Released: October 19, 2015
Transmission Line Developments – Environmental Guidelines
Checklist for Applicants
The intent of this checklist is to assist applicants in assembling the environmental information as
applicable for a complete AUC Rule 007: Applications for Power Plants, Substations,
Transmission Lines, Industrial System Designations and Hydro Developments electric facility
application.
Each question is to be answered with: yes, no, not applicable (N/A), or explain accordingly:
Development of new transmission lines
General:
1)
Have you described the existing (i.e. pre-construction) environmental and land-use
conditions in the local study area?1
2)
Have you provided maps showing the most relevant environmental features, habitat,
ecological communities, sensitivities, units, zones, protected areas and designations
present in the local study area?
3)
Have you identified the major environmental-related acts (e.g. Alberta Water Act,
Alberta Wildlife Act, Species at Risk Act, Fisheries Act, Migratory Birds Convention Act,
Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, etc.) that are applicable to your project and
confirmed that you will meet the requirements of these acts?
4)
Does your project incorporate the guidelines contained in Alberta Environment and
Parks’ (AEP) Environmental Protection Guidelines for Transmission Lines (R&R/11-03)
document, and if not, have you described what aspects of the project do not incorporate
the guidelines?
5)
Have the locations and management plans for the expected new permanent access roads
and temporary workspace requirements been identified and included in the assessment
for the project?
1
The term local study area is defined on page 8 of the Government of Alberta’s Glossary of Environmental
Assessment Terms and Acronyms Used in Alberta Updated February 2010. It refers to the area within which the
project has potential direct or indirect environmental effects. The local study area will vary from project to
project depending on existing environmental conditions and which environmental components (e.g. wildlife,
vegetation, wetlands, soils, surface water, aquatic resources) are being affected by the project. In accordance
with Alberta Environment and Parks guidelines, the local study area is measured from the edge of all
disturbances associated with the project, including the proposed right-of-way, temporary and permanent access
roads, construction workspace and work camps.
Transmission Line Developments – Environmental Guidelines
Checklist for Applicants
Released: October 19, 2015
Page 2 of 4
6)
Have you compared the environmental effects associated with each of the alternative
routes applied for and the preferred route?
7)
Have you described how the environmental evaluation was conducted and the potential
effects (before mitigation) and residual effects (following mitigation) of the project on the
environment, including, as applicable, adverse effects to terrain and soils, surface water
bodies and hydrology, groundwater, wetlands, vegetation species and communities,
wildlife species and habitat, aquatic species and habitat, environmentally sensitive areas
and land use?
8)
Have you submitted a project-specific environmental protection plan or otherwise
itemized and described the mitigation measures and monitoring activities that you will
implement during construction and operation to minimize any adverse effects of the
project on the environment?
9)
Have you identified the government agencies or departments that you consulted with as
part of your project’s design and route selection phase, described any prescribed
guidelines and stated in the application how the guidelines will be followed?
10)
If you are decommissioning any existing transmission line segments as part of the
project, have you described plans to dismantle and remove, remediate, and reclaim them
in accordance with applicable government and industry standards and guidelines (e.g.
reclamation certificates are required for all specified land, including transmission lines, as
directed by the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act)?
Land use:
11)
If the proposed transmission line crosses any Crown lands, have you consulted with the
regional approvals program area of AEP regarding routing and the potential disturbance
by the project of land with protective notations on the land title and any other surface
activity dispositions, and described any specific mitigation measures that you will
incorporate into the project as a result of that consultation?
12)
Have you determined if the proposed development is compatible with any area
restrictions and ensured the project is not in an area where development of new
transmission facilities is prohibited under federal or provincial authority such as the
Wilderness Areas, Ecological Reserves and Natural Areas Act, Provincial Parks Act or
Willmore Wilderness Park Act?
13)
If the project crosses forestry lands or other resource development lands, have you
consulted with the forestry companies and other resource development companies
operating in the local study area and described any Integrated Land Management goals,
strategies, and practices that you have incorporated into the planning, construction and
operation phases of the project?
Transmission Line Developments – Environmental Guidelines
Checklist for Applicants
Released: October 19, 2015
Page 3 of 4
14)
If the project crosses agricultural land, have you developed procedures and consulted
with the landowners and appropriate local municipalities with respect to rules and
procedures on preventing the spread of weeds and pests2 on agricultural land?
15)
If the project is located on land where soils or vegetation have not been previously
disturbed, did you obtain Historical Resources Act approval from Alberta Culture and
Tourism for the project?
16)
If a historical resources impact assessment was required by Alberta Culture and Tourism,
have you submitted a brief description of the, historical, archaeological or paleontological
sites that are near or traversed by the proposed routes?
Wildlife, vegetation and aquatic species:
17)
If proposing development in potential wildlife habitat, have you described how the
alternative and preferred routes were sited to avoid or minimize adverse effects on
important wildlife habitat as identified on AEP’s Wildlife Sensitivity Maps3 and other
wildlife habitat information sources (e.g. Important Bird Areas)?
(a) Where the habitat of species at risk or sensitive species was identified in the above
sensitivity maps and other habitat sources, have you described how additional wildlife
field survey data and supplemental wildlife information were incorporated into the
project’s siting process? If species at risk or sensitive species habitat has been
identified and wildlife field surveys have not been completed, have you summarized
the consultation with AEP wildlife staff and described in the application any
additional monitoring or mitigation identified by AEP and how that will be followed?
18)
If proposing development in wildlife habitat, have you consulted with the local wildlife
biologists of AEP regarding the assessment and protection of wildlife (particularly for
species prescribed under the Wildlife Act or listed under Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk
Act) and native vegetation during project planning, construction and operation,
summarized your discussions with AEP, described any guidelines prescribed by AEP,
and stated in the application how the guidelines will be followed?
19)
If wildlife may be affected by the project, have you completed or planned
pre-construction wildlife desktop and field surveys by suitably qualified personnel in
accordance with AEP standards, guidelines4 and protocols (or some other commonly
recognized survey protocol if AEP protocols are non-existent for a wildlife species) with
a view to ensure that general routing decisions are informed respecting the presence of
high risk areas as well as species at risk or sensitive species;5 and specific facility
2
3
4
5
Pests are defined in the Alberta Agricultural Pests Act RSA 2000, Chapter A-8.
Wildlife Sensitivity Maps available for viewing September 2014 at: http://esrd.alberta.ca/forms-mapsservices/maps/wildlife-sensitivity-maps/default.aspx).
Sensitive Species Inventory Guidelines, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development.
Government of Alberta, April 2013 update.
Sensitive species is defined under the general status of Alberta wild species as “Any species that is not at risk of
extinction or extirpation but may require special attention or protection to prevent it from becoming at risk.
(http://esrd.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/species-at-risk/albertas-species-at-risk-strategy/general-status-of-albertawild-species-2010/general-status-background-categories.aspx).
Transmission Line Developments – Environmental Guidelines
Checklist for Applicants
Released: October 19, 2015
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placement decisions are informed by more detailed field assessments, and summarized
the results of these surveys?
20)
If targeted field surveys have not been conducted for species at risk or sensitive species,
have you provided a rationale for not completing them and confirmed that the rationale
for this decision was discussed with an AEP wildlife biologist?
21)
Have you described what monitoring you will conduct during operation of the
transmission line to assess the effectiveness of the bird mitigation measures and discussed
any steps you will take if monitoring indicates, in the opinion of the AEP wildlife staff
and consistent with AEP procedures, that unacceptable rates of bird mortality are
occurring during operation?
22)
Does your project incorporate provincial, or, where applicable, federal recommended
restricted activity dates (or restricted activity periods) and setback distances6 for
prescribed wildlife and their habitat?
23)
Have you outlined in the application if and how any loss of native vegetation
communities and grasslands will be avoided, minimized or mitigated?
24)
If vegetation will be disturbed by the project, have you completed or planned
pre-construction vegetation (including identification of rare plants and any appropriate
setbacks) surveys in accordance with AEP standards, guidelines, and protocols, with a
view to ensure outcomes where general routing decisions are informed by avoiding high
risk areas and rare plants and specific facility placement decisions are informed by more
detailed field assessments, and have you summarized the results of these surveys?
25)
For any vegetation, wildlife, or aquatic species prescribed under the Wildlife Act, listed
under Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act, or defined as a migratory bird under the
Migratory Birds Convention Act which occur within the local study area, have you
discussed, with AEP wildlife staff and in the application, any adverse effects of the
project on these species, and described any specific mitigation measures that you will
incorporate into the project to protect these species and their habitat?
Existing transmission line modification
Minor transmission line upgrades may not create adverse environmental effects with
implementation of best management practices during construction. If transmission line upgrades
are more substantive and may cause adverse environmental effects, the procedures for
development of new transmission lines described in AUC Rule 007 are to be utilized.
6
Alberta Environment and Parks publications describing restricted activity dates and setback distances currently
include, but are not limited to: Recommended Land-Use Guidelines: Key Wildlife and Biodiversity Zones,
Recommended Land Use Guidelines for Protection of Selected Wildlife Species and Habitat within Grassland
and Parkland Natural Regions of Alberta, Caribou Protection Plan Guidelines and Caribou Calving
Information, Advisory: Fall 2014 Restricted Activity Periods for Fish, any waterbody-specific restricted activity
periods provided by the Alberta Water Act Codes of Practice, and where protective notations regarding
important wildlife values have been placed on land title.