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National Librâry Bibliothèque nationale 1+1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. nie Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada Your He Votre réferencd Our lile Notre rdfdrence The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or seU reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or othemise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son pemiission. autorisation. Acknowledgements To the memory of Jim Todgham, who enabled me to grow, and to understand and appreciate the value of the natural world, protected spaces, and above all, environmental protection. To niy wife, Susan, for being always supportive and for being my very best filend. To my family, for being supportive and patient while we were absent from many fadyevents. For Wayne Poole and Frank Brooks at ENMAX Power Ccrporation, who saw in me the potential to make a ciifference for an emerging power utility as it moves to embrace change in the 2 1st Century. To Phi1 Lulrnan, a private consultant who has been a rock of support, kindness, and advice; a true mentor in the field of environmental management and a man whose wealth of knowledge, perspective and abilities has been an inspiration. For the people who were interviewed and peppered with countless questions to gather data for this thesis including: Bell Pole Company in Carseland, Alberta and Salmon Arm,B.C.; Chris Day at Stress Crete Ltd.; Craig Wilson of Timber Specialities Ltd. and Wayne Trusty of the Athena Sustainable Building Project. Special thanks the facility of Royal Roads Universily, in particular to Dr. Robert Gale, my thesis advisor, for his assistance and guidance fi-orn concept to the preparation of this thesis. My sincere thanks to Dr. Tony Boydell for his direction and inspiration during the concept and development of my research. My thariks and continued success to Dr. Stephen Grundy and Dr. Tony BoydeU architects of the Masters of Environment and Management Program, my thanks for developing this unique and rewarding learning experience. To the entire facule of the Environment and Management Program for the inspiration and discovery that this program so special. Special thanks for those whose work assisted me and supports us as students throughout the entire program: Dana McFarland, UniversiSr Librarian, for providhg a solid basis fkom which to gather information. Thanks to Stephanie Rault, major projects support, to Matthew EUis for keeping everyone on track and always considering the very best for the program. .. 111 Contents Acknowledgements Glossary of Terms Acronyms 1.O INTRODUCTION: STUDY BACKGROUND 1.1 Problem/ OpportuniS. 1.2 Objectives of Study 1.3 Methodology 1.3.1 Literature Review 1.3.2 Surveys 1 -3.3 Data Collection 1.3.4 Personal Interviews 1.3.5 Analysis 1.4 Thesis Outline 2.0 LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGIES 2.1 Life Cycle Assessment: the basic framework 2.2 ISO Standards 2.3 Cornputer Based Life Cycle Assessment 2.4 Pembina Institute Life Cycle Value Assessment 2.5 Streamhed Life Cycle Assessment 2.6 Risk and Hazard 2.7 Life Cycle Assessment and Public Policy 2.8 Summary 3.0 LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT GOALS AND SCOPE DEFINITION 3 1 3.1 Goal of the Life Cycle Assessrnent Smdy 31 3.2 Definition of Scope 33 3.2.1 Systems 33 3.2.2 Functional units 34 3.2.3 System boundaries 35 Data quality and limitations Time related coverage Geographical coverage Technology coverage Recision, completeness and representativeness of the data Consistency and reproducibility of the methods throughout the LCA Sources of data and their representativeness Uncertziinty of the information 3.3 Data Quality Quantification 3.4 Processes not included in this LCA 3.5 Surnrnary 4.0 LIFE CYCLE PROCESS ASSESSMENT 4.1 Process diagrarns 4.1.1 Non treated wood pole life cycle 4.1.2 Western red cedar CCA treated utility pole Life cycle 4.1.3 Concrete utility pole life cycle 4.2 Summary 5.0 IMPACT ASSESSMENT 5.1 The factors of environmental impact 5.2 Utility pole longe* 5.3 Environmental Impact - Non Treated Western Red Cedar 5.4 Environmental Impact - CCA Treated Western Red Cedar 5.5 Environmental Impact - Prestressed Concrete Utility Pole 5.6 Utility Pole Manufacturing Improvements 5.6.1 Life enhancement measures 5.6.2 Pole uses and options after utility use 5.6.3 Rocess improvements for concrete and wood utility poles based on this study 5.7 Summary 6.0 TOTAL COST ASSESSMENT 6.1 Total Cost Assessrnent 6.1.1 Total cost assessment: decisions to be made 6.1.2 Total cost assessment inventory 6.1.3 Financial analysis 6.2 Factors that affect decision making 6.2.1 Product quality - wood poles 6.2.2 Pole quality - concrete 6.2.3 Electrical safety 6.2.4 Operational flexibility 6.3 Summary 7.0 EVALUATION 7.1 Identification of significant environmental issues 7.1.1 Comparative environmental impacts 7.1.2 Qualitative impacts 7.2 Cost considerations 8.0 CONCLUSIONS 8.1 Recornmendations 8.1.1 General recommendations 8.1.2 Recommendations for electrical utilities 8.1.3 Recommendations for life cycle studies REFERENCES Annex A - References Annex B - Interviews APPENDICES Appendix A - Impact Assessment - Detailed Calculations and Assumptions Appendix B - Leacfiing of CCA Treated Wood Appendix C - Total Cost Assessment :Detailed Calculations & Assumptions Appendix D - Field Notes: Concrete Pole Quality Assessment List of Tables 2.1 Life Cycle Software Tools Evaluated by Environment Canada 19 2.2 Streamlhhg LCA approaches 25 3.1 Data Quality Evaluation Index 3.2 Processes not quantified in this life cycle assessrnent 5.1 Non treated utility pole - life cycle resource use and emissions 61 5.2 Other Environmental impacts - Non Treated Utility Pole 67 5.3 CCA treated utility pole - Me cycle resource use and emissions 69 5.4 Other Environmental impacts - CCA treated utility poles 69 5.5Concrete utility pole - Me cycle resource use and emissions 71 5.6Other Environmental impacts - Concrete utility poles 71 5.7 CCA treated utility pole with life enhancement - life cycle resource use and emissions 73 5.8Other Environmental impacts - CCA treated wood with Life enhancement 74 6.1 Total operating costs per pole 6.2 Total Cost Assessrnent - Net Present Value 6.4Qualitative survey of concrete poles in the field 7.1 Total life cycle cost - utility pole options from best to worst 101 List of Figures 2.1 The LCA Concept Model 2.2 Phases of an LCA 2.3 The Life Cycle System Concept 2.4 Pernbina Institute Life Cycle Value Assessrnent Model viii 3.1 Non treated wood utility pole - system 3.2 CCA treated wood uaty pole - system 3.3 Concrete uttlity pole - system Non treated western red cedar utilitv pole life cycle 4.1 Forestry operation 4.2 Non treated utility pole - regional distribution centre 4.3Non treated utility pole - consumer use (utility) Western red cedar CCA treated utilitv pole life cycle 4.4 Forestry operation 4.5CCA manufacturing process 4.6Wood pole processing and treatment 4.7Consumer use (utility) Concrete utility pole life cycle 4.8Concrete utility pole component production - Cernent 58 4.9Concrete utility pole component production - Steel re-enforcement Rod 59 4.10 Concrete urility pole - Manufacturing 60 4.11 Concrete utility pole - Consumer use (Utility) 6 1 7.1 Life cycle primary energy consumption 7.2 Life cycIe solid waste 7.3Life cycle air emissions not including Carbon Dioltide 7.4 Life cycle global wanning potential 7.5 Life cycle acid rain formation precursors 7.6 Life cycle smog formation precursors Glossary of Terms Term Demition Source Accidental Emissions An unintended environmental release. Exampie: US EPA - Life Cycle Cnide oil spills resulting from tanker accidents, Assessment: Inventory venting of reactors due to mechanical failure or Guidelines and Principles human error. ( 1993) Allocation Partitioning the input or output flows of a process to dk-TEKNIK Energy & the product system under study. Environment - European Environment Agency - Copenhagen, Denmark 1997) BTU (British Thermal The quantity of heat energy required to raise the US EPA - Life Cycle Unit) temperature of 1 pound of water (air-fiee) from 60 Assessment: I~ventory to 6 1 degrees Fahrenheit at a constant pressure of 1 Guidelines and Principles standard atmosphere. Experimentally equal to ( 1993) 1,054.5 joules. Second element within impact assessment dk-TEKNIK Energy & succeeding the classification element and Environment - European proceeding valuation, in which Environmental Agency anaIysis/quantification and aggregation of the ( 1 997) impacts within the chosen impact categories take place. C haracterization A factor which expresses the contribution of a unit dk-TEKNIK Energy & Factor (exposu re environmental intervention (such as the atrnospheric Environment - European factor, effect factor, emission of 1 kg CFC - 1 1) to the chosen impact Environmental Agency exposure-e ffect factor, categories (such as global warming and ozone ( 1 997) equivalence factor depletion). Classification The first element within the impact assessment, dk-TEKNIK Energy & which attributes the environmental interventions Environment - European listed in the inventory table to a number of selected Environmental Agency impact categories.