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APA
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Biological & Biomedical Sciences
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Lab Report
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English (U.S.)
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Topic:

Environmental Impact of Hydroelectric Dam

Lab Report Instructions:

Lab Assignment 5
Background information on environmental assesment.
In Saskatchewan, the EA process is governed by the Environmental Assessment Act also known as the EA Act (Government of Saskatchewan 1980). Under the EA Act, the person or organization that is proposing a construction project (the proponent) determines if their proposed project is considered a “development” under the EA Act.
If it is a “development”, the proponent has to conduct an EA, and present the results in an Environmental Impact Statement (a report) to the Minister of the Environment (the Minister). The Ministry of Environment (the Ministry) has the responsibility to protect the environment and communities, while balancing economic growth and quality of life for residents of Saskatchewan (Government of Saskatchewan 2019b). The Minister will grant approval if they deem that the project can go forward.
What are the initial steps in EA?
The process starts by determining if a proposed project is considered a development. In this context, a development is any project, operation or activity or any alteration or expansion of any project, operation or activity which is likely to:
Negatively affect any “rare, unique or endangered” environmental feature,
Use some provincial resource in a way that depletes it or impedes other uses of it,
Emit pollutants or create some waste emission or product not regulated by other legislation,
Have potential for environmental effects causes widespread public concern,
Involves a new technology related to resource use which may cause significant environmental change, or
Either the project itself or some required further development will have a significant impact on the environment (Government of Saskatchewan 2014).
Projects that require EA
Project proponents can complete a self-assessment, found in the Technical Proposal guidelines (Government of Saskatchewan 2014), and they can consult with the Ministry. The proponent prepares a Technical Proposal that describes their construction project, including: location (Saskatchewan , Regina ) type of project, activities that will occur during project construction and operation, potential impacts to the surrounding biological, physical and human environment, and proposed measures to protect the environment (mitigation measures). This information will all help the proponent and the Ministry determine if the construction project can be considered a development requiring an EA.
Previous projects that have been deemed developments in Saskatchewan, and required EA, include (Government of Saskatchewan 2019a, 2019c):
Mining facility projects:
Seabee Gold Mine Tailings Management Facility Expansion,
CanPacific Potash Inc - Project Albany,
Cameco - Change to Production Rate at McArthur River Uranium Mining Development,
Renewable energy projects:
Blue Hill Wind Energy Project,
Conventional energy projects:
Husky North Leg Pipeline Project,
SaskPower Shand Power Station Amendment to Lifac Operation,
Harvesting projects:
Berger Peat Moss Ltd - Big River Peat Project,
Mistik Forest Management Plan, and
Industrial projects:
Millar Western Pulp - Meadow Lake Mechanical Pulp Production Increase,
Water diversion projects:
SaskPower - Boundary Dam Wastewater Pond Expansion
Other types of projects, like large transportation projects or waste management projects may also require EA.
However, some projects that fall into the same categories as above did not require EA:
Renewable energy projects:
Capstone Infrastructure - Riverhurst Wind Farm
Perimeter Solar Inc. - Maple Creek Solar Project II,
Conventional energy projects:
SaskPower - Moose Jaw Power Station,
Broadview Energy - Reford SAGD Project,
SaskPower - Condie to Belle Plaine (transmission line)
TransGas Limited - Saskatoon South Bypass Pipeline, and
Industrial projects:
Weil Helium Processing Ltd - Helium Gas Processing Project.
Question: Since similar types of projects (e.g. wind farms or pipelines) sometimes require EA while others do not, how would you determine if a proposed construction project requires an EA?
What does an EA team need to collect in the field?
Field studies generally involve following field protocols to observe and inventory all components of the physical and biological environment. This is often divided into various surveys carried out by experts.
Typical surveys for the physical environment include:
Soil surveys (determine soil types and quantities)
Geological surveys (determine underlying geological formations)
Archaeological surveys
Hydrological surveys (list and describe streams, lakes, ponds and rivers)
Typical surveys for the biological environment include:
Terrestrial surveys
Vegetation (plants and fungi)
Wildlife (insects, invertebrate and vertebrate animals)
Refrence cited should be from here.
References cited
Government of Canada.2019. Basics of Environmental Assessment. Available from https://www(dot)canada(dot)ca/en/impact-assessment-agency/services/environmental-assessments/basics-environmental-assessment.html#gen01
Government of Saskatchewan.1980. The Environmental Assessment Act.http://www(dot)publications(dot)gov(dot)sk(dot)ca/freelaw/documents/English/Statutes/Statutes/E10-1.pdf,Canada.
Government ofSaskatchewan. 2014. Technical Proposal Guidelines. Available from http://www(dot)environment(dot)gov(dot)sk(dot)ca/EATechnicalProposalGuidelines.
Government ofSaskatchewan. 2019a. Environmental Assessment Process. Available from https://www(dot)saskatchewan(dot)ca/business/environmental-protection-and-sustainability/environmental-assessment/environmental-assessment-process
Government ofSaskatchewan. 2019b. Ministry of Environment Home Page. Available from https://www(dot)saskatchewan(dot)ca/government/government-structure/ministries/environment
Government of Saskatchewan. 2019c. MinisterialDecisions - EIA Required. Available from https://publications(dot)saskatchewan(dot)ca/#/categories/75
NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. 2018. 2021 NGTL System Expansion Project Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment. Available online at https://apps(dot)cer-rec(dot)gc(dot)ca/REGDOCS/Item/View/3577322
Fractracker Alliance. 2019. Pipeline Construction: Step by Step Guide. Available online at https://www(dot)fractracker(dot)org/resources/oil-and-gas-101/pipeline-construction/
Fitlike, Ken. 2007. Gas Pipeline valve station at Auchmaliddie. Wikimedia Commons. Available online at https://upload(dot)wikimedia(dot)org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Gas_Pipeline_valve_station_at_Auchmaliddie_-_geograph.org.uk_-_473696.jpg
Buckingham, Jeremy. 2019. Photo of gas compressor station. Midstream Oil and Gas: How A Gas Compressor Station Works, Kimray Inc. Available online at https://blog(dot)kimray(dot)com/midstream-oil-and-gas-how-gas-compressor-station-works/
Google Earth Pro v7.3.2.5776. (June 29, 2013). District of Sparwood. 49.762045N, 114.862383W, eye alt 913m. CNES/Airbus 2020.
Google Earth Pro v7.3.2.5776. (October 2, 2019). 55.546162N, 111.024405W, eye alt 799m. CNES/Airbus 2020.
Williams. 2020. How Williams Builds Pipelines. Available online at https://admin-account-fcn9(dot)squarespace(dot)com/s/how_williams_builds_pipelines.pdf
Riversdale Resources, 2016. Technical Application and Environmental Impact Assessment for the Grassy Mountain Coal Project.
AHP Development Corporation, 2015. Project Description: Amisk Hydroelectric Project Executive Summary. Available online at https://open(dot)alberta(dot)ca/publications/environmental-assessment-ahp-development-corporation-amisk-hydroelectric-project
Donev, J., G. Dhara, J. Hanania, and K. Stenhouse, 2018. Energy Education - Electrical substation. Available online at https://energyeducation(dot)ca/encyclopedia/Electrical_substation
Hatch Ltd. 2017. Oxec II hydroelectric project in news article:
“Hatch Honored with 2017 Ontario Consulting Engineering Award”. Available online at: https://www(dot)hatch(dot)com/en/About-Us/News-And-Media/2017/04/Hatch-Honored-with-2017-Ontario-Consulting-Engineering-Award
Mining.com. No Date. https://www(dot)mining(dot)com/british-columbia-first-nation-take-a-c124m-stake-in-energy-projects/
Wakefield, J., 2016. “Company upgrades proposal for fourth dam on Peace River.” Dawson Creek Mirror. Available online at https://www(dot)dawsoncreekmirror(dot)ca/regional-news/alberta-peace/company-upgrades-proposal-for-fourth-dam-on-peace-river-1.2368000
U.S. Society on Dams, 2015. Guidelines for Dam Decommissioning Projects. Available online at https://www(dot)ussdams(dot)org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/15Decommissioning.pdf

Lab Report Sample Content Preview:

Environmental Impact - Landfills
Your Name
Subject and Section
Professor’s Name
April 12, 2022
Understanding the environmental impact of large-scale infrastructure projects is essential for their viability. It allows engineers and policy-makers alike to focus on reducing its harmful effects on the flora and the fauna and its risks to the general population. In line with this, the following sections of this report will focus on the various environmental risks associated with the dam project.
Environmental Impact
The proposed hydroelectric dam would have various environmental effects before, during, and even after construction.
Acute and Direct Effect on Surrounding Ecosystem
First, construction of the structure would require wide-access roads, facilities, and processing plants, to be set up near the construction area. Since this is a run-of-river dam, the river would initially have to be diverted to prepare the construction site. During this phase, the construction and preparation of the site would inevitably damage the surrounding flora and fauna, which might take a long time to recover (Figure 1). In one study conducted by Shafroth et al. (2002), the authors noted that riparian vegetation in two-dam construction sites took more than forty (40) years to recover their original biodiversity and soil viability. Additionally, even though several sites were only three to five (3 to 5 years), biodiversity in most of these sites is acutely lower compared to before.
Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1 - Site Preparation for Dam Construction | Image taken from International Rivers
Long-term Direct Chemical Impact on Environment
Accordingly, various chemicals such as organic hydrocarbons, organo-metals, and alkylphenols would have to be used to prepare and stage the construction site CITATION Con21 \l 1033 (ConstroFacilitator.com, 2021). These harmful chemicals are seeping into the surrounding environment, primarily when not handled correctly. Thus, the wide-scale demolition, road-and facilities construction, and underground operations for preparing the headpond would result in direct environmental damage to the ecosystem surrounding it.
On the one hand, chemicals used have the ...
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