Pipeline Environmental Impact Assessment

Project Summary

X-Terra Environmental Services Ltd. has assisted with the planning and conducted the environmental assessment for a Mid-stream Product Pipeline, and to complete the reporting for a Technical Proposal and Environmental Impact Statement.

The project involved describing the biophysical components of the area and identifying any potential impacts on Valued Ecosystem Components (VECs) including groundwater, soils, wetlands and hydrology, vegetation, wildlife, species at risk, heritage resources, air quality and noise levels.  It also involved developing plans for mitigation to avoid potential short and long-term impacts to VECs.

Our Role

X-Terra conducted initial site and environmental assessments in the summer of 2016, including biological surveys such as amphibian, breeding bird, species specific, and rare plant surveys, and physical assessments such as wetlands and soils. In addition, habitat assessments were completed along portions of the right-of-way (ROW) to assist with project re-routing. In 2017 winter track surveys were completed at major watercourse crossings, in addition to a complete biophysical re-assessment along the project ROW.

X-Terra compiled the findings of the environmental assessments and project details to submit the Technical Proposal in 2017. In 2018 X-Terra assisted with responses for supplementary information requests, and completed the reporting for the Environmental Impact Statement, following the determination that the project required an Environmental Impact Assessment.

Services Provided 

·      Amphibian surveys

·      Sharp-tailed Grouse surveys

·      Raptor habitat and nest surveys

·      Common Nighthawk surveys

·      Short-eared Owl surveys

·      Yellow Rail surveys

·      Breeding bird point count surveys

·      Wetland assessments

·      Rare plant surveys (terrestrial and aquatic)

·      Vegetation inventories

·      Soil assessments

·      Winter track surveys

·      GIS and mapping services

·      Data analysis and interpretation

·      Impact analysis and mitigation planning

·      Project re-routing planning

·      Technical Proposal reporting

·      Supplementary Information

·      Request reporting

·      Environmental Impact Statement