Line 2 Construction, Operations and Emergency Response
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REPORT 3 Application Summary: Line 2 Construction, Operations and Emergency Response 3.1 Overview This section describes the Proposed and Alternate Routes that were assessed, and includes a summary of the planning, construction and emergency response processes that Trans Mountain proposes in their application to the NEB (referred to hereafter as the Application). Because of the broad spatial scope of Trans Mountain’s Application, SBRP is rarely mentioned in any of the documents. This section considers the regulatory requirements that Trans Mountain must meet during construction and operations, and indicates how these are likely to guide Trans Mountain’s construction and operations activities in and around SBRP. 3.2 Proposed and Alternate Routes The Proposed Route (orange) and Alternate Routes (Option A- yellow; Option B-pink) are identified in Figure 1-1. Trans Mountain’s Proposed Route enters the southeast portion of the park at the intersection of Trigg Road and 104th Avenue, and extends west adjacent to 104th Avenue to the CN rail tracks. This route would follow the east side of the tracks past Centre Creek for approximately 900 m before crossing beneath the railway tracks and the SFPR. Both Alternate Routes avoid SBRP entirely. The Option A route is located between the CN Rail Corridor and the Golden Ears Connector to the south of the park; it crosses 104th Avenue and follows the corridor between SFPR and the CN tracks. The Option B route extends along the SFPR on the southwest side of the road. 3.3 Pipeline Design and Construction 3.3.1 Guiding Legislation Trans Mountain’s proposed expansion project falls under the regulatory jurisdiction of the NEB under the National Energy Board Act, the regulatory requirements of the NEB Onshore Pipeline Regulations (OPR), and the regulatory requirements of the following: Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency; Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO); Transport Canada; and Affected municipal, provincial, rail and utility authorities. The project must be designed, constructed, operated, maintained, deactivated and abandoned in accordance with the NEB OPR. The OPR incorporate the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standard Z662-11, Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems (CSA Z662). Leak detection systems and procedures must comply 3-1 City of Surrey with CSA Z662, Annex E, Recommended Practice. Trans Mountain’s Quality Management Plan (QMP) is intended to guide components such as engineering, materials, construction and quality management. In some cases, design and construction could occur outside of NEB OPR and CSA Z662 specifications. Examples of where this could be necessary include blasting adjacent to existing pipelines, roads, rails and utilities; slope stability; seismic activity potential; watercourse scour and erosion; and high-voltage current interference. In these cases, professional engineers will guide the design and implementation. 3.3.2 Proposed Pipeline Buffer Trans Mountain’s Application states the company’s intent to have routing criteria and corridor selection strategies “avoid areas that have significant environmental values or restrictions” and “be consistent with established land use planning”. Approximately 73% of the Proposed Route (Line 2) is planned to be located within or adjacent to the existing 18 m easement that is already in place for the existing pipeline (Line 1). For the remainder of Line 2, the intent is that the pipeline will be placed adjacent to existing easements, rights-of-way (ROWs) and other linear features. This is the case at SBRP, where drawings show the alignment immediately adjacent to the CN rail tracks. Trans Mountain has applied for a corridor approximately 150 m wide in order to accommodate different construction conditions; however, they anticipate actually using a 45 m wide ROW during construction. Of this total, a buffer of 18 m is planned to be under easement for the long term to accommodate the pipeline ROW, and the remaining portion will be Temporary Workspace. An Extra Temporary Workspace will be required at crossings for highways, roads, railways, watercourses, utilities, pipelines and other features. 3.3.3 Proposed Watercourse Crossing Criteria Trans Mountain has developed a fish and fish habitat Risk Management Framework to guide the choice of crossing method at watercourses. This framework is a modification of DFO’s approach and the methods in the Pipeline Associated Watercourse Crossing Guidelines (3rd Edition) developed by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. The Risk Management Framework assesses the features of each watercourse to provide direction on the crossing methods to be used. Crossing methods identified and considered include open-cut, isolated crossing methods, and trenchless methods. Horizontal directional drilling is being assessed at 21 watercourses (or 25% of the identified watercourses). Given the above and the limited specific information on the design of the Proposed Route through SBRP, it is reasonable to conclude that Trans Mountain intends to use the 45 m construction ROW during development. The specific methods planned for crossing Centre Creek and other watercourses are not yet known. 3-2 \\s-lng-fs-01\projects\20142798\00_transm_pipe_advis\advisory\01.02_reports\008 - environmental - tmp hwy 97 corridor\surrey bend park - environmental\final report\final_report_surrey bend_21may2015_fd.docx 3 - Application Summary: Line 2 Construction, Operations and Emergency Response 3.3.4 Construction Planning Depending on the timing of receipt of the project Certification of Public Conveyance and Necessity, the Application identifies construction beginning in October 2015 and extending through to the end of 2017, with ROW restoration being completed by September 2018. Trans Mountain has stated that construction activities will be guided by a series of plans that include the following: Traffic Management Plan (TMP): This will be developed during the engineering and design phase to mitigate the impacts on traffic and access. The TMP is intended to comply with B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) guidelines and requires contractors to develop and implement Traffic Control Plans. Traffic Control Plans (TCPs): These plans are intended to govern the construction, use and reclamation of access roads, and they provide the basis for creating a Public Information Plan (PIP) and for developing an Incident Response Plan (IRP). TCPs are consistent with the requirements of MOTI and of affected municipalities, and they apply to primary and secondary highway crossing locations. These plans require the Prime Contractors, who are responsible for their implementation, to meet with municipalities to ensure that traffic control at municipal road crossings will be consistent with municipal requirements and reflect industry-wide safe practices. Construction Control Quality Management Plan: The Prime Contractor will develop and implement this plan, which governs the quality assurance and quality control that will be maintained by the Prime Contractor during construction. Pipeline Construction Execution Plan: This plan will be developed during the engineering and design phase, and addresses such issues as limits to ROW access, transport and stockpiling logistics, restricted construction activity windows, and commitments and issues to be managed. Timber Salvage Plan (TSP): All clearing within the ROW will be approximately 25-30 m wide. The TSP will be developed during the engineering and design phase, and will guide clearing activities. Fires Response Contingency Plan: This plan will be developed during the engineering and design phase, and will guide fire response initiatives. 3.3.5 Construction According to Volume 4B of the Application, Trans Mountain intends to make optimal use of existing roads and trails during construction. However, construction of temporary and permanent access roads will be required to access the ROW, staging areas, and stockpiles. Required permits and agreements need to be sought from MOTI and other relevant agencies, and fees must be paid to the owners of the roads. After construction is complete, some access roads will be maintained for up to 5 years to access the ROW, and other roads will be maintained for long-term pipeline maintenance. Vehicle and equipment crossings are required along the ROW during construction and operations. Each crossing must adhere to DFO operational requirements and provincial guidelines. On the south coast, crossing options considered will include culverts (open and closed), bridges (temporary and permanent) 3-3 City of Surrey and fords. Appropriate federal and provincial approvals and authorizations will be sought prior to construction. The Application states that all ROW development will be done in accordance with Trans Mountain’s Pipeline Construction Specification and in accordance with the Environmental Protection Plan. Grading, soil movement and handling will be completed to support access construction, pipe stringing, field bending, welding, lowering-in, and movement of pipe, equipment and personnel along the pipeline ROW. Soil will be stockpiled along the edge of the ROW and replaced following construction. Any blasting for rock grade and ditch rock excavation will be done in accordance with Trans Mountain’s Blasting Specification. 3.3.6 Quality Inspection Volume 4B of the Application identifies how the inspection team must inspect all phases of pipeline construction for compliance with procedures, specifications, drawings and legislative