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Scientific Peer Review of Ramp: Response to Panel Comments and Recommendations

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Scientific Peer Review of Ramp: Response to Panel Comments and Recommendations Climate and Water Sediment Benthic Fish Acid-Sensitive Hydrology Quality Quality Invertebrates Populations Lakes Scientifi c Peer Review of RAMP: Response to Panel Comments and Recommendations June 2011 SCIENTIFIC PEER REVIEW OF RAMP: RESPONSE TO PANEL COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FINAL Prepared for: RAMP SCIENTIFIC PEER REVIEW PANEL Prepared by: RAMP TECHNICAL PROGRAM COMMITTEE AND IMPLEMENTATION TEAM JUNE 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................... ii LIST OF APPENDICES ................................................................................. ii LIST OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................... iii 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................... 1 1.2 2010 SCIENTIFIC PEER REVIEW ........................................................................... 2 1.3 SCOPE OF RAMP’S RESPONSE ........................................................................... 3 2.0 RESPONSES TO PANEL COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................ 3 2.1 GENERAL COMMENTS ........................................................................................ 10 2.2 CLIMATE AND HYDROLOGY ............................................................................... 12 2.2.1 Comments and Recommendations by Dr. Donald Burn ................................... 12 2.2.2 Comments and Recommendations by Dr. John Gibson ................................... 16 2.3 WATER QUALITY .................................................................................................. 26 2.3.1 Comments and Recommendations by Dr. George Dixon ................................. 26 2.3.2 Comments and Recommendations by Dr. Monique Dubé ................................ 30 2.4 BENTHIC INVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES AND SEDIMENT QUALITY COMPONENT ........................................................................................................ 40 2.4.1 Comments and Recommendations by Dr. Kelly Munkittrick ............................. 40 2.4.2 Comments and Recommendations by Dr. Joseph Flotemersch ....................... 45 2.5 FISH POPULATIONS ............................................................................................. 47 2.5.1 Comments and Recommendations by Dr. John Post ....................................... 47 2.5.2 Comments and Recommendations by Dr. William Franzin ........................... 54 2.6 ACID-SENSITIVE LAKES ...................................................................................... 61 2.6.1 Comments and Recommendations by Dr. Shaun Watmough .......................... 61 3.0 REFERENCES ................................................................................... 70 Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP) i Response to the 2010 RAMP Peer Review LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Scientists selected to undertake the 2010 peer review of RAMP. ................ 2 Table 2 Components of the RAMP peer review that were addressed in the 2010 Technical Report (RAMP 2011). .......................................................... 4 Table 3 Components of the RAMP peer review that will be addressed in the 2011 monitoring program. ....................................................................... 5 Table 4 Components of the RAMP Peer Review that will be re-examined once more direction is received from government monitoring initiatives. ...................................................................................................... 6 Table 5 Measurement endpoints and criteria for determination of change used in RAMP (2011). ................................................................................ 21 Table 6 Members and non-members of RAMP in the lower Athabasca region1, as of May 2011. ............................................................................. 31 Table 7 Percent of total watershed areas with land change in 2010. ...................... 35 Table 8 Number of sub-reaches required to obtain estimates of measurement endpoints of fish assemblages to be within 20% of the true sub-reach average. ........................................................................ 48 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A1 Letter to RAMP from the Assistant Deputy Minister, Monitoring and Science Division, Alberta Environment Appendix A2 Supporting Information from RAMP (2011) Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP) ii Response to the 2010 RAMP Peer Review LIST OF ACRONYMS ADL Analytical Detection Limit AENV Alberta Environment ALS ALS Environmental ALPAC Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. ANC Acid Neutralizing Capacity ANCOVA Analysis of Covariance ANOVA Analysis of Variance AOSERP Alberta Oil Sands Environmental Research Program AITF Alberta Innovates Technology Futures ASL Acid-Sensitive Lakes ASRD Alberta Sustainable Resource Development ATI Assemblage Tolerance Index CCME Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment CEA Cumulative Effects Assessment CEMA Cumulative Environmental Management Association CL Critical Load CONRAD Canadian Oilsands Network for Research and Development CPUE Catch-Per-Unit-Effort CV Coefficient of Variation DFO Department of Fisheries and Oceans DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid DOC Dissolved Organic Carbon EC Environment Canada EEM Environmental Effects Monitoring EDA Exploratory Data Analysis EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMAP Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program EPEA Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act EPT Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera EROD Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase FAM Fish Assemblage Monitoring Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP) iii Response to the 2010 RAMP Peer Review FSA Focus Study Area FT-IRMS Fourier Transform Infrared Microscopy FWMIS Fish and Wildlife Management Information System GLM General Linear Model GOA Government of Alberta GSI Gonadosomatic Index HRI Hydrologic Regime Indicator HSPF Hydrological Simulation Program—Fortran IBI Index of Biotic Integrity IMB Isotopic Mass Balance ISQG Interim Sediment Quality Guideline KIR Key Indicator Resource LARP Lower Athabasca Regional Plan LSI Liversomatic Index LTRN Long-Term Regional Network MDL Method Detection Limit MFO Mixed-function Oxygenase NOxSOx Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulphur oxides (SOx) OSPW Oil Sands Process Water OSRIN Oil Sands Research and Information Network OSTWAEO Oil Sands Tailings Water Acid-Extractable Organics PAH Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon PAI Potential Acid Input QA Quality Assurance QC Quality Control RAMP Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program RCA Reference Condition Approach RMCC Research and Monitoring Coordinating Committee SOP Standard Operating Procedure SSWC Steady-State Water Chemistry SSWQO Site-Specific Water Quality Objectives TDS Total Dissolved Solids TEK Traditional Ecological Knowledge Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP) iv Response to the 2010 RAMP Peer Review TIE Toxicity Identification Evaluation TKN Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen TN Total Nitrogen TP Total Phosphorus TOC Total Organic Carbon TRH Total Recoverable Hydrocarbon TSS Total Suspended Solids USEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency VMV Variable Method Values WBEA Wood Buffalo Environmental Association WQI Water Quality Index WSC Water Survey of Canada WY Water Year YOY Young-of-Year Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP) v Response to the 2010 RAMP Peer Review 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND The Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP) was initiated in 1997 in association with mining development in the Athabasca oil sands region near Fort McMurray, Alberta. RAMP is a multi-stakeholder, industry-funded initiative that undertakes long-term monitoring of rivers and lakes in the region. The focus of monitoring is on surface waters with specific emphasis on key components of boreal aquatic ecosystems, including: Climate and hydrology – monitors changes in the water level of selected lakes and in the quantity of water flowing through rivers and creeks in the Athabasca oil sands area; Water quality in rivers, lakes and the delta – reflects potential exposure of fish and invertebrates to organic and inorganic chemicals; Benthic invertebrate communities and sediment quality in rivers, lakes and the delta – reflect habitat quality, serve as biological indicators, and are important components of fish habitat; Fish populations in rivers and lakes – biological indicators of ecosystem integrity and are a highly valued resource in the region; and Water quality in regional lakes sensitive to acidification – early warning indicator of potential effects related to acid deposition. The mandate of RAMP is to determine, evaluate and communicate the state of the aquatic environment and any changes that may result from cumulative resource development within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. The information collected by RAMP is, in turn, provided to the environmental regulatory authorities in support of ongoing assessment and the provision of various monitoring requirements stipulated in Alberta EPEA approvals for oil sands projects. Given the size, scope and importance of RAMP, a scientific peer review of the program is conducted periodically to solicit external feedback on the program, including recommended adjustments necessary for the program’s success and ongoing improvement. The first
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