Port Alberni Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) Cycle Six Interpretive Report March 2013 Prepared for: Catalyst Paper Corporation Port Alberni, British Columbia #200 - 850 Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V7P 0A3 • Tel: 1.604.926.3261 • Fax: 1.604.926.5389 • www.hatfi eldgroup.com PORT ALBERNI ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS MONITORING (EEM) CYCLE SIX INTERPRETIVE REPORT Prepared for: CATALYST PAPER CORPORATION PORT ALBERNI DIVISION 4000 STAMP AVENUE PORT ALBERNI, BC V9Y 5J7 Prepared by: HATFIELD CONSULTANTS SUITE 200 – 850 HARBOURSIDE DRIVE NORTH VANCOUVER, BC V7P 0A3 MARCH 2013 PA1630.1 Suite 200 – 850 Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver, BC, Canada V7P 0A3 • Tel: 1.604.926.3261 • Fax: 1.604.926.5389 • www.hatfieldgroup.com TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................ iv LIST OF APPENDICES ................................................................................ vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................ vii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................. viii DISTRIBUTION LIST .................................................................................... ix 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1-1 2.0 MILL, STUDY AREA, AND CYCLE SIX DESIGN UPDATE ............. 2-1 2.1 MILL OPERATIONS .............................................................................................. 2-1 2.1.1 Process Description and Update ..................................................................... 2-1 2.1.2 Effluent Quality ................................................................................................ 2-5 2.1.3 Spills to the Receiving Environment ................................................................ 2-6 2.1.4 Study Area Updates ......................................................................................... 2-6 2.2 CYCLE SIX STUDY DESIGN UPDATE ................................................................ 2-6 3.0 SUBLETHAL TOXICITY TESTING OF MILL EFFLUENT ............... 3-1 3.1 METHODS ............................................................................................................. 3-2 3.1.1 General Methods and Definitions .................................................................... 3-2 3.1.2 Sublethal Toxicity Test Methods ....................................................................... 3-2 3.1.3 Zones of Effluent Concentration ...................................................................... 3-3 3.2 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .............................................................................. 3-4 3.2.1 Echinoderm Fertilization Test ........................................................................... 3-4 3.2.2 Algal Reproduction Test ................................................................................... 3-4 3.2.3 Potential Zone of Sublethal Effect ................................................................... 3-5 3.3 CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................... 3-6 4.0 EFFECTS ON FISH POPULATIONS ................................................ 4-1 4.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 PROGRAM DESIGN ............................................................................................. 4-2 4.3 METHODS ............................................................................................................. 4-2 4.3.1 Archival Tagging Program ................................................................................ 4-2 4.3.2 Hydroacoustic Surveys .................................................................................... 4-7 4.3.3 Supporting Environmental Variables .............................................................. 4-10 4.4 RESULTS ............................................................................................................ 4-11 4.4.1 Archival Tagging Program .............................................................................. 4-11 4.4.2 Hydroacoustic Surveys .................................................................................. 4-18 4.4.3 2012 Hydroacoustic Results .......................................................................... 4-18 4.5 DISCUSSION ...................................................................................................... 4-25 5.0 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................ 5-1 Port Alberni – Environmental Effect Monitoring (EEM) i Hatfield Cycle Six Interpretive Report 5.1 SUBLETHAL TOXICITY OF EFFLUENT .............................................................. 5-1 5.2 EFFECTS OF LOW DISSOLVED OXYGEN ON MIGRATING FISH POPULATIONS ..................................................................................................... 5-1 6.0 CLOSURE ......................................................................................... 6-1 7.0 REFERENCES .................................................................................. 7-1 8.0 GLOSSARY ...................................................................................... 8-1 Port Alberni – Environmental Effect Monitoring (EEM) ii Hatfield Cycle Six Interpretive Report LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1 Annual results for process effluent quality variables, Catalyst Paper, Port Alberni Division, 1999 to 2012. ............................................. 2-4 Table 4.1 Summary of sampling data for the archival tagging program, Alberni Inlet 2012. ................................................................................... 4-4 Table 4.2 Range of temperatures experienced by migrating sockeye salmon during each tagging event, Port Alberni EEM Cycle Six. ........................4-13 Port Alberni – Environmental Effect Monitoring (EEM) iii Hatfield Cycle Six Interpretive Report LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 Location of Catalyst Paper, Port Alberni Division, on Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island, BC. ............................................................................. 2-3 Figure 2.2 Annual production and effluent flows from 1993 to 2012 Catalyst Paper Corporation, Port Alberni Division. ................................................ 2-5 Figure 2.3 Mean daily total suspended solids (TSS) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in effluent, Catalyst Paper Corporation, Port Alberni Division, 1970 to 2012. ................................................................ 2-7 Figure 3.1 Effect of exposure to Catalyst Paper Ltd., Port Alberni Division effluent on Echinoderm fertilization expressed as IC25 ±95% confidence limits, EEM Cycle Six. ........................................................... 3-4 Figure 3.2 Effect of exposure to Catalyst Paper Ltd., Port Alberni Division effluent on Champia reproduction expressed as IC25 ±95% confidence limits, EEM Cycle Six. ........................................................... 3-5 Figure 3.3 Geometric means of IC25 and LC50 results from sublethal toxicity tests of Catalyst Paper Ltd, Port Alberni Division effluent for EEM Cycle One through Cycle Six. .................................................................. 3-6 Figure 4.1 Sampling locations for archival tagging program, Alberni Inlet, July 2012. ....................................................................................................... 4-5 Figure 4.2 Location of hydroacoustic survey transects, Alberni Inlet, July 25 and August 7, 2012. ................................................................................ 4-9 Figure 4.3 Average, maximum and minimum migration rates of sockeye salmon migrating through Alberni Inlet to the Somass River, July 2012. ......................................................................................................4-13 Figure 4.4 Box plots of temperature experiences of the 33 sockeye tagged in Alberni Inlet and captured in the Somass River. .....................................4-15 Figure 4.5 Thermal history of representative sockeye tagged in Alberni Inlet on July 4 , 10, 17 and 18 2012, Port Alberni EEM Cycle Six. ..................4-16 Figure 4.6 Percent of total hours in water of defined temperature experienced by migrating sockeye salmon in Alberni Inlet, July 2012. ........................4-17 Figure 4.7 Percent abundance of sockeye salmon detected along the 2012 hydroacoustic survey transects, July 2012. ............................................4-19 Figure 4.8 2012 Somass River sockeye escapement results: escapement numbers determined from electronic counters on the Somass, Sproat and Stamp Rivers between May and September 2012................4-19 Port Alberni – Environmental Effect Monitoring (EEM) iv Hatfield Cycle Six Interpretive Report Figure 4.9 Proportion of SLTs occupying defined depth ranges along hydroacoustic survey transects of upper Alberni inlet, July 2012. ...........4-20 Figure 4.10 Temperature contours over water depth and time based on measurements collected at five stations in Alberni Inlet in June, July and August 2012; bottom graph shows Somass and Stamp River discharge rates in 2012. ................................................................4-23 Figure 4.11 Dissolved oxygen (mg/L) contours