Compliance verification activity type: Field Inspection
Team:
Regulated company: Enbridge Pipelines Inc.
Operating company: Enbridge Pipelines Inc.
Province(s) / Territory(s):
Discipline(s):
Related events:
Rationale and scope:
Inspection of the Line 3 Replacement Program along Spread 4 in Saskatchewan. This inspection focused on verification of Enbridge's implementation of the Environmental Protection Plan mitigation measures. Observations include a range of construction activities occurring along Spread 4.
Compliance tool(s) used:
Facilities:
Facility Types
Life-cycle Phases
Regulatory requirements that apply to this activity:
Regulatory instrument number(s):
Observation 1 - General Observations
Date & time of visit: 2017-11-07 09:00
Discipline: Environmental Protection
Categories:
Facility:
Observations:
- During the inspection, NEB Inspectors visited several locations along the right-of-way (RoW), including areas of native prairie, watercourse crossings, and wetland crossings at various stages of construction.- Construction activities observed included: lowering in, backfilling, trenching, welding, coating, pipe stringing, RoW preparation, bridge installation, and watercourse crossing staging work.- Appropriate signage was observed at relevant environmental features (e.g., riparian areas, wildlife features, native prairie, rare plants), restricted fuelling zones (e.g. watercourses and wetlands), and socio-economic features (e.g., heritage resources, traditional land use zones).
Compliance tool used: No compliance tool used
Observation 2 - Watercourses and Wetlands
Date & time of visit: 2017-11-07 12:00
- NEB Inspectors visited four watercourse crossings and approximately10 wetlands/wetland complexes along the RoW.
Observation 3 - Biosecurity
Date & time of visit: 2017-11-08 12:00
- NEB Inspectors reviewed biosecurity documents for several pieces of equipment (selected at random in the field). The records were complete and up to date and included photographs of the cleaned equipment.- All equipment checked on the RoW had a certification sticker verifying that it had been cleaned.- A number of cleaning stations were observed on the RoW, signage and equipment was in place at all designated cleaning stations as required by the EPP.- Company representatives provided an overview and examples of its biosecurity tracking system, which uses a cellphone application platform. Company representatives stated that the system was both efficient and effective at tracking construction vehicle cleaning.- At one cleaning station, a passenger vehicle was observed travelling over the mat and stopping immediately adjacent to the matted area for cleaning. NEB Inspectors do not consider this to be a non-compliance as the vehicle was cleaned at the station, however, Company Representatives indicated that they will provide additional information to crew to ensure that they stop on the matted area.
Observation 4 - Heritage Resources
-NEB Inspectors observed several locations that were identified as heritage resources sites, including several sites which were not specifically identified in the EPP.- Appropriate signage and exclusion fencing was present, with no evidence of construction activity encroachment on the sites.- At one location in the Qu’Appelle Valley, within an area identified as important for traditional land use in the EPP, further assessment by local First Nations found an important site within proposed temporary workspace near the RoW. The Company altered its construction plans and was able to avoid disturbance to that site.- NEB Inspectors requested and held a meeting with Indigenous monitors. The meeting revealed effective communications between Indigenous monitors and the Company and that the monitors select the locations and activities they monitor and observe each day.
Identified non-compliances to company plans or procedures are non-compliances either to:
- the condition of an authorization document that requires the implementation of that plan or procedure; or
- the relevant section of the regulations that requires implementation of that plan or procedure including those sections that require implementation of plans or procedures as a part of a Program