Just Naturally Speaking the Blog

May 4, 2014

In the early light of morning it was hard to notice.

Lynx

The Ruffed Grouse was frozen in place.

Ruffed Grouse

It was obvious the Lynx was occupied.

One less Red Squirrel

the next arrivals on the scene were the Doe and her two fawns from last year. The fawns always liked to scamper in first. However, once within twenty feet of the Lynx they came to an abrupt stop, took a brief look and made a swift turn to get back behind their Mama.

The fawns retreated to the far side of the lawn and watched.

The doe stood her ground and stamped he foreleg repeatedly.
Note her tail is held straight back,
not raised and flared as they do for dogs and man.
Her ears swung back in a menacing fashion, too.

After eating the Lynx rose and turned and faced the deer.

The deer stood her ground and continued to stomp.

Lots of backward looks. lots of tail switching.

Ear flexing came with every stomp from the deer.

Still casting mean looks.

Even I became a recipient of that look.

Leaving.

When it got to the edge of the road it sat for a moment behind a tree stump.
A few strides from here and it was back over the snow bank and into the bush.

The latest round of "open houses" for the Energy East Pipeline dealt with SAFETY.

The latest round of newspaper "letters" has dealt with SAFETY of the Energy East Pipeline.

Everyone seems to be on the same "page" - SAFETY.

Anyone who went to this "open house" was presented with fact sheets and one-on-one conversations covering just about every safety topic so far raised in the Press or one's own worries.

Strangely enough, one writer complained about it being one-on-one and not a panel discussion/debate??

Northern Ontario has lots of Rivers, Lakes and Aquifers that the Energy East Pipeline crosses.

Crosses, as in the pipeline already exists in Northern Ontario.

The pipeline already crosses the Rivers, Aquifers and Lakes.

However, changes will be made to convert from gas to "oil". This "open house" showed how "pre-operation inspections and repairs would be done to the entire length of that existing pipeline across all provinces involved. The Northern Ontario section is newer than the sections farther West so they don't expect as many repairs here.

Aquifers, Rivers and Lakes have their own Fact-sheet:

The Fact Sheet Reads:

The Energy East project team understands the important role all aquifers, rivers and lakes play in maintaining sensitive and vital ecosystems across Canada. Aquifers are important sources of drinking water, and rivers and lakes provide habitats for fish and wildlife, including species at risk. Rivers and lakes also provide valuable recreation opportunities such as boating and fishing for local Canadian communities to enjoy.

The project team will use the information we have gathered from our open house events: our meetings with landowners, regulatory agencies, and Aboriginal communities, along with the environmental studies that we conduct to understand all of the potential interactions we may have with these resources during the construction and operation of the project in order to develop appropriate mitigation strategies.

Aquifers, rivers and lakes will be protected during construction

Energy East has carefully considered and will continue to study these important bodies of water during project routing and design. Whenever possible, crossings of these features are avoided or located so that any possible disturbances are minimized. Project planning will include environmental desktop and field studies, as well as consultation with the public, other stakeholders, and regulatory agencies at the provincial and federal levels to gather site specific information to include as part of the Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment.

Design construction and method of crossing will be based on industry proven construction techniques, information gathered from studies and stakeholders, input from engagement activities and regulatory compliance requirements. Additional protective design features, such as heavy walled pipe, burying the pipe deep in the ground, and strategic placement of valves are applied at watercourse crossings. Mitigation measures to be implemented during construction, such as effective sediment and erosion control mechanisms, measures to protect fish and fish habitat, and reclamation plans aimed at re-establishing biologic diversity and habitat will be developed and included in the Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment. Energy East will conduct post-construction monitoring to confirm the effectiveness of the mitigation and adjust if needed.

Energy East is committed to protecting aquifers, lakes and rivers during operation of the project

Energy East will incorporate proven design features and a state-of-the-art integrity management program to ensure safe operation in areas close to important water resources including:

Secondary containment at pump stations and tank terminals
Valve placement to protect lakes and rivers
Operational monitoring and line patrols to identify potential problem areas along the pipeline
Leak detection and monitoring of pipeline

As part of the Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment for the project, locations of concern including aquifers, lakes and rivers, have been carefully identified and will be thoroughly evaluated to determine and assess potential effects due to operation in the area. The results of these studies will also be used to inform our emergency response plan and other protective measures to reduce the risks and potential impact that Energy East could have on that area.

Energy East is committed to effective emergency response to protect aquifers, lakes and rivers during operation of the project

During an unlikely emergency event, TransCanada prepares to respond as quickly and as safely as possible. We strategically deploy equipment and response personnel along the length of the pipeline system with the ability to be transported by land, air and water if necessary. The Energy East project's Emergency Response Planning will also include the following:

Strategically located shut-off valves remotely controlled by Operations Control Centre which monitors the pipeline 24/7 along with the development and implementation of world class emergency response programs
Strategic placement of equipment along the pipeline route to ensure timely response
Ongoing communication and engagement of stakeholders regarding emergency response planning, mock exercises, and continuous improvement based on critical review of mock exercises
Remediation in the unlikely event of an incident

TransCanada contact: EnergyEast@TransCanada.com

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Be proactive, contact them if you live on or near their aquifer, river or lake crossing, and find out their specific plans for yourself.