Submitted by: Submitted to: AECOM Canada Ltd. OERA 1701 Hollis Street, SH400 Offshore Energy Environmental Research Association PO Box 576 CRO 5151 George Street, Suite 602 Halifax, NS B3J 3M8 Halifax, NS B3J 1M5 www.aecom.com Tidal Energy: Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Update for the Bay of Fundy Environment Offshore Energy Research Association of Nova Scotia Tidal Energy: Strategic Environmental Assessment Update for the Bay of Fundy Submitted by: AECOM 1701 Hollis Street 902 428 2021 tel SH400 (PO Box 576 CRO) 902 428 2031 fax Halifax, NS, Canada B3J 3M8 www.aecom.com Date: January, 2014 AECOM 1701 Hollis Street 902 428 2021 tel SH400 (PO Box 576 CRO) 902 428 2031 fax Halifax, NS, Canada B3J 3M8 www.aecom.com January 21, 2014 Jennifer Pinks, M.Sc. Research Manager Offshore Energy Research Association of Nova Scotia (OERA) 5151 George Street, Suite 602 Halifax, NS B3J 1M5 Dear Ms. Pinks, Project No: 60290436 Regarding: FINAL REPORT Tidal Energy: Strategic Environmental Assessment Update for the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia AECOM Canada Ltd. and the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute are pleased to submit the enclosed final version of the report entitled Tidal Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment Update for the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. This report incorporates comments to earlier drafts made by members of the Stakeholder Roundtable and OERA’s Technical Review Committee. It summarizes the Province’s renewable energy goals and objectives and presents background information regarding the tidal energy industry in the Bay of Fundy. Our project team has focused on changes to the industry since 2008 and research/monitoring work undertaken over the past five years. We have also summarized the issues and concerns raised at public forums and outlined approaches to address these issues. We greatly enjoyed working with OERA on this important project. The renewable electricity generated by tidal energy projects will benefit all Nova Scotians for many years to come. Thank you again for inviting us to contribute to this innovative and technically challenging industry. Sincerely, AECOM Canada Ltd. Russell Dmytriw, P.Geo. Senior Project Manager, Environment [email protected] Cover Letter AECOM Offshore Energy Research Association of Tidal Energy: Strategic Environmental Assessment Nova Scotia Update for the Bay of Fundy Executive Summary In 2007 the Nova Scotia Department of Energy commissioned the Offshore Energy Research Association of Nova Scotia (OERA) to complete a Phase I Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to guide the development of tidal energy in the Bay of Fundy. Since that time, the tidal energy industry has evolved in Nova Scotia; consequently OERA commissioned this Phase II SEA Update to accomplish two primary objectives: 1. Describe the contemporary state of the tidal energy industry both regionally and globally; and, 2. Present the current scientific and community knowledge base on this subject in the Bay of Fundy. Many of the 29 recommendations in the 2008 SEA have been fully implemented or are currently being addressed; only three recommendations remain outstanding. Considerable environmental and biophysical research, targeting priorities identified in 2008 and since that time, has been completed or is currently underway. Modifications to environmental and electricity regulations have been made to further encourage the development of a made-in-Nova Scotia tidal energy industry. Since 2008, two fundamental changes have occurred in the tidal energy industry that will affect projects developed in Nova Scotia. First, proponents of the most advanced technologies are now seeking sites that can host arrays of turbines for commercial purposes, rather than individual sites for demonstration of their technologies. Second, the industry has evolved large devices to serve utility-scale transmission projects, as well as smaller units suited to community-scale distribution projects. The provincial Department of Energy has supported this development through the introduction of the Developmental FIT and COMFIT programs, which offer power producers fixed prices for the electricity produced. These different project types and supporting regulatory incentives offer a number of opportunities for the Nova Scotia marine industry and the skilled services and technologies that support this industry. Tidal energy is expected to help lessen the Province’s dependency on imported fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions. Current provincial legislation requires 25% of the electricity consumed in Nova Scotia to be generated from renewable sources by 2015. By 2020, this target rises to 40%. Both of these targets appear achievable under the renewable energy planning and development scenarios currently in place. The economic benefits that can be realized by participating in the emerging tidal industry combined with the increased energy security that it can bring to the Province, account for the Province’s continuing commitment to tidal energy. Since 2008, monitoring and site investigations near the FORCE site in Minas Passage and elsewhere in Minas Channel have provided a much more complete understanding of critical subject areas that were not well known in 2008. These advances include: Energy Resource Assessment: Numerical modeling of tidal flows in Minas Passage has been carried out by several research groups. Their models investigate the effects of increasing the number of tidal turbines in Minas Passage. Results indicate that the total energy in the Passage exceeds 7 GW, of which about 1.4 GW is potentially extractable with only a small impact upon tidal range at the head of the Bay of Fundy. Sediments and Substrate: Researchers have used several approaches to model potential changes in sediment movement and deposition that may result from extracting energy from the water column. Submerged Ice: The risk that sediment-laden submerged ice may collide with tidal energy devices has been evaluated in several studies. By examining sediment-laden ice characteristics and its formation along the shoreline of Minas Basin, it appears that ice blocks would not be dense enough to be a hazard to turbines. Executive Summary AECOM Offshore Energy Research Association of Tidal Energy: Strategic Environmental Assessment Nova Scotia Update for the Bay of Fundy Ambient Noise: Three studies have been completed to measure ambient noise levels at the FORCE site. The results indicate that the noise from an operating turbine should be distinguishable from the ambient noise using a pair of hydrophones installed on a modified high flow mooring. The technology is rapidly advancing and it seems promising that it will soon be possible to monitor ambient noise better and to distinguish certain mammal vocalizations from the background noise. Marine Mammal Monitoring: A collaborative project between Acadia University and the Sea Mammal Research Unit Ltd. employed two types of passive acoustic monitoring sensors in Minas Passage to monitor the presence of harbour porpoise and white-sided dolphins. Results confirmed the near year-round presence of porpoises, with peak activities appearing to be associated with the migration of herring and other fish. Future deployments of hydrophones and active acoustic instruments could provide sufficient insight into turbine-mammal interactions to enable an effective assessment of the risk posed to marine mammals. Fish Tracking: A comprehensive fish tagging study (an Acadia led project in collaboration with the Ocean Tracking Network and Fisheries and Oceans Canada) was undertaken to understand where within the water column selected species swim as they transit Minas Passage. The study tagged striped bass, American eel, Atlantic salmon and Atlantic sturgeon to monitor their temporal and spatial trends within Minas Passage, their movement direction and swimming depth. Results indicate that individual striped bass may undertake multiple crossings over short periods of time and may swim at depths and locations in the Passage that coincide with probable depths and locations of TISEC devices. Sturgeon were found to occupy much of the water column, rather than merely the near-bottom region as previously thought. Monitoring Technologies: In order to address the need for continuous and reliable environmental monitoring in high current environments, FORCE is leading a consortium of interests to develop a durable sea bottom sensor platform that could be deployed for long periods of time. Entitled the Fundy Applied Sensor Technology (FAST) Project, the objective is to develop a recoverable cabled platform to which a variety of sensors could be attached. Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge Studies: Two Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge Studies, together covering the entire Bay of Fundy, have been completed to assess the potential impacts to the Mi’kmaw people by examining their land and resource use practices and traditional knowledge base. Southwest Nova Tidal Resource Characterization: A tidal resource assessment was conducted as a collaborative effort between Dalhousie University, Acadia University, Nova Scotia Community College and Fundy Tidal Inc. to identify sites in the area that may be suitable for tidal energy generation. There are three sites in the Digby area with sufficient tidal resources to support small scale commercial arrays. Preliminary results also suggest that other areas of coastal southwest Nova Scotia may also host tidal currents of sufficient velocity for tidal power development. Despite these advances,