Elk Falls Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) Cycle Four Interpretive Report Final March 2007 Prepared for: Catalyst Paper Corporation Campbell River, British Columbia Suite 201 – 1571 Bellevue Ave., West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V7V 1A6 • Tel: 1.604.926.3261 • Fax: 1.604.926.5389 • www.hatfi eldgroup.com ELK FALLS ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS MONITORING (EEM) CYCLE FOUR INTERPRETIVE REPORT FINAL Prepared for: CATALYST PAPER CORPORATION PO BOX 2000 NORTH ISLAND HIGHWAY CAMPBELL RIVER, BC V9W 5C9 Prepared by: HATFIELD CONSULTANTS SUITE 201 – 1571 BELLEVUE AVENUE WEST VANCOUVER, BC V7V 1A6 MARCH 2007 EF1128.2 Suite 201 – 1571 Bellevue Ave., West Vancouver, BC, Canada V7V 1A6 • 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 .................................................................................... vi 1.0 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................. 1 2.0 MILL, STUDY AREA, AND CYCLE FOUR DESIGN UPDATE ........... 3 2.1 MILL OPERATIONS.................................................................................................3 2.1.1 Process Description and Update ........................................................................3 2.1.2 Effluent Quality ...................................................................................................4 2.1.3 Incidents within the Receiving Environment .......................................................6 2.2 STUDY AREA UPDATES......................................................................................... 6 2.3 CYCLE FOUR STUDY DESIGN UPDATE...............................................................7 3.0 PROCESS EFFLUENT SUBLETHAL TOXICOLOGICAL TESTING.............................................................................................. 8 3.1 SUBLETHAL TOXICITY TEST METHODS .............................................................9 3.1.1 General Methods and Definitions .......................................................................9 3.1.2 Test Methods ....................................................................................................10 3.2 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ............................................................................... 11 3.2.1 Topsmelt (Atherinops affinis) Growth and Survival Test.................................... 11 3.2.2 Echinoderm Fertilization Test............................................................................ 11 3.2.3 Champia parvula Reproduction Test................................................................. 14 3.2.4 Potential Zone of Sublethal Effect ....................................................................14 3.3 CONCLUSIONS.....................................................................................................16 4.0 FISH TISSUE SURVEY ..................................................................... 17 4.1 FISH SURVEY........................................................................................................17 4.2 TISSUE ANALYSES: DIOXINS AND FURANS.................................................... 17 4.3 TAINTING EVALUATION ....................................................................................... 20 5.0 INTERTIDAL INVERTEBRATE SURVEY.......................................... 27 5.1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................27 5.2 METHODS..............................................................................................................28 5.2.1 Modifications to Sampling Design ....................................................................28 5.2.2 Station Selection...............................................................................................28 5.2.3 Field Sampling Procedures ..............................................................................31 5.2.4 Analytical Approach ..........................................................................................33 Elk Falls EEM Cycle Four – Final i Hatfield 5.3 RESULTS ...............................................................................................................37 5.3.1 Density and Community Composition ..............................................................37 5.3.2 Taxonomic Richness.........................................................................................40 5.3.3 Biotic Community Indices .................................................................................40 5.3.4 Supporting Environmental Variables.................................................................43 5.3.5 Statistical Analyses ...........................................................................................46 5.4 DISCUSSION .........................................................................................................51 6.0 CYCLE FOUR CONCLUSIONS ........................................................54 7.0 REFERENCES...................................................................................56 8.0 GLOSSARY .......................................................................................59 Elk Falls EEM Cycle Four – Final ii Hatfield LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1 Annual means for process effluent quality variables, Catalyst Paper Corporation, Elk Falls Division, 2004 to 2006. ...................................3 Table 3.1 Maximum potential zone of sublethal effect, Catalyst Paper Corporation, Elk Falls Division, EEM Cycle Four........................................15 Table 5.1 Sampling station characteristics, Elk Falls EEM Cycle Four intertidal survey, summer 2006...................................................................29 Table 5.2 Summary of intertidal invertebrate community metrics, Elk Falls EEM Cycle Four, June 2006.......................................................................39 Table 5.3 Most abundant invertebrate taxa (per m2) in the mid-intertidal zone, Elk Falls EEM Cycle Four, June 2006...............................................41 Table 5.4 Physical characteristics and water quality at intertidal survey locations, Elk Falls EEM Cycle Four, June 2006. .......................................45 Table 5.5 Qualitative assessment of macrophyte communities at intertidal survey locations, Elk Falls EEM Cycle Four, June 2006.............................46 Table 5.6 Results of regression analyses (n=13) conducted to test relationships between intertidal community metrics and distance from the pulpmill diffuser, Elk Falls EEM Cycle Four, June 2006................47 Table 5.7 Results of regression analyses conducted to test relationships between water quality, slope, and distance from the pulpmill diffuser, Elk Falls EEM Cycle Four, June 2006...........................................47 Table 5.8 Results of Spearman rank correlations (n=13) conducted among intertidal community metrics, Elk Falls EEM Cycle Four, June 2006............................................................................................................49 Table 5.9 Results of Spearman rank correlations (rs) among water quality variables, Elk Falls EEM Cycle Four, June 2006. .......................................50 Table 5.10 Results of Spearman rank correlations (rs) between intertidal invertebrate community metrics and water quality variables, Elk Falls EEM Cycle Four, June 2006. .............................................................50 Table 5.11 Summary of effects observed during EEM Cycles Three and Four on invertebrate communities in the mid-intertidal zone according to distance from the Elk Falls mill. ..............................................................52 Elk Falls EEM Cycle Four – Final iii Hatfield LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 Mean daily production and effluent flows from 1985 to 2006 Catalyst Paper Corporation, Elk Falls Division. ............................................4 Figure 2.2 Location of Catalyst Paper Corporation, Elk Falls Division, on Discovery Passage, British Columbia...........................................................5 Figure 2.3 Mean daily biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), and adsorbable organic halides (AOX) in effluent, Catalyst Paper Corporation, Elk Falls Division, 1985 to 2006. .....................7 Figure 3.1 Fish early life stage – topsmelt growth IC25 endpoints for Catalyst Paper Corporation, Elk Falls Division, EEM Cycle Four. ............................12 Figure 3.2 Fish early life stage – topsmelt survival LC50 endpoints for Catalyst Paper Corporation, Elk Falls Division, EEM Cycle Four. ..............12 Figure 3.3 Echinoderm tests - fertilization IC25 endpoints (± 95% confidence limits) for Catalyst Paper Corporation, Elk Falls Division, EEM Cycle Four...................................................................................................13 Figure 3.4 Dose response curves for Winter 2005 and Summer 2005 for Echinoderms, Catalyst Paper Corporation, Elk Falls Division, EEM Cycle Four...................................................................................................13