Migratory Birds Convention Act: A Best Management Practice for Pipelines Developed for the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association Draft for Discussion September 2013 Prepared for: Canadian Energy Pipeline Association Prepared by: Stantec Consulting Ltd. Calgary, Alberta Project Number: 123510637 Canadian Energy Pipeline Association Table of Contents September 2013 Foreword It is my pleasure to introduce “The Migratory Birds Convention Act: A Best Management Practice for Pipelines”. CEPA’s member companies construct and operate the major transmission pipelines that safely transport 97% of the oil and natural gas produced in Canada to markets throughout North America. This document has been developed by CEPA members based on their first- hand experience of pipeline construction and operation across Canada. CEPA members are committed to compliance with legislation and regulations that apply to our facilities, including the Migratory Birds Convention Act. Our practices have evolved to meet those requirements, but our commitments extend beyond legal compliance to environmental responsibility, protection, and stewardship. The development and use of a Best Management Practice is one tool by which we strive to continually improve our performance through technical innovations and through engagement with other interested groups. This document has been released as a ‘draft’; pending the finalization of relevant informational components that are expected soon from the Canadian Wildlife Service, and it will be updated as required. Development of this ‘draft’ has been supported by Environment Canada and by Nature Canada – and we thank them for their time and effort to make this Best Management Practice a product reflecting input from key groups active in the conservation of birds in Canada. By publishing the Best Management Practice at this time, CEPA is inviting expert agencies, interest groups and the public to comment and to work with us to improve our practices and ultimately improve protection of migratory birds throughout Canada. A Best Management Practice document is the starting point for project-specific plans that are founded on compliance and excellence but also reflect the unique circumstances and conditions in a region. CEPA hopes that the Best Management Practice will encourage and facilitate discussions about the pipeline industry’s commitment to environmental performance. We invite you to learn more by contacting us directly or by visiting our website aboutpipelines.com. Brenda Kenny President and CEO Canadian Energy Pipeline Association Draft for Discussion i Canadian Energy Pipeline Association Table of Contents September 2013 Table of Contents 1 PIPELINES AND MIGRATORY BIRDS IN CANADA ..................................................... 1-1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 REGULATORY CONTEXT ........................................................................................................... 1-2 2 MIGRATORY BIRD-PIPELINE RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK ....................... 2-1 2.1 OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................ 2-1 2.2 BIRD CONSERVATION REGIONS AND SPECIES AT RISK (TO BE UPDATED) ............... 2-2 2.3 TRANSMISSION PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONS INTERACTIONS MATRIX ...................................................................................................................................... 2-18 2.4 MIGRATORY BIRD – PIPELINE RISK ASSESSMENT MATRIX .......................................... 2-32 3 BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR TRANSMISSION PIPELINES ................... 3-1 3.1 ENVIRONMENT CANADA AVOIDANCE GUIDELINES .......................................................... 3-1 3.2 RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES FOR PIPELINES ........................................................... 3-1 3.2.1 Key Points ................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2.2 Pre-construction Planning ....................................................................................... 3-4 3.2.3 Construction ............................................................................................................... 3-4 3.2.4 Operation .................................................................................................................. 3-12 3.2.4.1 Emergency Response .......................................................................... 3-14 3.2.5 Decommissioning and Abandonment .................................................................. 3-14 4 MIGRATORY BIRD NEST SURVEY PROTOCOL ............................................................. 4-1 4.1 RATIONALE FOR USE OF NEST SURVEYS ............................................................................ 4-1 4.2 OBJECTIVE OF NEST SURVEYS .............................................................................................. 4-1 4.3 NEST SEARCH PROTOCOLS – GENERAL ............................................................................... 4-1 4.3.1 Non-forested Habitats .............................................................................................. 4-3 4.3.2 Forested Habitats ...................................................................................................... 4-4 4.3.3 Wetlands ..................................................................................................................... 4-5 4.4 IDENTIFICATION AND PROTECTION OF ACTIVE NESTS .................................................. 4-6 4.4.1 SARA-listed Migratory Bird Nests Mitigations ..................................................... 4-7 5 SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 5-1 6 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 6-1 Draft for Discussion ii Canadian Energy Pipeline Association Table of Contents September 2013 List of Tables Table 2-1 Summary of BCRs with Existing or Potential CEPA-Member Company Facilities .......................................................................................................................... 2-5 Table 2-2 SARA and COSEWIC Listed Migratory Bird Species by Bird Conservation Region across Canada ........................................................................ 2-6 Table 2-4 Interaction Matrix Summary of Pipeline and Facility Construction with Migratory Birds ............................................................................................................ 2-19 Table 2-5 Interaction Matrix Summary of Pipeline and Facility Operations with Migratory Birds ............................................................................................................ 2-26 Table 2-6 Categories Used to Asses Migratory Bird Risk ..................................................... 2-33 Table 3-1 Key Nesting Periods for BCRs across Canada where CEPA Operates ............... 3-2 Table 3-2 Best Management Practices – Pre-construction Planning .................................... 3-4 Table 3-3 Best Management Practices – Construction ........................................................... 3-4 Table 3-4 Best Management Practices to Avoid Incidental Take of Migratory Birds During Pipeline Construction ...................................................................................... 3-6 Table 3-6 Best Management Practices – Operation .............................................................. 3-12 Table 3-7 Best Management Practices to Avoid Incidental Take of Migratory Birds During Pipeline Operations ....................................................................................... 3-13 Table 3-5 Best Management Practices –Emergency: Pipeline Spill ................................... 3-14 Table 4-1 Recommended Setback and Timing Windows for At Risk Migratory Bird Species in Alberta and Saskatchewan ..................................................................... 4-8 List of Figures Figure 2-1 CEPA Facilities across Canada Bird Conservation Region – Liquids Pipelines ......................................................................................................................... 2-3 Figure 2-2 CEPA Facilities across Canada Bird Conservation Regions – Gas Pipelines ......................................................................................................................... 2-4 Figure 2-3 Migratory Bird-Pipeline Risk Matrix ........................................................................ 2-34 Draft for Discussion iii Canadian Energy Pipeline Association Section 1: Pipelines and Migratory Birds in Canada September 2013 1 PIPELINES AND MIGRATORY BIRDS IN CANADA 1.1 Introduction Stantec Consulting Ltd. (Stantec) was retained by the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA) to develop best management practices (BMPs) to manage potential interactions of the construction and operation of oil and gas transmission pipeline facilities with migratory birds and to support compliance with the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 (MBCA) (Government of Canada 1994a). Although the focus of this document is migratory birds, many of the practices may be beneficial to all birds. CEPA has been actively involved in developing a risk management framework with Environment Canada