Palaeontological Impact Assessment
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PALAEONTOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT Graymont Western Canada Inc. Parsons Creek Resources Project Township 90, Range 9, W4M Permit Number Bohach-2007-05 FMA1646.PL07 Prepared For Graymont Western Canada Inc. #200, 10991 Shellbridge Way Richmond, British Columbia On Behalf Of Millennium EMS Solutions Ltd. 208, 4207-98th Street Edmonton, Alberta Prepared By FMA Heritage Resources Consultants Inc. 200, 1719-10th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta July 2008 Executive Summary The proposed Parsons Creek Resources Project (the Project) was assessed for potential impacts to palaeontological resources by field surveys on August 14 to 15, 2007 and examination of the drill cores on October 16, 2007. The Project is a limestone mine and processing facility located along the north boundary of the City of Fort McMurray, mainly within Township 90, Range 9, West of the Fourth Meridian. The Project is situated on relatively flat ground within the Athabasca River valley. It will mine limestone of Devonian age from the Moberly Member of the Waterways Formation. The Moberly Member contains fossiliferous limestone layers and the fossils within these layers will be destroyed when the rock is crushed and processed. Most of the fossils are invertebrates, which are relatively common fossils and individual specimens are typically not unique. This is in contrast to vertebrate fossils, which are rare by comparison and each specimen can provide unique information about the species. Baseline reconnaissance surveys found fossils of medium to high heritage value in exposures along the Athabasca River, including: • previously unrecorded fish fossils from Unit M II • exceptionally preserved brachiopods with intact spines and original colour patterns from Unit M IV • exceptionally preserved brachiopod death horizons from Unit M V Executive Summary i Executive Summary ii Without mitigation, negative effects on palaeontological resources are expected. Although the Waterways Formation is a widespread geological unit, natural variations in preservation and species content of the fossil assemblages within the Project area will not necessarily be duplicated anywhere else. Some of the invertebrates (e.g., bivalves, gastropods and nautiloids) recovered to date have not previously been scientifically described. Project effects on palaeontological resources can occur throughout the life of the mine (Application Case) and will be limited to the mine area (local extent). These effects are irreversible. Fossils will continuously be crushed, but most will be fossils of low heritage value resulting in effects of low to moderate magnitude. With mitigation, the Project will have positive effects on palaeontological resources as it is expected to recover fossils of high heritage value that are unlikely to otherwise be discovered. However, because all fossils of high heritage value cannot be identified and collected prior to crushing, some negative Project effects will occur. Relative to the volume of fossiliferous limestone that will be lost to mining in the Fort McMurray area and the total volume of limestone that occurs in the Waterways Formation, only a small percentage of the overall volume will be lost. In terms of removal of a stratigraphic unit, there are no known cumulative effects. There is no palaeontological data available yet from other mining projects to determine if there will be a cumulative loss of palaeontological resources. No traditional knowledge for palaeontological resources was collected for the Project. Climate change is not expected to affect palaeontological resources. To address the adverse Project effects on palaeontological resources, the following mitigation measures are proposed. These recommendations will be reviewed by the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology who, in conjunction with Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture, will determine what palaeontological mitigation is required for the Project. Executive Summary iii Management Plan: The Project is a large-scale development where ground disturbance will occur over a large area for an extended period of time. Fossils of high heritage value, such as fish and exceptionally preserved invertebrates, are likely to be discovered. A Management Plan to address these finds is recommended, including: • formulation of a Discovery Protocol to deal with finding fossils of high heritage value during mining, for example, collecting fish fossils so that they are not processed and crushed • a sampling program to document the faunal content of new areas/horizons exposed as mining occurs • occasional site visits by a professional palaeontologist are recommended to evaluate the potential of newly exposed horizons and areas, sample the fauna, and examine fossils set aside by workers • development of an Education Program for mine workers (see next point) Education Program: The Project provides the opportunity to recover fossils from horizons that are unlikely to ever be naturally exposed at the earth’s surface. The most effective way to recover the fossils of high heritage value is to teach the mine workers what to look for. An Education Program would establish the importance of saving these fossils and outline the procedures to follow. Project Personnel PERMIT HOLDER : Lisa Bohach, Ph.D. FIELD PERSONNEL : Lisa Bohach, Ph.D. Tara Janes, B.Sc. GIS ANALYST : Keith Wilford, B.A. REPORT AUTHOR : Lisa Bohach, Ph.D. FOSSIL IDENTIFICATION : Lisa Bohach, Ph.D. Emily Frampton, M.Sc. Project Personnel iv Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................. i Project Personnel ................................................................................... iv Table of Contents .................................................................................... v List of Figures ....................................................................................... vii List of Plates ......................................................................................... viii List of Tables ........................................................................................... x INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ...................................................................... 4 REGIONAL STRATIGRAPHY AND PALAEONTOLOGY ............................... 6 WATERWAYS FORMATION .................................................................. 6 MOBERLY MEMBER........................................................................ 9 CHRISTINA MEMBER .................................................................... 12 SURFICIAL GEOLOGY ........................................................................ 13 METHODS..................................................................................................... 14 SCREENING ......................................................................................... 14 STUDY AREAS ..................................................................................... 15 LOCAL STUDY AREA .................................................................... 15 REGIONAL STUDY AREA ............................................................. 15 FIELD STUDIES ................................................................................... 15 ANALYSIS ............................................................................................ 18 RESULTS ...................................................................................................... 21 FIELD SURVEYS .................................................................................. 21 SOUTHERN PROJECT AREA ....................................................... 21 NORTHERN PROJECT AREA ....................................................... 23 DRILL CORE ANALYSIS ...................................................................... 24 UNIT M I ......................................................................................... 24 UNIT M II ........................................................................................ 24 UNIT M III ....................................................................................... 24 UNIT M IV ....................................................................................... 24 HERITAGE VALUE OF FOSSILIFEROUS HORIZONS ....................... 25 PROJECT SPECIFIC EFFECTS .......................................................... 26 EFFECTS SUMMARY .................................................................... 26 NATURE OF EFFECTS .................................................................. 26 Table of Contents v Table of Contents vi DELINEATION OF PROJECT EFFECTS ....................................... 27 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS...................................................................... 28 MITIGATION ......................................................................................... 28 TRADITIONAL ENVIRONMENT KNOWLEDGE ................................... 29 CLIMATE CHANGE .............................................................................. 29 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................ 31 References Cited ................................................................................. 33 Appendix A Site Photographs ............................................................ A-1 Appendix B Faunal Lists .................................................................... B-1 Appendix C Textural Classification of Carbonate