12 W6M (KPT 0) to a tie-in point at NW 6-104-12 W6M (KPT 49.8); and • Cranberry Section: Kilometre Post Cranberry (KPC) starting at a tie-in point at SW 31-96-7 W6M (KPC 32.3) to a tie-in point at NE 13-96-5 W6M (KPC 0). Page 1 NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. Wildlife Review Northwest Mainline Expansion August 2012 / 7212 2.0 METHODS 2.1 Field Data Collection An aerial overflight of the potential water sources for hydrostatic testing, hydrostatic test access routes and borrow pits was conducted to review the broader landscape and forest cover, the level and extent of human disturbance in the area, and to identify and investigate potential areas of wildlife importance (i.e., mineral licks, waterbodies, obvious stick nests, well-used travel corridors, etc.). Ground stops were conducted at selected locations based on the results of the aerial overflight and were accessed via helicopter and truck. All wildlife observations, evidence of wildlife use and important wildlife habitat features were recorded (i.e., field-data sheets, UTMs taken with a hand-held GPS and photographs for record-keeping). Selected Photoplates from the wildlife field work are provided
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