NORWEGIAN POLAR INSTITUTE/NORSK POLARINSTITUTT 2012 026 BRIEF REPORT SERIES/KORTRAPPORT BRIEF REPORT SERIES/KORTRAPPORT 026 NORSK POLARINSTITUTT 2012 Environmental impact assessment of Norwegian Polar Institute operations in Antarctica 2011-2020 Norwegian Polar Institute Brief Report Series/Kortrapport no. 26 Environmental impact assessment of Norwegian Polar Institute operations in Antarctica 2011-2020 Norwegian Polar Institute The Norwegian Polar Institute is Norway’s main institution for research, monitoring and topographic mapping in Norwegian polar regions. The Institute also advises Norwegian authorities on matters concerning polar environmental management. Norsk Polarinstitutt er Norges sentralinstitusjon for kartlegging, miljøovervåking og forvaltnings- rettet forskning i Arktis og Antarktis. Instituttet er faglig og strategisk rådgiver i miljøvernsaker i disse områdene og har forvaltningsmyndighet i norsk del av Antarktis. Address: Norwegian Polar Institute Fram Centre NO-9296 Tromsø ©Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, NORWAY www.npolar.no, [email protected] Cover photo: Troll Station Photo: Stein Ø. Nilsen/Norwegian Polar Institute Printed: Nov 2012 ISBN: 13 978-82-7666-294-8 ISSN 1504-3215 Contents PREFACE ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 1.0 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 History of Norwegian research activity in Antarctica ......................................................................... 9 1.1.1 The beginning ............................................................................................................................... 9 1.1.2 The Norwegian Antarctic Research Expeditions (NARE) ............................................................ 10 1.1.3 Establishment of Troll station .................................................................................................... 10 1.2 Current NPI operations in Antarctica ................................................................................................ 12 1.2.3 The Norwegian Polar Institute’s formal role .............................................................................. 12 1.2.2 The Norwegian Polar Institute’s operations in Antarctica ......................................................... 12 1.2.2 Funding Norwegian research operations in Antarctica ............................................................. 12 1.2.3 Geographic area ......................................................................................................................... 12 1.3 Past assessments .............................................................................................................................. 13 1.4 Purpose of the assessment: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF NORWEGIAN POLAR INSTITUTE’S OPERATIONS IN ANTARCTICA ............................................................................................. 13 2.0 CONSIDERING THE ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................................................... 14 3.0. TROLL RESEARCH STATION .................................................................................................................. 14 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 14 3.2. Land use and footprint ..................................................................................................................... 17 3.2.1 Description ................................................................................................................................. 17 3.2.2 Alternatives .................................................................................................................................... 20 3.2.3 Impacts ........................................................................................................................................... 21 3.3 Use of vehicles .................................................................................................................................. 23 3.3.1 Description ................................................................................................................................. 23 3. 3.2 Alternatives ............................................................................................................................... 24 3. 3.3 Impacts ...................................................................................................................................... 25 3.4 Waste ................................................................................................................................................ 25 3.4.1 Description ..................................................................................................................................... 25 3.4.2 Alternatives ................................................................................................................................ 29 3.4.3 Impacts ....................................................................................................................................... 30 3.5 Management of fuel and hazardous substances .............................................................................. 31 3.5.1 Description ..................................................................................................................................... 31 5 3.5.2 Alternatives ................................................................................................................................ 33 3.5.3 Impacts ....................................................................................................................................... 34 3.6 Power supply ..................................................................................................................................... 35 3.6.1 Description ................................................................................................................................. 35 3.6.2 Alternatives ................................................................................................................................ 36 3.6.3 Impacts ....................................................................................................................................... 37 3.7 Water supply ..................................................................................................................................... 38 3.7.2 Alternatives ................................................................................................................................ 38 3.8 Recreational activities ....................................................................................................................... 38 3.8.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 38 4.0 TOR FIELD STATION ............................................................................................................................... 39 4.1. Land use and footprint ................................................................................................................. 40 4.1.1 Description ................................................................................................................................. 40 4.1.2 Alternatives ................................................................................................................................ 40 4.2 Waste at Tor field station.............................................................................................................. 41 4.2.2. Alternatives ............................................................................................................................... 42 4.3 Fuel and hazardous substances at Tor station .............................................................................. 43 4.4 Water use ...................................................................................................................................... 43 4.5 Energy use and electrical power ................................................................................................... 43 4.6 Impacts .......................................................................................................................................... 44 5.0 FIELD CAMPS ......................................................................................................................................... 46 5.1. Land use and footprint ..................................................................................................................... 47 5.2 Waste from field camps .................................................................................................................... 48 5.3 Fuel in field camps ............................................................................................................................ 48 5.4 Water use .......................................................................................................................................... 49 5.5 Energy use and electrical power ....................................................................................................... 49