NEB Pipeline Abandonment

Common nighthawk

Project Summary

X-Terra Environmental Services Ltd. was commissioned in 2017 and 2018 to conduct environmental assessments for a natural gas pipeline abandonment on the US border within a Co-op Pasture, and to complete the reporting for an Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment (ESA) and an Environmental Protection Plan (EPP) to submit to the National Energy Board (NEB). The project involved describing the biophysical components of the area and identifying any potential impacts on Valued Components (VCs) including soils, wetlands, vegetation, wildlife, and species at risk. It also involved completing a cumulative effects assessment and developing plans for mitigation to avoid potential short and long-term impacts to VCs.

Our Role

X-Terra conducted site and environmental assessments in the summer of 2017, including habitat assessments for potential swift fox denning and sage grouse habitat, biological surveys such as breeding birds, burrowing owls, raptors, and rare plant surveys, and physical assessments such as wetlands and soils. In 2018, site assessments and rare plant surveys were repeated to provide additional details on the current state of the project area. X-Terra compiled the findings of the environmental assessments and project details to submit the ESA in 2017 and the EPP in 2018, as well as assisted with responses for information requests.

Services Provided

• Rare plant surveys

• Vegetation inventories

• Soil assessments

• Wetland assessments

• Breeding bird point count surveys

• Raptor habitat and nest surveys

• Burrowing Owl surveys

• Swift Fox and Sage Grouse habitat assessments

• GIS and mapping services

• Data analysis and interpretation

• Impact analysis and mitigation planning

• Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment reporting

• Supplementary Information Request reporting

• Environmental Protection Plan reporting