Environmental Assessment Track Report EnCana Corporation’s Proposed Shallow Gas Development Project in the CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area Submitted to the Minister of the Environment Pursuant to Subsection 21(2) of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act Prepared by Department of National Defence February 2006 Table of Contents 2.0 Environmental Assessment Process .................................................................. 4 2.1 Requirement for a Comprehensive Study 4 Responsible Authority (RA) ......................................................................................... 4 Federal Authorities (FA’s) ............................................................................................ 5 Federal Environmental Assessment Coordinator (FEAC)...................................... 5 Provincial Involvement.................................................................................................. 5 2.2 Current Path and Next Steps 5 3.0 Project Overview................................................................................................... 6 4.0 CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area..................................................................... 7 5.0 Scope 7 5.1 Scope of Project 7 5.2 Scope of Assessment 8 6.0 Public consultation............................................................................................... 8 7.0 Public Concerns in Relation to the Project ........................................................ 9 Written Public Comments 15 8.0 The Potential of the Project to Cause Adverse Environmental Effects.......... 18 8.1 Species At Risk 18 8.2 National Wildlife Regulations 19 8.3 Biological/Scientific Studies 19 8.4 Native Prairie and Ecology 20 8.5 Ancillary and Cumulative Effects 21 8.6 Supplementary Concerns 22 9.0 Ability of Comprehensive Study to Address Issues Relating to the Project 22 10.0 Recommendation................................................................................................ 25 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 ................................................................................................ i 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 13................................................................................. i 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING 23 ........................................................................ i 4.0 REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO FISH AND WATERWAYS 25...................... i APPENDIX B – AEUB LICENCING PROCESS…………………………………...………29 ........................................ ii BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………..…………………………………… ……..………30....................................................................................................... ii 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 1.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW 1 - 2 - 1.1.1 Purpose of the Project ............................................................................................. 1 1.1.2 Project Area ............................................................................................................ 2 1.1.3 Land Use ................................................................................................................. 3 1.1.4 Nature of Project..................................................................................................... 5 1.2 PROPONENT INFORMATION 7 1.3 REGULATORY OVERVIEW 7 1.3.1 Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.............................................................. 7 1.3.2 Other Federal Legislation, Regulations and Policies............................................ 10 1.3.3 Provincial Regulatory Process .............................................................................. 11 1.4 PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS 13 2.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ............................................................................ 13 2.1 PROJECT ACTIVITIES 15 2.1.1 Preparation Phase.................................................................................................. 15 2.1.2 Construction Phase................................................................................................ 16 2.1.3 Operations Phase................................................................................................... 19 2.1.4 Decommissioning and Abandonment................................................................... 20 2.2 PROJECT SCHEDULE 21 2.3 WASTE DISPOSAL / WATER USE AND DISPOSAL 22 2.3.1 Water Required For Drilling & Drilling Products ................................................ 22 2.3.2 Water Usage for Completions............................................................................... 22 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ...................................................................... 23 4.0 REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO FISH AND WATERWAYS............... 25 4.1 ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES 25 4.2 WATER SOURCES 26 The area within which a VEC functions and within which the Project’s effect may occur................................................................................................................ 9 Canadian Environmental Assessment Act .......................................................................... 16 Appendix 1 – Project Description Appendix 2 – Scope of Assessment Appendix 3 – Notice Requesting Public Comment - 3 - 1.0 Introduction On March 4, 2005, EnCana Corporation (EnCana) submitted to the Department of National Defence (DND) a project description referred to as the CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area (NWA) Shallow Gas Infill Development Project, a proposal to install over a three-year period, up to 1275 new shallow gas wells within the boundary of the NWA (“the Project”). This document provides an overview of the proposed Project, steps taken to date with respect to the environmental assessment including a summary of federal coordination activities and public consultation. The Department of National Defence (DND) has prepared this Environmental Assessment Track Report pursuant to paragraph 21(2)(a) of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) to assist the Minister of the Environment in making a decision whether to continue the environmental assessment by way of a comprehensive study, or to refer the project to a mediator or review panel. In accordance with paragraph 21(2) (a) of the CEAA the EA track report must address the following matters: a) The scope of the Project; the factors to be considered in its assessment and the scope of those factors; b) Public concerns in relation to the Project; c) The potential of the Project to cause adverse environmental effects; and d) The ability of the comprehensive study to address issues relating to the Project. 2.0 Environmental Assessment Process 2.1 Requirement for a Comprehensive Study The Project is subject to a comprehensive study in accordance with paragraph 2(c) of Part I to the Schedule to the Comprehensive Study List Regulations made pursuant to the CEAA, as it involves the construction of a gas pipeline in a National Wildlife Area as defined in section 2 of the Canada Wildlife Act. Paragraph 2(c) of the Comprehensive Study List Regulations states that a comprehensive study is required for “The proposed construction, decommissioning or abandonment, in a wildlife area or migratory bird sanctuary, of an oil or gas facility or oil and gas pipeline.” Responsible Authority (RA) In order to allow EnCana’s development in the NWA a permit is required pursuant to section 3 and 4 of the Wildlife Area Regulations. In the case of the CFB NWA, DND has been delegated the responsibility from the Minister of the - 4 - Environment pursuant to section 4.2 (1) of the Canada Wildlife Act (CWA), R.S. 1985, c. W-9, as amended, for the administration of the area and those sections of the CWA that apply to it, this includes the permitting responsibilities. Because of its regulatory role, the DND is thus the responsible authority (RA) for this environmental assessment (EA). Federal Authorities (FA’s) Following the requirements of the Regulations Respecting the Coordination by Federal Authorities of Environmental Assessment Procedures and Requirements of the CEAA, the project description was distributed to other federal departments and agencies to determine their role in the assessment, if any. The other federal departments and agencies determined they were not a responsible authority (RA) for the project under section 5 of the CEAA. The following departments self- identified themselves as federal authorities under the CEAA possessing specialist knowledge and information which should be considered in the assessment of the proposed undertaking: Environment Canada, Parks Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Agriculture and Agri- Food Canada and Health Canada. Federal Environmental Assessment Coordinator (FEAC) Also, in accordance with section 12.4 of the CEEA, the Alberta Regional Office of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is the federal environmental assessment coordinator for the Project, as the Project is described in the Comprehensive Study List Regulations. Provincial Involvement The Project is subject to regulatory approvals of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (AEUB). Although the Project does not require an environmental assessment under Alberta legislation, the AEUB and Alberta Sustainable Resources Development (ASRD) will participate in the federal environmental assessment under Appendix 3 of the Canada-Alberta Agreement for Environmental Assessment Cooperation. Alberta Environment determined that a provincial environmental assessment is not