AMEC Earth & Environmental a division of AMEC Americas Limited 2227 Douglas Road, Burnaby, BC Canada V5C 5A9 Tel +1 (604) 294-3811 Fax +1 (604) 294-4664 www.amec.com Acid Rock Drainage and Metal Leaching Field Investigation Enbridge Northern Gateway Project Submitted to: Northern Gateway Pipelines Inc. Calgary, AB Submitted by: AMEC Earth & Environmental, a division of AMEC Americas Limited Burnaby, BC October 2009 Revised February 16, 2010 AMEC File: EG09260.2300 Document Control No.: 1128-RG-20091022 Northern Gateway Pipelines Inc. Acid Rock Drainage and Metal Leaching Field Investigation October 2009 Revised February 16, 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................................... v GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................................ vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................. 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 2 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................. 2 1.2 Scope of Work ............................................................................................................. 2 2.0 INTRODUCTION TO ACID ROCK DRAINAGE ................................................................... 4 2.1 What is Acid Rock Drainage? ...................................................................................... 4 2.2 Where is Acid Rock Drainage Likely to Occur? ........................................................... 4 2.3 Quantifying Acid Rock Drainage Potential................................................................... 5 2.4 Regional Geology of the Pipeline Alignment ............................................................... 5 2.4.1 Coastal Mountain ............................................................................................. 6 2.4.2 Interior Plateau ................................................................................................ 6 2.4.3 Rocky Mountains ............................................................................................. 7 2.4.4 Alberta Plateau ................................................................................................ 7 2.4.5 Southern Alberta Uplands................................................................................ 8 2.4.6 Eastern Alberta Plains ..................................................................................... 8 2.5 Summary of Key ARD Background Points .................................................................. 8 3.0 IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL ARD PRONE AREAS ................................................ 10 3.1 ARD/ML (Sulphide) Occurrence Models ................................................................... 10 3.1.1 Model 1 - Known sulphide mineralization ...................................................... 10 3.1.2 Model 2 – Known pyrite-bearing lithologies ................................................... 10 3.1.3 Model 3 – Permissive geology for sulphide mineralization ............................ 11 3.2 Data and Model Processing ...................................................................................... 11 3.2.1 Detailed Geology ........................................................................................... 11 3.2.2 MINFILE Database ........................................................................................ 12 3.2.3 Mineral Potential Mapping ............................................................................. 13 3.2.4 Regional Geochemical Surveys ..................................................................... 14 3.2.5 GIS ................................................................................................................ 15 3.3 Identification of Potential ARD Sites .......................................................................... 15 3.3.1 Model 1 .......................................................................................................... 15 3.3.2 Model 2 .......................................................................................................... 17 3.3.3 Model 3 .......................................................................................................... 18 3.4 Identification of Potential ARD Areas ........................................................................ 18 4.0 FIELD PROGRAM.............................................................................................................. 20 4.1 General Approach ..................................................................................................... 20 4.2 Geological Investigation and Sample Collection ....................................................... 20 5.0 ANALYTICAL AND INTERPRETIVE METHODOLOGY .................................................... 22 AMEC File: EG09260 2300 P:\PROJECTS\Other Offices\EG-Edmonton\EG09260 - Enbridge Gateway\2300 - Acid Rock Studies\Reports_Deliverables\Rev R\ARDFieldWork_Oct 09_Revised 16Feb10.doc Page i Northern Gateway Pipelines Inc. Acid Rock Drainage and Metal Leaching Field Investigation October 2009 Revised February 16, 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 5.1 Whole Rock Analysis ................................................................................................ 22 5.2 Total Metals ............................................................................................................... 22 5.3 Acid Base Accounting ............................................................................................... 22 6.0 FIELD INVESTIGATIONS AND ANALYTICAL RESULTS ................................................. 24 6.1 Kitimat Terminal Area ................................................................................................ 25 6.2 West Side of Lower Kitimat Valley ............................................................................ 26 6.3 Billy (Minfile# 103I 218) ............................................................................................. 26 6.4 J (Minfile# 103I 221) .................................................................................................. 27 6.5 Southeast Side of Hoult Creek .................................................................................. 28 6.6 Hoult (Minfile # 103I 164) .......................................................................................... 28 6.7 Nimbus Mountain / Nimbus Ridge ............................................................................. 30 6.8 Ridge above Clore River Canyon .............................................................................. 30 6.9 Nanika Intrusion, Confluence of Burnie and Clore Rivers ......................................... 30 6.10 Red Rose Formation ................................................................................................. 31 6.11 Copper Star (Minfile# 093L 326) ............................................................................... 32 6.12 Volcanic Rocks .......................................................................................................... 33 6.13 Chisholm Lake/Goldstream (Minfile# 093L 159 / 093L 160) ..................................... 34 6.14 Silver Streak (Minfile# 093L 327) .............................................................................. 34 6.15 Bulkley Intrusion ........................................................................................................ 35 6.16 Klo River and Volcanics West of Equity Silver Mine ................................................. 35 6.17 Equity Silver (Minfile# 093L 001) .............................................................................. 36 6.18 Volcanic Rocks East of Equity Silver Mine ................................................................ 37 6.19 Hanson Lake (Minfile# 093K 078) ............................................................................. 37 6.20 Misinchinka Group - Missinka River .......................................................................... 38 6.21 Miette Formation ....................................................................................................... 39 6.22 Besa River and Palliser Formations .......................................................................... 40 6.23 Muskiki Formation ..................................................................................................... 41 6.24 Clore River and Nimbus Mountain Areas .................................................................. 42 7.0 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS ............................................................................................. 43 7.1 Potential ARD Areas ................................................................................................. 43 7.2 Potential ARD Sites ................................................................................................... 43 8.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................. 49 8.1 Conclusions ............................................................................................................... 49 8.2 Recommendations .................................................................................................... 50 9.0 LIMITATIONS AND CLOSURE.........................................................................................