PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA INC. SOUTH CHINCHAGA TIE-IN INSTALLATION NEB APPLICATION ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION PLAN (EIA) FOR THE PROPOSED SOUTH CHINCHAGA TIE-IN INSTALLATION Prepared for: Pioneer Natural Resources Canada Inc. 2900, 255 – 5th Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta T2P 3G6 Prepared by: Ernst Environmental Services Box 753 Rosebud, Alberta T0J 2T0 Phone: (403) 677-2074 Fax: (4030 677-2229 PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA INC. SOUTH CHINCHAGA TIE-IN INSTALLATION NEB APPLICATION TABLE OF CONTENTS ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION PLAN (EIA) FOR THE PROPOSED SOUTH CHINCHAGA TIE-IN INSTALLATION (Refer to Individual Sections for Detailed Table of Contents, where applicable) PAGE LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS PROJECT AREA BOUNDARY and PROJECT DEFINITIONS SECTION - 1 ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMARY 3 SECTION - 2 LAND RIGHTS REQUIREMENTS AND ACQUISITION 8 SECTION - 3 PRESENT ZONING 9 SECTION - 4 EARLY PUBLIC NOTIFICATION 10 SECTION – 5 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ASSESSMENT 14 SECTION - 6 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ASSESSMENT 39 SECTION - 7 ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTION AND MONITORING 50 SECTION - 8 POST CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES 51 SECTION – 9 SOCIO-ECONOMIC EFFECTS ASSESSMENT 55 SECTION - 10 CONCLUSIONS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO- ECONOMIC EFFECTS ASSESSMENTS 62 SECTION - 11 LITERATURE, PROJECT APPLICATIONS, REPORTS CITED AND USED 63 PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS 75 Pioneer Natural Resources Canada Inc. National Energy Board (NEB) Application Page 1 South Chinchaga Tie-In Installation Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS APPENDICES Appendix 1 - Letter of Non-Objection from Mr. Lee Morin Appendix 2 - Early Public Notification Letter and Schematic - Newspaper advertisement - Distribution List of Early Public Notification Letter - Early Public Notification Follow-Up Table - Section 87 (1) Notification Distribution List - Section 87 Notice Appendix 3 - Project Area Photos Appendix 4 - Post Construction Environmental Report to the National Energy Board, 2001. Appendix 5 - Environmental Protection Plan Appendix 6 - Caribou Protection Plan, 2001 Appendix 7 - Chinchaga Scat Collection and Glucocorticoid Analysis Pioneer Natural Resources Canada Inc. National Energy Board (NEB) Application Page 2 Chinchaga South Tie-In Installation TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLES Page # Table 1.1 - Environmental Issues Summary 5 Table 5.1 - Chinchaga NEB Screening Reports 15 Table 5.2 - Post Construction Reports 15 Table 5.3 - Technical Summary 16 Table 5.4 - Species at Risk 32 Table 6.1 - Chinchaga South Meter Station VEC Selection 40 Pioneer Natural Resources Canada Inc. National Energy Board (NEB) Application Page 3 Chinchaga South Tie-In Installation TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR SECTION 4 Section 4 - Early Public Notification.........................................................................................10 4.1 The Consultation Process .............................................................................................10 4.2 Identification of Stakeholders ...............................................Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3 Notification and Two-way Communication Activities...................................................11 4.3.1 Regional, Provincial and Federal Governments.................................................. 11 4.3.2 Local Businesses ............................................................................................. 11 4.3.3 Trappers, Guides and Outfitters ............................Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.4 Information Exchange with the General Public ......Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.5 General Public Open House .................................Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.4 Issues .......................................................................................................................12 4.5 Ongoing Consultation and Issues Resolution Activities ................................................12 4.6 First Nations Consultation, Issues and Responses.........................................................12 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR SECTION 5 Section 5 - Environmental Effects Assessment..........................................................................14 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................14 5.1 Background ..................................................................................................................14 5.3 Scope and Purpose of Study Document.................................Error! Bookmark not defined. 5.3.1 Technical Summary......................................................................................... 16 5.4 Project Area Description ..............................................................................................17 5.5 Determining Study Requirements .................................................................................19 5.5.1 Addressing Knowledge Gaps............................................................................ 21 5.6 Route Selection Criteria and Process............................................................................23 5.6.1 Project-Related Land Withdrawal..................................................................... 24 5.6.2 Access Development........................................................................................ 24 5.7 Resource Desciption and Impact Analysis ....................................................................24 5.7.1 Geology and Soils............................................................................................ 25 5.7.1.1 Soils: Potential Impacts and Mitigation................................................ 25 5.7.2 Hydrology....................................................................................................... 26 5.7.2.1 Hydrology: Potential Impacts and Mitigation...................................... 27 5.7.3 Vegetation....................................................................................................... 27 5.7.3.1 Vegetation: Potential Impacts and Mitigation...................................... 27 5.7.4 Wildlife Resources .......................................................................................... 28 5.7.4.1 Wildlife Resources: Potential Impacts and Mitigation.......................... 32 5.7.5 Fisheries Resources ......................................................................................... 35 5.7.5.1 Fisheries Resources: Potential Impacts and Mitigation......................... 35 5.7.6 Historic Resources: Potential Impacts and Mitigation ........................................ 36 5.7.7 Land Use and Related Impacts ......................................................................... 36 5.7.8 Summary of the Resource Description and Impact Analysis ............................... 38 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR SECTION 6 Section 6 - Cumulative Effects Assessment ...............................................................................39 6.1 Scoping .......................................................................................................................39 6.2 Analysis .......................................................................................................................41 6.3 Mitigation of Incremental Effects Associated with Cumulative Effects .........................47 6.4 Significance of Project-Related Effects .........................................................................48 6.5 Follow-up......................................................................................................................49 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR SECTION 8 Section 8 - Post Construction Proceedures................................................................................51 8.1 Operations ....................................................................................................................51 8.2 On-Going Contigency Planning in Case of Malfunctions or Accidents .........................51 8.3 Effects of the Environment on the Project ....................................................................52 8.4 Emergency Contacts .....................................................................................................53 8.5 Environmental Effects of aRupture of the Operating Pipeline ......................................53 8.6 Weed Control ...............................................................................................................54 8.7 Decommissioning ..........................................................................................................54 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR SECTION 9 Section 9 - Socio-Economics Effects Assessment .......................................................................55 9.1 Potential Economic Components ..................................................................................56 9.2 Potential Social Components ........................................................................................56 9.3 Regional Socio-Economic Characteristics .....................................................................57 9.4 Potential Impacts and Mitigation Approaches..............................................................57 9.5 Assessing Health Effects ...............................................................................................59 9.6 Potential Health Components .......................................................................................59 9.7 Assessing First Nations, Cultural and Heritage Effects .................................................60