(A42789) July 12, 2012 E-FILE Attention: Ms. Sheri Young, Secretary to the Joint Review Panel Enbridge Northern Gateway Project National Energy Board 444 Seventh Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2P 0X8 Dear Ms. Young, Re: Northern Gateway Pipelines Application to the National Energy Board Enbridge Northern Gateway Project OH-4-2011 NEB File No: OF-Fac-Oil-N304-2010-01 01 Follow-up to Information Requests Northern Gateway is now providing reports that have been prepared which respond to various information requests as follows: • Ecological and Human Health Risk Assessment for Pipeline Spills (refer to Northern Gateway’s response to Federal Government IR 118; • Conceptual Fish Habitat Mitigation and Compensation Plan (refer to Northern Gateway’s response to Federal Government IR 2.8a); • Conceptual Marine Fish Habitat Compensation Plan (refer to Northern Gateway’s response to Federal Government IR 2.8a) and JRP IR 8.18a) and b); and • Wetland Function Assessment Framework (refer to Northern Gateway’s response to Federal Government IR 1.69 and 2.54). 3000, 425 1st Street SW, Calgary, AB, T2P 3L8 (T) 403.231.3900 (F) 403.718.3525 (A42789) These documents are being filed electronically with the Board and will be served upon all OH-4-2011 Parties. If the Board should require additional information, please contact the undersigned at (403) 718- 3444. Yours truly, Ken MacDonald Vice President, Law and Regulatory Northern Gateway Pipelines Limited Partnership cc: CEAA Attention: Sarah Devin 3000, 425 1st Street SW, Calgary, AB, T2P 3L8 (T) 403.231.3900 (F) 403.718.3525 (A42789) Technical Data Report Conceptual Freshwater Fish Habitat Compensation Plan ENBRIDGE NORTHERN GATEWAY PROJECT VERSION 2.0 July 2012 (A42789) Conceptual Freshwater Fish Habitat Compensation Plan Technical Data Report Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Background ...................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Objectives ........................................................................................................ 1-2 2 Regulatory Context ......................................................................................... 2-1 3 Environmental Setting..................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Overview .......................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Drainages......................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2.1 North Saskatchewan River Drainage ............................................................ 3-1 3.2.2 Athabasca River Drainage ............................................................................. 3-3 3.2.3 Peace River Drainage (Alberta Portion) ........................................................ 3-3 3.2.4 Peace River Drainage (British Columbia Portion) ......................................... 3-3 3.2.5 Fraser River Drainage ................................................................................... 3-3 3.2.6 Skeena River Drainage ................................................................................. 3-3 3.2.7 Kitimat River Drainage ................................................................................... 3-4 3.2.8 Douglas Channel Drainage ........................................................................... 3-4 3.3 Fish Communities ............................................................................................ 3-4 3.4 Fish Species at Risk ......................................................................................... 3-9 4 Project Description, Potential Effects and Mitigation ........................................ 4-1 4.1 Project Description ........................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 Watercourse Crossings .................................................................................... 4-1 4.3 Potential Environmental Effects and Mitigation ................................................. 4-3 4.3.1 Potential Environmental Effects..................................................................... 4-3 4.3.2 Mitigation ....................................................................................................... 4-3 5 Risk Management Framework ........................................................................ 5-1 5.1 Risk Management Framework Description ....................................................... 5-1 5.2 Results of Sensitivity Analysis .......................................................................... 5-1 5.3 Results of Scale of Negative Effects Analysis ................................................... 5-2 5.4 Output from Risk Management Framework ...................................................... 5-2 6 Methods to Estimate HADD and Quantify Compensation Requirements .......... 6-1 6.1 Quantification of Harmful Alteration, Disruption or Destruction ......................... 6-1 6.1.1 Methods ......................................................................................................... 6-2 6.1.2 Preliminary HADD Estimate .......................................................................... 6-3 6.1.3 Detailed Quantification of HADD and Compensation .................................... 6-4 6.2 Quantifying Compensation Requirements ........................................................ 6-5 6.2.1 Compensation Ratios .................................................................................... 6-5 6.2.2 Low-Risk Sites ............................................................................................... 6-7 6.2.3 Medium-Risk Sites ......................................................................................... 6-7 6.2.4 High-Risk Sites .............................................................................................. 6-7 6.3 Identifying Compensation Opportunities ........................................................... 6-8 6.3.1 Off-Site Compensation Opportunities ............................................................ 6-8 July 2012 Version 2.0 Page i (A42789) Conceptual Freshwater Fish Habitat Compensation Plan Technical Data Report Table of Contents 6.3.2 On-Site Compensation Opportunities ............................................................ 6-8 6.4 Implementing Project Habitat Compensation Plans ........................................ 6-10 6.5 Post-Construction Monitoring .......................................................................... 6-10 6.6 No Net Loss Threshold ................................................................................... 6-11 7 Methods to Identify and Prioritize Off-Site Compensation Options ....................7-1 7.1.1 Off-Site Opportunities .................................................................................... 7-1 8 Identify and Prioritize On-Site Opportunities ....................................................8-1 8.1 Initial In-Field Observations for Watercourse Enhancements ............................ 8-1 8.2 Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Methods ............................................... 8-2 8.3 Assessment for Stream Compensation ............................................................. 8-7 8.3.1 Existing Stream Habitat Conditions ............................................................... 8-7 8.3.2 Existing Fisheries Use ................................................................................... 8-7 8.3.3 Management Objectives .............................................................................. 8-10 8.3.4 Technical Feasibility .................................................................................... 8-10 8.3.5 Final Screening and Selection Process ....................................................... 8-10 8.4 Toolbox Approach ........................................................................................... 8-11 8.4.1 Screening Process for Instream Compensation Opportunities ................... 8-11 8.4.2 Example Application of Toolbox Approach .................................................. 8-13 8.4.3 Riparian ....................................................................................................... 8-16 8.4.4 Generic Application of Toolbox Approach to Select Habitat Compensation Techniques .......................................................................... 8-19 9 Monitoring, Adaptive Management and Long-Range Compensation ................9-1 10 References ................................................................................................... 10-1 10.1 Literature Cited ............................................................................................... 10-1 10.2 Personnel Communication .............................................................................. 10-3 List of Tables Table 3-1 Fish Species in Watercourses Crossed by the Right-of-Way .................. 3-5 Table 3-2 Fish Species of Conservation Concern ................................................. 3-10 Table 4-1 Number and Distribution of Potential Pipeline Crossings by Major Drainage in Alberta and British Columbia ................................................ 4-2 Table 5–1 Summary of the Number of Crossings in Each Risk Category ................ 5-3 Table 6-1 Estimated HADD for Permanently Altered Streams