Environmental Impact Statement Volume 1: Overview and Impact Summary Submitted to: National Energy Board and the Joint Review Panel Submitted by: Imperial Oil Resources Ventures Limited IPRCC.PR.2004.07 August 2004 Cover photograph courtesy of the Government of the Northwest Territories EIS FOR MACKENZIE GAS PROJECT VOLUME 1: OVERVIEW AND IMPACT SUMMARY CONTENTS Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................1-1 1.1 Project Overview and Purpose ....................................................1-1 1.1.1 Background ......................................................................1-1 1.1.2 Environmental Impact Statement ....................................1-1 1.1.3 Project Purpose and Need ................................................1-2 1.1.4 Project Overview .............................................................1-2 1.1.5 Project Alternatives .........................................................1-3 1.2 Proponent Ownership ..................................................................1-7 1.2.1 Commercial Agreements .................................................1-7 1.3 Project Schedule ..........................................................................1-7 1.3.1 Regulatory Review and Approvals ..................................1-7 1.3.2 Project Phases ..................................................................1-8 1.4 Major Project Components ..........................................................1-9 1.4.1 Anchor Fields ..................................................................1-9 1.4.2 Gathering System ..........................................................1-12 1.4.3 Pipeline Corridor ...........................................................1-12 1.5 Project Guiding Principles .........................................................1-12 1.5.1 Environment, Health and Safety ....................................1-12 1.5.2 Public Participation and Consultation ...........................1-13 1.5.3 Traditional Knowledge ..................................................1-13 1.5.4 Biophysical Effects ........................................................1-14 1.5.5 Socio-Economic Effects ................................................1-14 1.5.6 Regulatory Compliance .................................................1-14 1.5.7 Environmental Management ..........................................1-15 1.6 Project Approval Process ...........................................................1-15 1.6.1 Cooperation Plan ...........................................................1-15 August 2004 Page i EIS FOR MACKENZIE GAS PROJECT CONTENTS VOLUME 1: OVERVIEW AND IMPACT SUMMARY 1.6.2 Consolidated Information Requirements .......................1-15 1.6.3 Preliminary Information Package ..................................1-15 1.6.4 Terms of Reference .......................................................1-16 1.6.5 National Energy Board Regulatory Filings ...................1-16 1.6.6 Permit Applications .......................................................1-17 1.7 Developing the Environmental Impact Statement .....................1-30 1.7.1 Community-Based Focus ..............................................1-30 1.7.2 Consultants Group .........................................................1-30 1.7.3 Document Structure .......................................................1-30 1.8 Concordance with the Terms of Reference ...............................1-31 2 Assessment Method .........................................................................................2-1 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................2-1 2.1.1 Goals of the Assessment ..................................................2-1 2.1.2 Section Content ................................................................2-2 2.2 Assessment Approach ..................................................................2-2 2.2.1 Environmental Assessment Process ................................2-2 2.2.2 Traditional Knowledge Use .............................................2-6 2.3 Scope of Assessment ...................................................................2-8 2.3.1 Environmental Impact Statement Framework .................2-8 2.3.2 Scope of Project ...............................................................2-8 2.3.3 Scope of Issues ..............................................................2-12 2.3.4 Spatial Boundaries .........................................................2-13 2.3.5 Temporal Boundaries ....................................................2-19 2.4 Assessment of Effects ................................................................2-21 2.4.1 Five-Stage Process .........................................................2-21 2.4.2 Cumulative Effects Assessment ....................................2-34 2.4.3 Incidents and Malfunctions ...........................................2-35 2.4.4 Effects of the Environment on the Project .....................2-36 2.4.5 Climate Change .............................................................2-36 Page ii August 2004 EIS FOR MACKENZIE GAS PROJECT VOLUME 1: OVERVIEW AND IMPACT SUMMARY CONTENTS 2.5 Monitoring .................................................................................2-37 2.5.1 Monitoring .....................................................................2-37 3 Traditional Knowledge .....................................................................................3-1 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................3-1 3.2 Traditional Knowledge Program Process ....................................3-1 3.2.1 Traditional Knowledge Requirements .............................3-1 3.2.2 Methods ...........................................................................3-4 3.3 Traditional Knowledge Study Activities Undertaken ...............3-11 3.3.1 Aurora Research Institute Research Licences ...............3-12 3.3.2 Organizational Consultations ........................................3-12 3.3.3 Community- and Region-Specific Traditional Knowledge Methods ......................................................3-14 3.3.4 Traditional Knowledge Contract ...................................3-14 3.3.5 Traditional Knowledge Study Progress .........................3-14 3.4 Expected Traditional Knowledge Study Activities ...................3-31 3.4.1 Inuvialuit Settlement Region .........................................3-31 3.4.2 Gwich’in Settlement Area .............................................3-32 3.4.3 Sahtu Settlement Area ...................................................3-32 3.4.4 Deh Cho Region ............................................................3-33 3.4.5 Dene Tha’ First Nation ..................................................3-34 3.5 Traditional Knowledge Study Guidelines Document ................3-34 3.5.1 Introduction ...................................................................3-34 3.5.2 How to Use this Document ............................................3-36 3.5.3 Traditional Knowledge Requirements ...........................3-36 3.5.4 Traditional Knowledge Collection ................................3-37 3.5.5 Consent Form ................................................................3-40 3.5.6 Interview Protocol .........................................................3-43 3.6 The Cooperative Approach Document ......................................3-63 3.6.1 Introduction ...................................................................3-63 3.6.2 Proposed Methods .........................................................3-64 August 2004 Page iii EIS FOR MACKENZIE GAS PROJECT CONTENTS VOLUME 1: OVERVIEW AND IMPACT SUMMARY 3.6.3 Kinds of Traditional Knowledge to be Collected ..........3-68 3.6.4 Draft Consent Form .......................................................3-71 3.7 Introductory Presentation ..........................................................3-71 4 Public Participation ..........................................................................................4-1 4.1 Introduction and Scope of Work ..................................................4-1 4.1.1 Stakeholders .....................................................................4-2 4.1.2 Principles of the Public Participation Program ................4-2 4.1.3 Public Participation Team ...............................................4-2 4.1.4 Issues Management System .............................................4-4 4.2 Public Participation Program .......................................................4-4 4.2.1 Organization of this Section ............................................4-4 4.2.2 Public Participation Program Process ..............................4-5 4.3 Inuvialuit Settlement Region and Gwich’in Settlement Area ...4-14 4.3.1 Community Meetings in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region ............................................................................4-14 4.3.2 Community Meetings in the Gwich’in Settlement Area ...............................................................................4-22 4.3.3 Issues Raised in Meetings with Joint Inuvialuit and Gwich’in Representation ...............................................4-22 4.3.4 Round 1 Joint Regional Workshop for Inuvialuit Settlement Region and Gwich’in Settlement Area ........4-38 4.3.5 Round 2 Joint Regional Workshop for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and Gwich’in