SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT : NORTH SHORE EXTENSION Saguenay – Sept-Îles Natural Gas Pipeline Presented by Gaz Métro September 2012 Summary of the project description in compliance with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (July 2012) SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION GAZ MÉTRO NORTH SHORE EXTENSION CONTEXT The subject of the present Summary of the project description, written in compliance with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA 2012), is the construction of a natural gas pipeline between the cities of Saguenay and Sept-Îles, passing through Baie-Comeau and Port-Cartier. The document was written in accordance with the Prescribed Information for the Description of a Designated Project Regulations (July 2012) as well as the Guide to Preparing a Description of a Designated Project under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (July 2012) provided by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. The document reflects technical information available to date given that the preliminary engineering and the environmental and social impact assessment are still to come. It aims to describe the general characteristics of the project and its receiving environment in order to better understand the main foreseen impacts on the surrounding social and biophysical environments. 610764-4EGC-I-0001_00 i SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION GAZ MÉTRO NORTH SHORE EXTENSION 1 GENERAL INFORMATION AND CONTACTS Gaz Métro’s project, intitled North Shore Extension (Saguenay – Sept-Îles Natural Gas Pipeline) consists in the construction of a natural gas pipeline and its main components between the cities of Saguenay (Jonquière District) and Sept-Îles. The objective of the pipeline is the distribution of natural gas to the urbanized perimeter to the north of the Saguenay River as well as to the municipalities of Baie- Comeau, Port-Cartier and Sept-Îles. The project’s initiator is Gaz Métro Limited Partnership, henceforth referred to as Gaz Métro. The coordinates of the proponent are shown in Table 1. Table 1 Coordinates of the Project’s Proponent Name : Gaz Métro Limited Partnership Address : 1717, du Havre Street Montreal (Quebec) Canada H2K 2X3 Person Responsible for the project : Robert Rousseau, Director, North Shore Extension Project Telephone : (514) 598-3539 Fax : (514) 598-1633 Email : [email protected] SNC-Lavalin Environment, a Division of SNC-Lavalin inc., whose coordinates are given in Table 2, was mandated by Gaz Métro to obtain the environmental permits and authorizations required for the project. Table 2 Coordinates of the Consultant Mandated by the Project’s Proponent Name : SNC-Lavalin Environment Division of SNC-Lavalin inc. Address : 550, Sherbrooke Street Ouest, 1st floor Montreal (Quebec) Canada H3A 1B9 Person Responsible for the project : Yves Comtois, Project Director Telephone : (514) 393-8000, ext. 7724 Fax : (514) 392-4785 Email : [email protected] The project is subject to a provincial environmental assessment under the authority of the Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs (MDDEP) in compliance with the Loi sur la qualité de l’environnement of Quebec. Depending on the final layout, additional authorizations could be required according to the laws and regulations of the province of Quebec. The project will also comply with municipal and all other applicable regulations. According to information available to date, one of the layouts proposed for a mining railway project on the North Shore overlaps with the eastern portion of the North Shore Extension Project’s study area. 610764-4EGC-I-0001_00 1 GAZ MÉTRO SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION NORTH SHORE EXTENSION 2 PROJECT INFORMATION Gaz Métro holds the exclusive rights for natural gas distribution on the North Shore since the adoption of a governmental decree in 1999. The proposed developments in the vicinity of the cities of Saguenay, Sept-Îles, Port-Cartier and Baie-Comeau, namely in connection with the Plan Nord, has brought Gaz Métro to reflect upon how its activities could be broadened on the North Shore. The planned natural gas pipeline constitutes a strategic component of the North Shore’s regional development and has often been requested by the region and its representatives since the 1990s. Pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the Regulations Designating Physical Activities, an oil and gas pipeline construction project measuring more than 75 km on a new right-of-way could be subject to an environmental assessment. Project Components The design of the proposed natural gas pipeline, which will measure approximately 450 km, will comply with the CSA Z662-11 standard: Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems. The natural gas pipeline will be protected by an anti-corrosive coating. It will be buried in a permanent right-of-way measuring 23 meters in width. The right-of-way will have to be logged and must remain devoid of any tree cover during operations. Agricultural activities may however proceed during operations as long as they comply with the specifications put forth in the guide for the management of the right-of- way provided to land owners by Gaz Métro. Temporary work areas will be required in the vicinity of obstacles (such as water crossings) as well as along the right-of-way. The work area along the whole right-of-way will measure 10 meters in width. Block valves, typically 25 km apart and used to isolate, if need be, the natural gas in one portion of the pipeline, will be put in place. The construction of scraper traps, which allow for electronic inspection tools to be inserted and recovered, is also planned. They are typically placed a 100 km apart. The exact location of the block valves and the scraper traps has yet to be determined. The two intended compressor stations on the existing network in Saguenay as well as the distribution networks are considered as associated projects which will be subject to provincial authorizations. Activities The route selection will be carried out jointly by engineering and environmental teams. The corridor as well as the final layout will be decided on the basis of technical, economical and socio-environmental parameters. The next step will be to obtain the required federal, provincial and municipal authorizations. The implementation of a natural gas pipeline requires a series of steps which are summarized below : Preparatory activities (surveying and clearing of the right-of-way and work areas, construction of the access roads and temporary facilities, stripping and levelling of the work areas and blasting where required); Activities associated with the construction of the pipeline itself (delivery of the pipe sections and stringing of the pipeline on pieces of wood, bending of the pipeline to follow the shape of the terrain, welding of the different sections, crossing of obstacles using specific methods, excavation 2 610764-4EGC-I-0001_00 SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION GAZ MÉTRO NORTH SHORE EXTENSION of the trench, lowering of the pipeline into the trench, hydrostatic testing, installation of block valves and scraper traps and internal verifications if required); Rehabilitation (cleaning of all affected areas including restoration of the drainage, levelling/grading and seeding if required). Depending on the selected layout, certain areas of the pipeline could require the construction of temporary camps and access roads. The presence of numerous existing logging roads will allow for the impact associated with accessibility to be minimised. Certain permanent access roads starting from municipal or logging roads will also be required in order to access block valves and scraper traps when necessary. The operation of the new pipeline will comply with the CSA Z662-11 standard: Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems. It will be integrated into Gaz Métro’s existing surveillance system and will be the object of a maintenance, surveillance and follow up program which will target the right-of-way, the network and the above-ground facilities and their buildings. No decommissioning or permanent interruption of operations is planned for the pipeline since the project involves the implementation of a permanent structure, for which the equipments will undergo regular maintenance and eventually of reconditioning during the course of operations. Emissions, discharges or hazardous waste During the construction phase, discharge of hazardous products into the environment is mainly related to accidental spills of hydrocarbons. Since the quantities involved are generally quite limited, such events, if they take place, should be localized and of short duration. A management plan for hazardous products as well as an intervention plan in case of accidental spills will be outlined in order to minimise the risks and consequences of such events. Hazardous wastes associated with the project generally include products stemming from the maintenance of vehicles and machinery used during the construction phase. Management of contaminated land could also be necessary in the event of a spill. Contaminated land and hazardous waste will be shipped regularly towards authorized elimination facilities. Although it will be operated and maintained in compliance with the CSA Z662-11 guideline, the pipeline could present certain risks of accidental emissions of natural gas into the air. The quantity emitted is inferior to the emissions avoided, during the life-cycle of the project, through the replacement of heavy fuels currently used, by natural gas which is cheaper and less polluting. A quantitative technological risk analysis will be carried out in the context of the environmental impact assessment. Control and security measures will be put in place during the design, the construction and the operation of the pipeline. Calendar To date, it is believed that the project could be implemented within 4 years time. The commissioning of the pipeline’s extension is therefore intended in 2016, should the project be carried out. 610764-4EGC-I-0001_00 3 GAZ MÉTRO SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION NORTH SHORE EXTENSION 3 PROJECT AREA Location The preliminary study area, within which corridor options will be studied, is shown on map 1 (appendix A).