Transmission Line Construction Environmental Monitoring

Project Summary 

X-Terra Environmental Services Ltd. was commissioned in 2017 to provide environmental monitoring services associated with the construction and reclamation of a 200km 230kV Transmission line in Southern Saskatchewan. The project involved four teams of environmental monitors working with four independent construction crews. Successful execution depended on communication and consistency of messaging between X-Terra’s monitoring teams as well as communication with construction crews, the client’s Resource Specialists and the provincial Ministry of Environment. In addition to typical construction mitigations, the project also used cleaning and wash stations to mitigate the spread of weeds and invasive species.

The project was constructed over 11 months and was commissioned in May 2019.

Our Role

X-Terra conducted pre-construction bird surveys, nest sweeps, visual amphibian surveys and marked existing rare plant occurrences on sensitive habitats along the project right-of way to ensure environmental risks were documented prior to construction. Evaluation of environmental sensitivities continued throughout the project along with equipment inspection and supervision of wash stations at access points to sensitive habitats. X-Terra also provided mitigation recommendations to the client and to the provincial regulator to minimize project impacts on those sensitivities. X-Terra’s environmental monitors also assisted in routing construction around wetlands and other sensitive habitats, as well as collaborating with crews on routing off-right-of-way access routes. X-Terra also monitored reclamation of disturbed areas, including replacement and re-contouring of topsoil and determination of a suitable seed mix for native grassland areas.

X-Terra provided daily field reports as well as weekly summaries to the client and compiled the information into a final environmental As-Built Report for the regulator as was required by the project permit.

Services Provided

·      Amphibian surveys

·      Sharp-tailed Grouse surveys

·      Raptor habitat and nest surveys

·      Breeding bird surveys

·      Nest sweeps

·      Wetland assessments

·      Rare plant surveys

·      Vegetation inventories

·      GIS and mapping services

·      Impact analysis and mitigation planning

·      Construction monitoring