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Sensitive Areas Table of Contents 13.0 SENSITIVE AREAS ..................................................................................................... 13-1 13.1 Environmental Assessment Boundaries ........................................................... 13-1 13.1.1 Spatial Boundaries .................................................................................................... 13-1 13.1.1.1 Nearshore ...................................................................................................... 13-1 13.1.1.2 Offshore ......................................................................................................... 13-1 13.1.2 Temporal Boundaries ................................................................................................ 13-4 13.1.3 Administrative Boundaries ....................................................................................... 13-4 13.2 Definition of Significance .................................................................................... 13-5 13.3 Existing Environment .......................................................................................... 13-5 13.3.1 Nearshore ................................................................................................................... 13-6 13.3.1.1 Placentia Bay Extension Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area ....... 13-7 13.3.1.2 Eelgrass Beds ............................................................................................. 13-10 13.3.1.3 Salt Marshes ............................................................................................... 13-11 13.3.1.4 Capelin Beaches ......................................................................................... 13-11 13.3.1.5 Bird Habitat .................................................................................................. 13-13 13.3.1.6 River Otter Haul Outs .................................................................................. 13-15 13.3.2 Offshore .................................................................................................................... 13-16 13.3.2.1 Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas ........................................... 13-16 13.3.2.2 Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems ............................................................................................. 13-19 13.3.2.3 Bonavista Cod Box ...................................................................................... 13-20 13.4 White Rose Extension Project-Valued Environmental Component Interactions ........................................................................................................ 13-21 13.4.1 Nearshore ................................................................................................................. 13-21 13.4.2 Offshore .................................................................................................................... 13-21 13.4.3 Summary .................................................................................................................. 13-22 13.5 Environmental Effects Analysis and Mitigation .............................................. 13-23 13.5.1 Nearshore Pre-construction and Construction .................................................... 13-23 13.5.2 Accidental Events .................................................................................................... 13-25 13.5.2.1 Nearshore .................................................................................................... 13-25 13.5.2.2 Offshore ....................................................................................................... 13-31 13.5.3 Determination of Significance ................................................................................ 13-38 13.5.4 Follow-up and Monitoring .......................................................................................13-38 Page i of ii Sensitive Areas List of Figures Figure 13-1 Sensitive Areas Identified Within or Near to the Nearshore Study Area .......... 13-2 Figure 13-2 Sensitive Areas Identified Within or Near to the Offshore Study Area ............. 13-3 Figure 13-3 Ecological Reserves and Special Places Identified in Placentia Bay ............... 13-7 Figure 13-4 Areas Identified as Important for Birds and Whales in Placentia Bay .............. 13-9 Figure 13-5 Areas of Importance to Pelagic Fish and Marine Mammals .......................... 13-12 Figure 13-6 Locations of River Otter Haul Out Sites Identified in Long Harbour ............... 13-15 List of Tables Table 13-1 Temporal Boundaries of Nearshore and Offshore Study Areas ...................... 13-4 Table 13-2 Number of Pairs of Marine Birds Characteristic of Placentia Bay Colonies ..... 13-8 Table 13-3 Potential White Rose Extension Project-Related Interactions: Sensitive Areas ............................................................................................................ 13-22 Table 13-4 Environmental Effects Assessment: Construction ......................................... 13-24 Table 13-5 Environmental Effects Assessment: Accidental Events ................................. 13-37 Table 13-6 Residual Environmental Effects Summary: Sensitive Areas.......................... 13-38 Page ii of ii Sensitive Areas 13.0 SENSITIVE AREAS Sensitive Areas have been included as a VEC due to stakeholder and regulatory concerns about the vulnerability of such areas to potential WREP-related environmental effects, including those arising from either planned activities or accidental events. Sensitive Areas are commonly associated with one or more of the following: rare or unique marine habitat features; habitats that support sensitive life stages of valued marine resources; and/or critical habitats for species of special conservation status. For this environmental assessment, Sensitive Areas are defined based on the definition provided in the Scoping Document (C-NLOPB 2012a): …any sensitive areas in the Study Areas, such as important or essential habitat to support any of the marine resources identified, or areas identified through the Grand Banks-Placentia Bay (PBGB) Large Ocean Management Area (LOMA) Integrated Management Plan Initiative (Ecologically and Biologically Sensitive Areas (EBSAs), Valuable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs), Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), etc.) 13.1 Environmental Assessment Boundaries The spatial and temporal boundaries of the WREP, including specifically the Nearshore and Offshore Project and Study Areas, are described in Chapter 5 (Effects Assessment Methods). 13.1.1 Spatial Boundaries Sensitive Areas identified within or near to the Nearshore and Offshore Study Areas are shown in Figures 13-1 and 13-2, respectively, with the exception of eelgrass beds, capelin beaches and salt marshes, which are identified/described in Section 13.3.1. Oil spill trajectory modelling has been used to determine the potential maximum Affected Area. 13.1.1.1 Nearshore The Nearshore Study Area (Figure 13-1) of most relevance for the Sensitive Areas VEC is that associated with an accidental oil spill. Cape St. Mary’s Seabird Ecological Reserve will be included in the review of the Sensitive Areas VEC. Although it is outside of the Nearshore Study Area and beyond the area predicted by oil spill trajectory models, Cape St. Mary’s has been included in the environmental assessment because of its exceptional ecological and cultural importance. 13.1.1.2 Offshore The Offshore Study Area (Figure 13-2) associated with an oil spill has the potential to interact with several identified sensitive areas. Routine WREP-related activities and operations (e.g., drill cuttings deposition) are not expected to interact with offshore sensitive areas, and therefore have not been included in the scope of assessment for this VEC. Page 13-1 of 13-38 Sensitive Areas Figure 13-1 Sensitive Areas Identified Within or Near to the Nearshore Study Area Page 13-2 of 13-38 Sensitive Areas Figure 13-2 Sensitive Areas Identified Within or Near to the Offshore Study Area Page 13-3 of 13-38 Sensitive Areas 13.1.2 Temporal Boundaries The temporal boundaries for the assessment are defined in Chapter 5 and outlined in Table 13-1. Table 13-1 Temporal Boundaries of Nearshore and Offshore Study Areas Study Area Temporal Boundary Nearshore • In the case of the WHP development option, site preparation, graving dock construction, construction of CGS, dredging, topsides mating and tow-out will occur over an estimated 30 to 38 months from 2013 to 2016. Some activity will occur at all times of year until completion. • In the case of the subsea drill centre development option, no nearshore activities will occur. Offshore • In the case of the WHP development option, site preparation, installation of the WHP, and initial production/maintenance will occur from 2016 or 2017. The WHP will be decommissioned and abandoned in accordance with standard practices at the end of its production life, which is anticipated to be 25 years. • The subsea drill centre option is scheduled to begin the construction phase in 2014, with first oil expected in 2015. Under this option, the wells will be plugged and abandoned at the end of its production life (anticipated to be 20 years), and the subsea infrastructure removed or abandoned in accordance with relevant regulations. 13.1.3 Administrative Boundaries Protection of marine sensitive areas is provided by Canada’s Oceans Act, which authorizes DFO to provide enhanced protection