Port Alberni Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) Cycle Five Interpretive Report March 2010 Prepared for: Catalyst Paper Corporation Port Alberni, British Columbia Suite 200 – 850 Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V7P 0A3 • Tel: 1.604.926.3261 • Fax: 1.604.926.5389 • www.hatfi eldgroup.com PORT ALBERNI ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS MONITORING (EEM) CYCLE FIVE INTERPRETIVE REPORT Prepared for: CATALYST PAPER CORPORATION PORT ALBERNI DIVISION 4000 STAMP AVENUE PORT ALBERNI, BC V9Y 5J7 Prepared by: HATFIELD CONSULTANTS SUITE 200 – 850 HARBOURSIDE DRIVE NORTH VANCOUVER, BC V7P 0A3 MARCH 2010 PA1330 Suite 200 – 850 Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver, BC, Canada V7P 0A3 • Tel: 1.604.926.3261 Fax: 1.604.926.5389 • www.hatfieldgroup.com TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................ iv LIST OF APPENDICES ................................................................................ vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................ vii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................... ix 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1-1 2.0 MILL, STUDY AREA, AND CYCLE FIVE DESIGN UPDATE .......... 2-1 2.1 MILL OPERATIONS .............................................................................................. 2-1 2.1.1 Process Description and Update ..................................................................... 2-1 2.1.2 Effluent Quality ................................................................................................ 2-4 2.1.3 Spills to the Receiving Environment ................................................................ 2-5 2.1.4 Study Area Updates ......................................................................................... 2-6 2.2 CYCLE FIVE STUDY DESIGN UPDATE .............................................................. 2-6 3.0 SUBLETHAL TOXICITY TESTING OF MILL EFFLUENT ............... 3-1 3.1 METHODS ............................................................................................................. 3-2 3.1.1 General Methods and Definitions .................................................................... 3-2 3.1.2 Sublethal Toxicity Test Methods ....................................................................... 3-2 3.1.3 Zones of Effluent Concentration ...................................................................... 3-3 3.2 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .............................................................................. 3-4 3.2.1 Topsmelt (Atherinops affinis) Growth and Survival Tests ................................. 3-4 3.2.2 Echinoderm Fertilization Test ........................................................................... 3-4 3.2.3 Algal (Champia parvula) Reproduction Test .................................................... 3-6 3.2.4 Potential Zone of Sublethal Effect ................................................................... 3-6 3.3 CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................... 3-9 4.0 MAGNITUDE AND EXTENT STUDY ............................................... 4-1 4.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 METHODS ............................................................................................................. 4-2 4.2.1 Modifications to Sampling Design ................................................................... 4-2 4.2.2 Grid Design ...................................................................................................... 4-2 4.2.3 Sampling Locations and Collection Dates ....................................................... 4-3 4.2.4 Field Sampling Procedures ............................................................................. 4-3 4.2.5 Analytical Approach ....................................................................................... 4-10 4.3 RESULTS ............................................................................................................ 4-15 4.3.1 GIS Analyses ................................................................................................. 4-15 4.3.2 Statistical Analyses ........................................................................................ 4-28 4.3.3 BCCF Data Logger Study .............................................................................. 4-35 4.3.4 Temporal Trends ............................................................................................ 4-40 4.3.5 QA/QC ........................................................................................................... 4-43 4.4 DISCUSSION ...................................................................................................... 4-43 4.4.1 Effects ............................................................................................................ 4-43 4.4.2 Magnitude and Extent of Effects .................................................................... 4-44 Port Alberni EEM Cycle Five i Hatfield 4.4.3 Temporal Changes: Then and Now ............................................................... 4-45 4.4.4 Influence of Sediment Quality on Overlying Water Quality ............................ 4-45 4.4.5 Potential Influence of Water Quality on Migrating Salmon ............................ 4-47 5.0 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................ 5-1 6.0 REFERENCES .................................................................................. 6-1 7.0 GLOSSARY ...................................................................................... 7-1 A1.0 CLOSURE ......................................................................................... 7-1 Port Alberni EEM Cycle Five ii Hatfield LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1 Annual results for process effluent quality variables, Catalyst Paper, Port Alberni Division, 2007 to 2009. ............................................... 2-3 Table 3.1 Potential Zone of Sublethal Effect, Catalyst Paper Ltd., Port Alberni Division, EEM Cycle One through Cycle Five. .............................. 3-8 Table 4.1 Sediment and water quality sampling locations and collections, Port Alberni EEM Cycle Five, August 2009. .............................................. 4-4 Table 4.2 Data sonde recording duration at each sampling station in the vicinity of Catalyst Paper, Port Alberni Division (2009). ............................. 4-8 Table 4.3 Areas of impact near the mill according to individual sediment and water quality variables, Port Alberni EEM Cycle Five, August 2009. ........................................................................................................ 4-16 Table 4.4 Results of Spearman rank correlations (rs) among all sediment and near-bottom water quality variables at all stations (n = 47), Port Alberni EEM Cycle Five, August 2009. ............................................ 4-30 Table 4.5 Results of Spearman rank correlations (rs) among sediment and near-bottom water quality variables at stations within 1 km of the outfall (n = 28), Port Alberni EEM Cycle Five, August 2009. ................... 4-30 Table 4.6 Results of Spearman rank correlations (rs) among water quality variables throughout the water column (n = 595), Port Alberni EEM Cycle Five, August 2009. ................................................................ 4-33 Table 4.7 Results of regression analyses (n=47) between near-bottom water quality, sediment quality, and exposure gradient (both distance from the outfall and C:N ratio), Port Alberni EEM Cycle Five, August 2009. ............................................................................................ 4-34 Table 4.8 Historical zones of sediment impact in Alberni Harbour (Hodgins 1989). ....................................................................................................... 4-43 Port Alberni EEM Cycle Five iii Hatfield LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 Location of Catalyst Paper, Port Alberni Division, on Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island, BC. ............................................................................... 2-2 Figure 2.2 Annual production and effluent flows from 1993 to 2009 Catalyst Paper Corporation, Port Alberni Division. .................................................. 2-4 Figure 2.3 Mean daily total suspended solids (TSS) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in effluent, Catalyst Paper Corporation, Port Alberni Division, 1970 to 2009. .................................................................. 2-6 Figure 3.1 Effect of exposure to Catalyst Paper Ltd., Port Alberni Division effluent on Topsmelt early life stage survival expressed as LC50 ±95% confidence limits, EEM Cycle Five. ................................................. 3-5 Figure 3.2 Effect of exposure to Catalyst Paper Ltd., Port Alberni Division effluent on Topsmelt early life stage growth expressed as IC25 ±95% confidence limits, EEM Cycle Five. ................................................. 3-5 Figure 3.3 Effect of exposure to Catalyst Paper Ltd., Port Alberni Division effluent on Echinoderm fertilization expressed as IC25 ±95% confidence limits, EEM Cycle Five. ............................................................ 3-6 Figure 3.4 Effect of exposure to Catalyst Paper Ltd., Port Alberni Division effluent on Champia reproduction