Ben Olson
Ashley Rother
Sam Stone
Lauren
Taniguchi
Erica Werhun
Project Overview
 Bipole III Transmission Reliability Project
 A new transmission line by Manitoba Hydro designed
to improve system reliability
 1364km transmission line from Keewatinoow
conversion station to Riel Conversion Station
 Approximately 100m wide at all times
 Positioned on the west side of Lake Winnipeg

Undeveloped land, Boreal Forest, etc.
 Construction from August 2013-2017
Project Overview
 Bipole III Transmission Reliability Project is designed
to:
 Transport electricity from the Keewatinoow Converter
Station to the Riel Converter Station
 Converter station converts alternating current to high
voltage direct current (HVDC)


Direct current is more efficient over long distances
Less energy lost
 Transmission line sends DC to Riel to be converted
back to AC

distributed to Manitobans
Project Phases
Planning Phase
and Negotiations
Camp Set Up
Clearing and Site
Assessment
Construction
Clean up and
Decommissioning
Maintenance
Background Information
 Describing the environmental baseline for Bipole III
transmission corridor
 Describes the environmental quality, as well as the
environmental effects of the alternatives being
assessed.
 Provide insight so environmental effects can be
identified, described, measured and evaluated.
 Identifies environmentally significant features,
geographic areas, and valued ecosystem
components (VEC’s)
Protected Areas
 Protected areas need to be identified in order to define
an appropriate route to avoid said areas.
 The Bipole III transmission line pathway will go around
any areas protected by legislation such as:
 Riding Mountain National Park and Duck Mountain
Provincial Park.
 Woodland caribou habitat is protected under the Species at
Risk Act (SARA)
 Protected areas of endangered amphibians and reptiles
such as the plains spadefoot, the red sided garder snake
 Protected habitats for birds such as the piping plover and
the burrowing owl

protected under COSEWIC and SARA
Sensitive Areas
 The Bipole III transmission line pathway will
encounter some areas classified as sensitive such as
 permafrost landscapes
 agricultural lands
 wetland habitats
 woodland caribou and moose home ranges
 Forested landscapes that are managed by the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC), Programme for the
Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), and the
Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI)
Critical Areas
 The Bipole III transmission line project may intersect
areas that are critical to the life history of a species
such as woodland caribou and moose habitat that
are identified by the Environmental Act License.
 The intersection of PTH #6 and PTH #39 near Ponton,
south of the Pas in the vicinity of PTH60.
 The Bipole III transmission line corridor lies within
100m of the Lake Winnipegosis Salt Flats which is
2km away from the Ecological Reserve east of PTH
#10.
Land and Resource Use








The Bipole III Transmission line corridor covers a long
stretch of land and therefore is in the area and region of
land and resource uses such as:
Agricultural Land
Private property
Wildlife management areas
Provincial and National Parks (close proximity)
First Nations territory (reserved lands, traditional land
entitlement)
Traditional resource management areas
Crowned lands
Waterways used for transportation
Valued Ecosystem Components
 It is necessary for the Bipole III Transmission line project
to select environmental indicators with measurable
parameters. The valued ecosystem components that will
be addressed will include:
 Aquatic Ecosystems
 Surface water (streams, rivers, lakes)
 Wetlands
 Fish and fish habitat
 Ground water
 Soil Quality
 Compaction
 Permafrost conditions
Valued Ecosystem Components
 Terrestrial Ecosystems
 Wildlife habitats and management areas



Woodland caribou
Moose
Piping plover
 Riparian Zones
 Unique landscape features
 Boreal forest
 Community Lifestyle and Culture
Environmental Components and
Attributes
 This section will identify the major components of
the environment as well as the attributes and how
they may be affected by the Bipole III Transmission
line project.
Geography
Boreal
Forest
Vegetation
Birds & Bird
Habitat
Ground
Water
Geography
 Terrain can be degraded
through project activities.
 De-forestation and the
disruption of agricultural lands
 degradation in meters
squared.
 Bedrock
 excavation and blasting
causing erosion of landscapes
and fragmentation of species.
 Levels of exposure through
meters squared.
www.professionaltreefelling.co.za www.winnipegfreepress.com
Boreal Forest
 Fragmentation
 Patchiness
 Corridors
 Habitat degradation or alteration.
 This can lead to extirpation of
valued wildlife such as woodland
caribou or perhaps even further
endangerment to the species.
uniter.ca
Soil
 Soil conditions can be affected
by compaction from project
equipment, infrastructure,
buildings, and structures.
 Overland flooding
 Reduce rooting capabilities
 Measure soil porosity
 Contamination by hazardous
materials.
 Measure pH levels
 A portion of the project will also
encounter landscapes that
contain permafrost.
 Removal of the active layer of
soil exposing the permafrost.
www.rrsd.mb.ca
extension.udel.edu a-c-s.confex.com
Birds and Bird Habitat
 Wetland habitat can be altered by
drainage of lands for project
development.
 This causes loss of waterfowl habitat
and the function of the landscape.
 Indicated by reduction of biodiversity
through counts and surveys.
 Piping plover is an endangered
species.
 Loss of habitat may lead to
extirpation
 Measured by species abundance
through population counts.
pubs.usgs.gov
wasagalife.com
Vegetation
 Prairie grasses
 affected by land clearing
 reduces the amount of native prairie grasses
 can encourage the growth of invasive species.
 Indicated through biodiversity changes by plot
surveys.
 Riparian zones
 Clearing of vegetation causing unstable bank slopes
 Increases sedimentation levels in water bodies.
Measured through light penetration levels to water
body floors.
Ground Water
 Impacted by contamination from
erosion causing sedimentation as well
as any potential risks of hazardous
material leaks.
 PH levels can be used to measure water
toxicity
 Light penetration levels to determine
the amount of sedimentation.
 Potential risk that aquifer charge/re-
charge can be altered through soil
compaction
 Reduces the amount of surface water
that can percolate to the aquifer.
 Measured through the mass balance
approach by measuring inputs and
outputs.
water.usgs.gov
Project Information Components
and Activities
 The Bipole III Transmission line project will be broken
down in to specific components to enable the
identification of how specific activities can affect the
local and regional environment.
Transportation of
Construction
Materials
Clearing
Transmission line
Corridor
Tower and Line
Construction
Camp Set Up
Decommissioning
Transportation of Construction
Materials
 Infrastructure construction such as roads
 Clearing and leveling of landscapes followed by road and
pathway construction.
 Use of heavy equipment
 Transportation of major parts for the erection of the
transmission lines.
 Transportation of dangerous goods
 chemicals, herbicides, fuels and oil
www.borealbirds.org
Clearing Transmission Line Corridor
 Topographical maps and
orthophotos of suitable scales,
descriptions and drawings
showing the locations of the
proposed routing for the
corridor.
 Bulldozing through trees and
vegetation, leveling which may
include blasting bedrock will be
done in the corridor path.
 Herbicide use
 Removal of cleared vegetation
corridor.anl.govcommonsensecanadian.ca
Camp Setup
 Cleared area for the placement





of trailers (living quarters) and
materials.
Trailers and materials are
transported in and established.
Trailers are leveled
Kitchens are installed and
stocked
Sewage tanks are installed in the
ground,
Power generators are installed
www.discoverymining.ca
Construction of Bipole III
Transmission Towers
 Erection of the transmission towers along the cleared 1,364km
corridor.
 Heavy equipment use (contracted)
 Electrical crews and lines-men install the power lines and
electrical components.
 Heavy equipment use
 Fuel and oil tanks located near the active project site for the
heavy equipment.
 Tool trailers at the active sites
 easy access to the tools and materials they need to complete
their tasks.
www.dalekovod.com
www.cruxsub.com construction-engineering-centre.com
Interactions and Environmental
Effects
 Project activities and environmental actions will be
identified and qualified.
 The important interactions including the direct and
indirect effects of project activities on the
environment.
Interaction Matrix
Environmental
Components
Bedrock
-
Permafrost
-
Soil
-
Conifers
Riparian Zones
Grasses
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Decommissioning
-
+
+
-
+
-
+
-
-
-
Water Quality
-
-
-
-
-
Fish Population
-
-
-
-
-
Aquifer
charge/recharge
-
-
Woodland Caribou
Maintenance
Power line set up
-
O
-
Infrastructure
(temp)
O
Camp set-up
-
Construction of
Towers
Clear Route for
Transmission line
Terrain
Transport of
Materials
No interaction
Beneficial
+
Adverse
Important
O
Project Activities
-
O
-
-
-
-
+
Moose
O
-
-
-
-
+
Wetlands
-
Piping plover
-
+
Air Quality
-
-
-
-
Legislative and Policy
Framework
 The Bipole III Transmission Reliability Project has a large spatial scale
that will trigger certain environmental Acts and regulations
 There are federal and provincial Acts and regulations that will require
environmental licensing before construction can begin
•
•
•
•
•
•
Federal
Provincial
Other
CEAA
COSEWIC
SARA
Fisheries Act
CEC
CEPA
• MESA
• MEA
• Environment
Act
• Water
Protection Act
• Municipal Laws
• Transportation
of Dangerous
Goods Act
Environmental Description
Background Overview
 Includes land, water, air, organic, and inorganic
matter, animals and humans.
 Understanding the environmental baseline for Bipole
III is important in identifying
 Significant features
 Geographic areas
 Valued Ecosystem Components (VEC)
Environmental Description
Background Overview
 Environmental Description
 The transmission line creates fragmentation through large portion of the
boreal forest, prairies, bogs, and agricultural farmland
 The Transmission line creates corridors for wildlife areas
 Special Features
 Large regional area requiring different approaches and mitigation plans
 Main Characteristics
 Large portion of clearing in undisturbed ecosystem
 Creates short term and long term effects throughout entire project
 Land/Resource Use
 Clearing
 Construction
 Habitat fragmentation
 Other Relevant Information
 Community life is effected: trapping, fishing, hunting, and recreational use
 Effects sensitive areas of critical habitat
Environmental Description
Background Overview
Environmental Issues
 Local Issues
 Increased hunting and poaching due to access roads
 Loss of livelihoods of Aboriginal and local farms due to the expropriation of land
 Corridor creation increasing predation of sensitive species
 Public Concerns
 Noise pollution, aesthetics, woodland caribou population loss, cost of project, and
infringement on Aboriginal Treaty rights
 Information Requirements
 Private property boundaries
 Protected areas present and future
 Regional Issues
 Infringement on Aboriginal rights or Treaty Rights
 Endangered species
 Protected Areas
 Environmental Sensitivities
 Caribou and moose populations
 Culturally significant sites
 Bodies of water and adjoining aquifers
Environmental Description
Background Overview
 Information deficiencies
 Exact method of clearing the path for the transmission
line is unclear
 Public opinions are unclear and hard to distinguish
 Exact location of migratory species ranges are unclear
 Population data and distributions are unclear
Environmental Description
Background Overview
 Prerequisite Actions
 Understanding the geographical area
 Pre-consultation actions to collaboration with direct
stakeholders
 Collaboration between the federal government and
Aboriginal communities due to sec. 35 of the constitution
 GIS mapping to outline alternative routes for the
transmission line.
 Legislation/ regulation, and licensing and permits should
be in place to counter any issues that may arise.
 Subsequent Actions
 Continuous monitoring of vegetation growth near
transmission line
 Continuous monitoring of species use of corridors
Environmental Description
Valued Ecosystem Components (VEC’s)
 Value ecosystem components include:
 Birds, aquatic ecosystems, air, noise pollution, soil issues/quality,
terrestrial animals, amphibians, and reptiles
•Bird Species such as the Piping Plover
and burrowing owl may suffer habitat
or nest damage duet to collisions with
power line development and poaching
through increased road access
•Aquatic ecosystems, including hydrology of surface water may
affect municipalities via drinking water sources such as lakes, rivers
and streams.
•Air and noise pollution from construction affects: residents,
recreational users, and animals
•Includes noise, dust, and GHG’s.
Environmental Description
Valued Ecosystem Components (VEC’s)
•Terrestrial animals are
important representatives
of non-human biota
present near project sites,
and also have cultural
significance to Aboriginal
communities.
•Amphibians
and reptiles may
experience
habitat loss and
fragmentation,
including
disturbances to
habitat
Woodland Caribou
Plains Spade Foot
•Soil issues and quality can
affect drainage, act as a
pathway affecting other
aquatic and terrestrial VEC’s,
as well as exposing people
to soil borne diseases.
Red-Sided Garter Snake
Public Consultation
Public Concerns
 Cost of project increasing from $1 billion to $4 billion.
 Importance: Impacts taxpayers dollars and the transmission line might have a
reduced capability, due to reduced security and losses

Former VP of Will Tishinski from Winnipeg Free Press
 Extra traffic during construction causing damage to habitats and
scaring off animals.
 Importance: The transmission line goes through important sensitive sites to the
community, clear cutting of the land may cause habitat damage, and extirpate
animals from the area.

Camperville Community Council
 Local Caribou herds may experience negative impacts.
 IMPORTANCE: Project could impact caribou populations, the movement and
behaviors are sensitive to disturbances such as sound pollution

Tataskweyak Cree Nation
 Treaty Land Entitlements are in close proximity to the project.
 The transmission line could violate TLE regulations and effect Aboriginal way of life

York Factory First Nation
Public Consultation
Public Concerns
 Several concerns relating to water safety, drainage, and aquifer
stability.
 Lack of understanding the long term impacts.

Clean Air Commission MB
 Current proposed transmission route unreliable
 There may be an increase in tax payers monthly bill payments
 There may be an increase in power outages

Clean Environment Commission MB
 Negative disturbances on Métis land that already has significant
environmental impacts.
 The Métis appealed environmental license because Métis rights were not
meaningfully addressed.

Manitoba Métis Federation
 Current route location will affect farmland
.
 Aerial spraying affects quality of agriculture produce, constructing the
line decreased arable land for farmers

Manitoba Farmers
Public Consultation
Stakeholders
Farmers and private
land owners: concern
with chemical use &
expropriation
Community Council:
employment
opportunities
before/after
York Factory First
Nation: Infringement
effecting TLE
Tataskweyak Cree
Nation: Concern with
access road infringing
on rights
Manitoba
Government:
Protected areas and
provincial parks
Federal Government:
Endangered species
under SARA, crossboundary jurisdictions
NGO’s: Ducks
unlimited concerned
about drainage of
wetlands
Mineral exploration
license holders and
mining claim holders:
Effecting minerals and
mines
Public Consultation
Public Consultation Strategies/Techniques
•Different stakeholders must be consulted with and taken into careful
consideration in the planning phase
•Strategies to best cater to the needs, requests and opinions of the affected
stakeholders regarding all aspects of the project are outlined
CEC hearing involving the public
Landowner consultations
• Mediator in negations
between MB hydro
and other parties
• Building relations and
negotiating
agreements to be able
to build on private
land
• Workbook, checklist, howto procedures/reminders,
handouts, many small
meetings
• Engage direct community
councils, print materials,
books, pamphlets,
newsletters, magazines
Public Consultation
Public Consultation Strategies/Techniques
Aboriginal
Consultation and
Partnerships
• Building relations and
negotiating with
Aboriginal peoples
about the project and
how they can be
incorporated.
• Provide adequate notice,
meetings, open houses
Duty to Consult
• Crown has the duty to
consult with Aboriginal
communities when
Aboriginal or treaty
rights may be infringed
upon.
• Provide adequate notice,
meetings, open houses
Public Consultation
Mitigation Measures in place to Address Public Concerns
 Avoid Woodland Caribou

GIS home ranges of woodland caribou to avoid habitat destruction in sensitive areas
 Alternative Route

Choose least destructive route, use overlay mapping to create alternative routes
 Improve Efficiency

Knowledgeable staff to increase efficiency and equipment use. Proper planning and strategies
to prevent additional costs to project
 CEC Hearing & Aboriginal Consultation

Build meaningful relations and partnerships to negotiate with affected Aboriginal
communities
 Operate During Appropriate Hours Near Communities

Only operate from 07:00 to 20:00 to keep citizens happy and on board with project.
 Environmental impact assessment:

Identify and mitigate adverse effects where possible
Public Consultation
Outstanding Public Concerns
 Health of local communities including impacts by traditional hunting, fishing, and
gather lands
 Create socioeconomic monitoring plans
 Mitigate construction activities
 Impacts on spawning areas and aquatic habitats
 Buffers between riparian areas, no fuel storage near waterways, avoid working
near sensitive spawning areas
 Vegetation Management
 Use other means than chemical use to control for weeds ( eco-friendly
biodegradable chemicals
 Compensation for trapping
 Identify sensitive sites, compensation due to relocation of trap-lines, biophysical
monitoring plan
 Environmentally anaesthetically pleasing
 Create land hills to minimize the sight of the transmission line
Adverse Environmental Effect
(requiring mitigation)
Loss of trees/vegetation
Unique terrain
Loss of bedrock
480 km of fragmented forest
Displacement of ungulate
species

per acre of
trees/vegetation
average tree count


choose least destructive route
site assessments to evaluate ESS’s

limiting amount of area that is
clear cut and areas where
heavy vehicles will be present


do not disturb/remove vegetation
save removed top soil and replace 
elsewhere
per acre measurement

choose area with less impact on terrain 
per acre measurement

avoid areas with most
sensitivity

per acre of
vegetation/riparian areas

avoid areas with most sensitivity

per acre of vegetation


GIS territory
Maintaining wildlife corridors


Population count
GIS tracking collars

Controlled blasting activity
Soil compaction
Removal of soil insulating
permafrost
Residual Environmental
Effect
(measured in quantitative
parameters)
Mitigation Measures


surface and sub-surface
measurements using
pentrometer to measure water
penetration resistance
Environmental Consequence After Mitigation
Assessment Criteria
Direct
Environmental
Effects
Ecological
Context
Geographic
Extent
Magnitude
Frequency
Duration
Reversibility
0 to 10
0 to 5
0 to 5
0 to 5
0 to 5
0 to 5
0 to 35
Loss of trees and
vegetation
6
4
4
1
5
5
25
Soil Compaction
5
4
4
3
3
3
22
Removal of active layer
above permafrost
5
2
4
3
3
5
22
Unique terrain
disruption
4
2
3
1
1
3
14
Loss of bedrock
3
3
3
3
1
3
16
Loss of riparian stability &
sedimentation
7
4
3
4
4
3
25
Loss of water body
4
3
3
2
3
3
18
480 km of forest
fragmentation
7
5
4
1
5
5
27
Displacement of
ungulate species
9
4
4
4
5
5
31
Score
Camp Set up
Temporary Infrastructure
Power line set up
Maintenance
5
0
0
3
0
2
1 15
0
4
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
3
5
1
2
0
0
0
2
4
5
1
1
0
0
2
0
5
0
2
1
0
1
0
1
3
0
0
1
0
Woodland Caribou
21
4
4
4
2
2
Air Quality
4
11
2
1
1
1
2
4
4
6
1
1
0
Negligible effect
Minor effect
Moderate effect
0
1
2
Importance
Value
3
Major effect
4
Severe effect
5
Terrain
Bedrock
Permafrost
Soil
Conifers
Moose
Aquifer Drainage/Recharge
Total
100
Consequence
Score (SumXImportance)
Construction of towers
4
Riparian Zones
11
5
6
6
20
10
No effect
Decommissioning
Transmission line
Score
Transport materials
Consequences
Sum Of Scores
Project Activity
Environmental Attributes/VEC’s
0
0
6
11
15
9
5
165
30
66
90
180
50
3
2
3 24
504
1
1
0
1
2
2
3
2
8
3 22
32
242
0
1
0
0
1
4
24
Effectiveness of Mitigation
 Project is very large scale
 ‘least destructive route’ (avoidance)
 Long term project (100 years plus) it needs to be
continuously monitored and maintained.
 Rectification of the landscape cannot be done for a
long time so long term monitoring of environmental
effects from the project is a good ‘compromise’ and
could better inform future projects of similar nature.
Effectiveness of Mitigation
 Assessment every year for the first 10 years to validate
compliance and effectiveness of the mitigation measures.
 After the initial 10 years of assessments, they will continue
every 5 years with non-periodical audits.
 Learning purposes so that if the plans need to be reiterated,
the assessment will adapt to the changing parameters.
 Funding of wildlife/construction relationship research is an
example that can help this process be more efficient.
 Compensation
 Information would be very beneficial for the use of similar
projects happening elsewhere and would help improve
environmental assessment processes of different projects and
proponents.
•
•
Study area : First Nations lands, water
quality, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,
habitat loss/alteration, riparian zones, and
hydrology
Other project actions: future roads,
present agricultural land intersecting
transmission route, and future mining
projects
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
loss of trees and vegetation
soil compaction
removal of vegetation insulating
permafrost
landscape integrity
loss of bedrock
riparian stability
480km of fragmented forest
displacement of ungulate species
Cumulative Environmental Effects of Biopole III
Caribou
Moose
Boreal
forest
Agriculture
Aboriginal
rights
Community
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Construction of
tower
•
•
•
Camp site
•
•
•
Decommissionin
Riparian
•
Wetlands
•
Quality
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Health
•
Aquifers
•
Clear route for
transmission
line
•
•
Socioeconomi
c
•
•
Maintenance
Vegetation
•
•
Power line setup
Wildlife
•
Transport of
materials
Infrastructure
Fish
•
Air Quality
Project
Activities for
Proposed Action
Surface
water
Habitat
Airshed Groundwater
•
•
•
Cumulative Environmental Effects of other Project
Activities
•
•
•
•
•
• •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
/
•
•
Community
•
Aboriginal rights
•
Agriculture
Boreal forest
Wetlands
Moose
•
•
Caribou
•
•
Vegetation Socioeconomi
c
Health
•
Wildlife
Habitat
Agriculture
Mines
Quality
•
Fish
Riparian
Highways
Aquifers
Project
Activities for
all other
Actions
Air Quality
Airshed Groundwate Surface
r
water
Residual Environmental Effects
Ecological
Value
Societal Value
Geographic
Extent
Magnitude
Frequency
Duration
Reversibility
Evaluation factor
Terrain and soil
compaction
2
2
3
3
3
2
3
L/M
Terrestrial vegetation
4
4
4
3
4
4
3
M
Mammals and
mammal habitat
4
4
3
3
2
2
3
M
Aquatic Ecosystems
1
3
3
3
2
2
3
M
Loss of Boreal forests
4
3
5
4
1
5
5
M/H
Displacement of
ungulate species
5
4
4
4
4
5
5
M/H
Residual
Environmental
Effects
Significance
Cumulative Effects Follow-up
• Terrain and soil compaction
• Measure vegetation and land
productivity
• semi-annual monitoring of
forests and crops
• Terrestrial vegetation
re-vegetation in
decommissioned sites
• areas susceptible to erosion
• Aquatic Ecosystems
• water quality monitoring
• Drainage monitoring
• Site restoration
• Loss of Boreal forests
• regeneration plan
•
• Mammals and mammal
habitat
• monitoring and analysis via
GPS collaring
• Displacement of ungulate
species
• monitoring and analysis via
GPS collaring or reintroduction
Significance
• Adverse environmental effects
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
loss of trees and vegetation
soil compaction
removal of vegetation insulating
permafrost
loss of bedrock
riparian stability and sedimentation
480km of fragmented forest
displacement of ungulate species
• Non-adverse environmental effects
•
•
landscape integrity
Loss of water bodies
Likelihood of Significant Adverse
Effects
Environmental Effect
Loss of trees/vegetation and
fragmentation
Displacement of ungulate
species
Soil compaction
Removal of vegetation
insulating permafrost
Riparian stability
sedimentation
Unique terrain and loss of
bedrock
Likelihood
Significance
H
• Vast area of Boreal forest
cleared
• Prevent encroachment
M-H
M
• Threatened and
endangered species
• Construction and
maintenance
L-M
• Relevant only in northern
extremes
L-M
• Avoid proximity to
waterways and sensitive
areas
L
• mitigation