Science Response 2015/007

Sufficiency review of the information on effects of underwater noise and the potential for ship strikes from Marine Shipping on Marine Mammals in the Facilities Application for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project

Context

Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC (Trans Mountain) is proposing an expansion of its current 1,150 km pipeline system between Strathcona County, AB and Burnaby, BC (the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, hereafter ‘the Project’). On December 16, 2013, Trans Mountain filed a Facilities Application for the Project with the National Energy Board (NEB), pursuant to the National Energy Board Act,and on April 2, 2014, the NEB determined that the Application was complete, thereby commencing a 15-month environmental assessment review under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012.

As part of the application, NEB included a requirement that the Proponent (Trans Mountain) consider the environmental and socio-economic effects of marine shipping activities that would result from the proposed Project, including the potential effects of accidents or malfunctions that may occur; this was delivered by way of issue # 5 in the NEB’s List of Issues to be considered at the Hearings (NEB 2013a) and was provided to Trans Mountain in a letter outlining its filing requirements with respect to this topic (NEB 2013b).

Through scoping, the Proponent has identified underwater noise from Project-related marine vessel traffic as a potential source of sensory disturbance to marine mammals. They consider ship strikes to marine mammals as a potential accident or malfunction that could occur between marine mammals and Project-related traffic. The assessment of potential effects of the increase in Project-related marine vessel traffic is centered on the established in-bound and out-bound marine shipping lanes in the Marine Regional Study Area (Marine RSA) (Figure 1).

An increase in marine vessel traffic associated with the Project has the potential to result in sensory disturbance to marine mammals from underwater noise, ranging from auditory injury to behavioural disturbance, and an increased risk of injury and mortality associated with mammal-vessel strikes.  Disturbance responses associated with increased Project-related vessel traffic could range from temporary displacement, to reduced foraging efficiency, to disruption of mating and social behaviours.

As an Intervenor in the environmental assessment hearing process for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) will be asked to present evidence at Public Hearings in October 2015 in relation to its expertise on the effects of the Project on fish and fish habitat and aquatic species at risk, the efficacy and adequacy of mitigation and offsetting measures, monitoring and follow-up programs proposed by the Proponent, and the conclusions reached in Facilities Application for the Project. 

DFO’s Pacific Region Fisheries Protection Program (FPP) is responsible for the review of the marine terminal, and shipping components of the proposed Project. FPP is requesting DFO Science Branch provide an evaluation of the adequacy of the Proponent’s Facilities Application and supplemental information with respect to risks and potential consequences of underwater noise and marine vessel strikes that may result from Project-related marine shipping on indicator marine mammals in the Marine RSA.  FPP is requesting Science advice to assist in the development of DFO’s evidence submission to the National Energy Board for the Trans Mountain Project. DFO Science Branch has been asked to focus its review on direct effects on marine mammals, not including potential effects of underwater noise on prey species, such as fish.

The objective of this CSAS Science Response (SR) is to review information provided by the Proponent in the December 2013 Facilities Application, and in supplemental filings with the NEB, and to provide a Science Response to answer the following questions:

1. Is the information provided by the Proponent in the Project Application sufficient for DFO Science to assess underwater noise and marine vessel strikes, and their potential impacts on the marine mammal indicator species identified in the Project Application?
2. Are the methods used to assess the potential effects of underwater noise and marine vessel strikes on the marine mammal indicator species appropriate and executed properly?

This Science Response Report results from the Science Response Process of December 5, 2014 on the Sufficiency review of the information on effects of Marine Shipping on Marine Mammals in the Facilities Application for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project.

Complete document (PDF, 1,584 KB)

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