4 Ecological Environmental Effects Assessment Methods for Deterministic Oil Spill Modelling

4 Ecological Environmental Effects Assessment Methods for Deterministic Oil Spill Modelling

CA PDF Page 105 of 1038 Part B: Deterministic Modelling of the Ecological and Energy East Project Human Health Consequences of Marine Oil Spills Volume 24: Ecological and Human Health Risk Section 4: Ecological Environmental Effects Assessment Assessment for Oil Spills in the Marine Environment Methods for Deterministic Oil Spill Modelling 4 ECOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ASSESSMENT METHODS FOR DETERMINISTIC OIL SPILL MODELLING 4.1 Introduction This section provides details for the approach to the deterministic assessment of physically or toxicologically induced changes in health of ecological receptors exposed to spilled crude oil, or chemical constituents of spilled crude oil. Results of the assessment are provided for three spill scenarios: (i) a grounding in Saint John Harbour; (ii) a collision in the Bay of Fundy; and (iii) a grounding south of Grand Manan) (see Sections 6, 7 and 8). This ecological risk assessment (ERA) follows accepted risk assessment methodologies and follows guidance published and endorsed by regulatory agencies, including CCME (1996, 1997), Government of Canada (2012a) and the U.S. EPA (1989, 1998). 4.2 Ecological Risk Assessment Problem Formulation Problem formulation is the initial information gathering and interpretation stage that focuses the assessment on areas of primary concern within the study area for marine accidents and malfunctions (SAMAM). The problem formulation defines the nature and scope of the work to be conducted, and enables practical boundaries to be placed on the overall scope of work, so the ERA is directed at the key areas and issues of concern. Key components of the problem formulation include: • establishing spatial boundaries for the overall assessment • identifying crude oil products being assessed, which individual COPC are present, and mechanisms of release to the environment • identifying and characterizing representative ecological receptors • setting assessment and measurement endpoints for toxicological effects on ecological receptors • identifying exposure media and pathways by which ecological receptors may be exposed to COPC • defining benchmarks from which the magnitude of toxicological responses caused by exposure to COPC can be predicted A conceptual site model (CSM) follows the problem formulation, which provides a visual depiction of the relevant pathways linking COPC in various environmental media and biota to the ecological receptors. Energy East Pipeline Ltd. May 2016 4-1 CA PDF Page 106 of 1038 Part B: Deterministic Modelling of the Ecological and Human Health Consequences of Marine Oil Spills Energy East Project Section 4: Ecological Environmental Effects Assessment Volume 24: Ecological and Human Health Risk Methods for Deterministic Oil Spill Modelling Assessment for Oil Spills in the Marine Environment 4.2.1 Assessment and Measurement Endpoints Suter (1993) defined assessment endpoints as explicit expressions of environmental values or characteristics to be protected at a site, reflecting societal and ecological values. In practice, assessment endpoints are usually broad statements articulating the overall goals of a risk assessment. For this risk assessment, overall goals are to determine the extent to which accidents and malfunctions that may arise from the Project, or shipping of crude oil as a result of the Project, have the potential to adversely affect marine plant, invertebrate or fish communities, marine birds or marine mammals. In this context, acute effects and acute toxicity are defined as those environmental effects that result from or appear after brief exposure (usually 96 hours or less) to a chemical stressor, often at relatively high concentrations. Chronic effects and chronic toxicity are defined as those environmental effects that result from or appear after prolonged exposure to a chemical stressor, typically at lower concentrations than those that cause acute effects. The information needed to deal directly with these high-level assessment endpoints is often difficult to generate and rarely available. Therefore, measurement endpoints, which are simpler and more clearly defined responses to stressors and directly related to the assessment endpoints, are often used as practical metrics for ERA. Measurement endpoints may be defined in terms of an unacceptable level of effect on ecological receptors, such as a certain relative percent decrease in survival, growth or reproduction of the test organisms used to represent ecological populations. As part of a weight-of-evidence approach, one or more measurement endpoints may be used for each assessment endpoint. Measurement endpoints can also be used as a starting point in the development of follow-up or environmental effects monitoring programs. The following are the measurement endpoints considered in this ERA: • For marine community-level resources, including marine plants and fish, concentrations of COPC in water following a hypothetical spill should not exceed levels that could acutely or chronically impair the survival, growth or reproduction of a sensitive species. A sensitive species is defined as the 5th percentile species in a species sensitivity distribution. • For intertidal sediment community-level resources, including algae and invertebrates, exposure to COPC arising from environmental effects of spills should not exceed levels that could acutely or chronically impair community diversity, biomass or productivity. • For subtidal sediment community-level resources, including marine benthic invertebrates, concentrations of COPC in subtidal sediment following a spill example should not exceed levels that could chronically impair the survival, growth or reproduction of a sensitive species. • For mammalian, reptilian and avian receptors, exposures to COPC arising from the environmental effects of spills should not exceed levels that could acutely or chronically impair survival, growth or reproduction. The goal is to identify potential risks to marine biota at the community or population level rather than at the individual level, with the notable exception being species that are afforded legal protection as individuals, or in respect of their residences or habitats, under federal and provincial laws (e.g., Species at Risk Act). 4-2 May 2016 Energy East Pipeline Ltd. CA PDF Page 107 of 1038 Part B: Deterministic Modelling of the Ecological and Energy East Project Human Health Consequences of Marine Oil Spills Volume 24: Ecological and Human Health Risk Section 4: Ecological Environmental Effects Assessment Assessment for Oil Spills in the Marine Environment Methods for Deterministic Oil Spill Modelling The federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) includes a Schedule (Schedule 1) listing species in Canada that are deemed to be extirpated, endangered, threatened, or of special concern: • Section 32 (1) states that “No person shall kill, harm, harass, capture or take an individual of a wildlife species that is listed as an extirpated species, an endangered species or a threatened species.” • Section 33 states that “No person shall damage or destroy the residence of one or more individuals of a wildlife species that is listed as an endangered species or a threatened species, or that is listed as an extirpated species if a recovery strategy has recommended the reintroduction of the species into the wild in Canada. • Section 36 applies similar protection to those provided by Sections 32 (1) and 33 to species that occur on federal lands in that province or territory, that are listed as endangered or threatened under provincial or territorial classifications. • Sections 58 and 61 extend protections to habitat that is designated as critical habitat in the recovery strategy or in an action plan for species that are listed as extirpated, endangered or threatened. For the purposes of this ERA, any species listed as extirpated, endangered or threatened on Schedule 1 of the SARA, or listed as endangered or threatened under the New Brunswick Species at Risk Act or the Nova Scotia Endangered Species Act, will be considered to have particular status from a management perspective. For such species, harm to an individual or to its habitat will be considered to be an environmental effect at the population level. However, the listing of a species on endangered species legislation is not necessarily an indicator of the sensitivity of that species to exposure to spilled oil or hydrocarbon compounds as toxic substances. Therefore, the analysis of potential environmental effects of spilled oil on ecological receptors is not necessarily related to their status under species at risk legislation. The status of species under such legislation represents an additional factor to consider when evaluating the magnitude and significance of environmental effects. 4.2.2 Spatial Boundaries The spatial boundaries of the SAMAM are shown in Figure 1-1 and include all of the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia coastlines of the Bay of Fundy. The SAMAM also includes Saint John Harbour to the Reversing Falls. In addition, although beyond the limits of Canadian territorial waters, parts of the United States (Maine) coastline from the Canadian border to Mount Desert Island are considered, as well as some of the waters of the Gulf of Maine. 4.2.3 Crude Oil Products As discussed in Section 3, a variety of crude oils will be transported by the Project. These oils can be divided into three general grades, namely light, medium and heavy crude oils. Based on information from potential shippers, Energy East has identified three crude oils

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