part a: project introduction - alberta.ca · 2016. 8. 16. · parsons creek aggregates project part...

Parsons Creek Aggregates Project

Part A: Project Introduction


Part A June 2010 Page i

Table of Contents

A. THE PARSONS CREEK AGGREGATES PROJECT................................................................... 1A.1 PROJECT INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1

A.1.1 Project Highlights.......................................................................................................... 2A.1.2 The Proponent and Applicant ....................................................................................... 2

A.2 THE PROJECT .................................................................................................................... 3A.2.1 Project Implications and Purpose.................................................................................. 3A.2.2 Benefits Arising from the Project................................................................................... 4A.2.3 Site Selection................................................................................................................ 5A.2.4 History of the Project Development............................................................................... 5A.2.5 Project Components ..................................................................................................... 5A.2.6 Alternatives................................................................................................................... 9A.2.7 Schedule .................................................................................................................... 10A.2.8 Costs .......................................................................................................................... 10

A.3 INNOVATION AND MANAGEMENT .................................................................................. 10A.3.1 Project Design ............................................................................................................ 10A.3.2 Management Framework............................................................................................ 10A.3.3 Cooperation................................................................................................................ 11

A.4 THE REGULATORY AND PLANNING FRAMEWORK....................................................... 11A.4.1 Primary Federal, Provincial, and Municipal Approvals ................................................ 12A.4.2 Other Authorizations ................................................................................................... 13A.4.3 Compliance with Policies and Plans ........................................................................... 13

A.5 COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ....................................................... 15A.5.1 Commitments, Principles and Objectives.................................................................... 15A.5.2 Program Components................................................................................................. 16A.5.3 Summary of Outcomes ............................................................................................... 16

A.6 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS .................................. 18A.6.1 Air Quality Assessment............................................................................................... 19A.6.2 Human Health Risk Assessment................................................................................. 20A.6.3 Noise .......................................................................................................................... 22A.6.4 Land Use .................................................................................................................... 23A.6.5 Soils and Terrain ........................................................................................................ 23A.6.6 Conservation and Reclamation Activities and Closure Plan ........................................ 24A.6.7 Vegetation .................................................................................................................. 25A.6.8 Wildlife........................................................................................................................ 28A.6.9 Surface Water Hydrology............................................................................................ 30A.6.10 Hydrogeological Impact Assessment .......................................................................... 31A.6.11 Surface Aquatic Resources Impact Assessment......................................................... 32A.6.12 Historical Resources Impact Assessment ................................................................... 36


Part A June 2010 Page ii

A.6.13 Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Land Use ........................................................ 36A.6.14 Socio-Economic Aspects ............................................................................................ 37A.6.15 Palaeontological Resources Impact Assessment........................................................ 37

A.7 SUMMARY OF COMMITMENTS ....................................................................................... 38A.7.1 Air Quality................................................................................................................... 38A.7.2 Human Health............................................................................................................. 38A.7.3 Noise .......................................................................................................................... 38A.7.4 Land Use .................................................................................................................... 39A.7.5 Soils and Terrain ........................................................................................................ 39A.7.6 Conservation and Reclamation................................................................................... 40A.7.7 Vegetation .................................................................................................................. 41A.7.8 Wildlife........................................................................................................................ 41A.7.9 Hydrology ................................................................................................................... 42A.7.10 Hydrogeology ............................................................................................................. 42A.7.11 Aquatic Resources...................................................................................................... 44A.7.12 Historical Resources................................................................................................... 47A.7.13 Traditional Environmental Knowledge and Land Use.................................................. 47A.7.14 Socio-Economic Assessment ..................................................................................... 48A.7.15 Palaeontological Resources ....................................................................................... 49

A.8 GUIDE TO THE APPLICATION ......................................................................................... 50A.8.1 Document Organization .............................................................................................. 50A.8.2 Terms of Reference and Concordance Table ............................................................. 51A.8.3 Glossary of Term and Abbreviations........................................................................... 51

List of Tables

Table A.4.1-1 Regulatory Requirements associated with the EIA Application .................................. 12Table A.4.2-1 Regulatory Requirements post EIA............................................................................ 13

List of Figures

Figure A.1-1 Project LocationFigure A.1-2 Map of Project AreaFigure A.1-3 Quarry Mine PlanFigure A.1-4 Land UseFigure A.6-1 Local Study AreasFigure A.6-2 Regional Study AreasFigure A.6-3 Quarry Reclamation Plan


Part A June 2010 Page 1

A. THE PARSONS CREEK AGGREGATES PROJECT

A.1 PROJECT INTRODUCTION

Parsons Creek Aggregates (PCA), a joint venture of Graymont Western Canada Inc. (Graymont) and LehighHanson Materials Limited (Lehigh Hanson), is submitting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report andis jointly applying for regulatory approvals to construct, operate and reclaim the proposed Parsons CreekAggregates Limestone Quarry Project (the “Project”) in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Alberta.Graymont holds the rights to all metallic and industrial minerals under Alberta Metallic and Industrial MineralLease No. 9404120901 (the MAIM lease) and will continue to hold all operating level approvals andauthorizations. Lehigh Hanson will be the operators of the limestone quarry.

The Project is located on 391 Ha of Crown land located 800 m north of the Fort McMurray Urban ServiceBoundary, south of Northlands Forest Products, east of HWY 63 and along the Athabasca River. The legal landdescription for the Project is Sections 7, 8, 18, 19, 30, and 31 of Township 90, Range 9 West of the 4th Meridian,and a portion NE¼ Section 36, Township 90, Range 10, West of the 4th Meridian(see Figure A.1-1).

This document includes the EIA report submitted to Alberta Environment (AENV) and the Natural ResourcesConservation Board (NRCB) for the Parsons Creek Aggregates Limestone Quarry Project as required under theEnvironmental Protection and Enhancement Act and the Natural Resources Conservation Board Act. It is ourunderstanding that a Federal review of the EIA will be jointly conducted with this submission. The EIA (SectionA.6, Part E and the reports in Volume 2 & Volume 3) addresses the approved Terms of Reference for theProject and takes into consideration consultation with the AENV approval review team, NRCB, FederalAgencies, RMWB, First Nations and other stakeholders. The EIA has been produced in accordance with theregulatory framework described in Section A.4 and the methodology outlined in Volume 1, Part D.

The Project, as detailed in Section A.2 and Volume 1, Part B, will comprise of a limestone quarry and a portablefacility for crushing, screening and stockpiling; producing limestone rock products in required sizes to meet bothcontract or customer specifications. The 391 ha limestone quarry will be developed in three distinct phasesusing conventional quarry mining operations involving drilling, blasting, excavations, crushing, screening andstockpiling activities. Limestone mining will begin in the northern portion of the Project lease area and advancesouthward, towards the Fort McMurray Urban Service Area, with progressive reclamation following in thedepleted areas of the limestone quarry. Periodically, portable facilities (i.e., hot mix asphalt plant or pulverizedlimestone plant) could also be set up in quarry working areas. Project innovation and management is discussedin Section A.3.

The design of the Project has been significantly impacted by two Alberta Transportation (AT) Projects. AT’sParsons Creek Interchange and Hwy 63 Realignment Project was brought to the attention of PCA in January2009, claiming approximately one third of the MAIM lease area and requiring PCA to conduct a full redesign ofthe Project and rewrite of the EIA report. The AT Truck Turnout Project located along HWY 63 also impactedthe design of the Project. PCA has worked closely with the Oil Sands Secretariat and Alberta Transportation toensure that designs are coordinated and are complementary.

An important component of the Project development has been the ongoing contact with the local and regionalstakeholders. PCA has been engaged in ongoing consultation with regulators, the public and first nations foralmost five years. During this time, relationships have been established and those involved have developed anunderstanding of PCA, the Project and the potential lease development opportunities.

Volume 1, Part F and Part G of this submission are applications for Environmental Protection and EnhancementAct and Water Act authorizations for the first ten years of operation. Included are letters of transmittal and all ofthe supporting documentation in this and accompanying volumes for the Project, pertains to the construction,operation and reclamation of the proposed limestone quarry and associated infrastructure, utilities and access.



A.1.1 Project HighlightsThe Project is strategically located to provide the rapidly growing communities in the Fort McMurray area andsurrounding oil sands region with high-quality limestone aggregate rock products for use as construction stoneand in specialized environmental or industrial applications. Nominal capacity of the Project will initially be250,000 tonnes per year (t/yr) of construction stone and chemical stone products, with a future peak productionof 2,000,000 t/yr after 10 years from quarry construction and opening. Total limestone reserves are estimatedup to 58 million tonnes and the Project lifespan will be at least 40 years, including quarry decommissioning andfinal reclamation.

The Project is expected to operate up to eight months of the year, typically between spring break-up and fallfreeze-up. Initially, the Project is planned to operate 10-12 hours per day (day shift). At estimated peak withfuture demand, the Project is planned to operate 24 hours per day and up to 7 days per week. Quarrydevelopment and mining operations will progress from North to South, toward the Fort McMurray city limits. Thesouth boundary of the Project is located 800 metres north of the Fort McMurray Urban Service Area. Projectareas located south of Parsons Creek are only anticipated to be developed in coordination with AlbertaTransportation’s planned “North Parsons Creek” interchange project, scheduled for completion in 2014.

An existing PCA sand and gravel pit operation (North Parsons Sand and Gravel Project) is located in Sections30 and 31 (northern part of the Graymont MAIM lease) and will expose the top layer of the limestone in areaswhere all sand and gravel is excavated. If conditions can be maintained relatively dry for mining, this top seamof limestone may be mined in conjunction with the sand and gravel pit operation. Access to the limestoneduring sand and gravel pit operations would help avoid the double handling of topsoil and overburden materialswhen quarry operations supersede reclaimed pit operations.

A.1.2 The Proponent and ApplicantThe Parsons Creek Aggregates Limestone Quarry Project (the “Project”) is a joint venture project by GraymontWestern Canada Inc. (Graymont) and Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited (Lehigh Hanson). Both are recognizedleaders in the production of limestone products and aggregate rock products, respectively, throughout NorthAmerica. They have combined experience, stability and a shared long-term commitment to the community asdemonstrated by their past public participation and investment in the areas of health, education, theenvironment and civic group activities.

Graymont and Lehigh Hanson have entered into a formalized joint venture agreement creating Parsons CreekAggregates (PCA) for the purposes of developing the minerals resources on the Graymont MAIM lease.

Graymont and Lehigh Hanson have authorized Parsons Creek Aggregates to submit an Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA) for the construction, operation and reclamation of a limestone quarry on the Crown landcontaining the Graymont mineral lease.

A.1.2.1 Graymont Western Canada Inc.

Graymont Western Canada Inc. (Graymont) is a privately owned Canadian company forming part of theGraymont Group. The main businesses of the Graymont Group are the production of lime, limestone andaggregate products. Graymont has been in the lime and limestone business for over 50 years. The Group isthe largest lime producer in Canada, and the third largest lime producer in North America.

Graymont operates two facilities in Alberta, located near Exshaw and Coleman. These facilities and processingplants have been operational since 1885 and 1905, respectively; supplying lime and limestone to customersacross Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. The Exshaw plant is a key supplier of hydrated lime andquicklime products for water treatment in the Fort McMurray area.



A.1.2.2 Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited

Lehigh Hanson Materials Limited (Lehigh Hanson) will provide its development, production and marketingexpertise for aggregate rock products to the Project through Inland Aggregates, a division of Lehigh Hanson.Inland Aggregates is a major supplier of screened, crushed, and washed aggregates at locations throughoutAlberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Rock products include highway and road construction materials, ready-mix concrete aggregates and architectural landscaping products.

Lehigh Hanson companies have operated in Alberta and Saskatchewan for over 70 years (with facilities locatedin over 20 towns and cities) and in the Fort McMurray area since 1972 (by a predecessor company known asRedwood Ready-Mix). In 1998, Lehigh Hanson built a new ready-mix concrete plant in north Fort McMurray.Inland Concrete, a Lehigh Hanson division, is one of several major concrete suppliers in the Fort McMurray arearequiring quality aggregates for concrete production.

A.1.2.3 Roles and Responsibilities

PCA is submitting the EIA report for the Project. Graymont holds the rights, through Alberta Metallic andIndustrial Minerals (MAIM) lease #9404120901, to limestone for the Project and will continue to apply for holdoperating level authorizations for the Project. Under the PCA joint venture agreement, Lehigh Hanson willconstruct, operate and reclaim the limestone quarry.

Throughout this application, the commitments made in respect of the Project are made by PCA, unlessotherwise noted. Under the PCA joint venture agreement, both Graymont and Lehigh Hanson are responsiblefor honouring the commitments made by PCA and in fulfilling the conditions of all regulatory authorizations forthe Project.

Key contacts for Parsons Creek Aggregates, Graymont Western Canada Inc., Lehigh Hanson Materials Ltd., theProject, Operations, the EIA and Public and First Nations consultation are included in Volume 1, Appendix 6.

A.2 THE PROJECT

A.2.1 Project Implications and PurposeThere is a limited availability of sand and gravel resources in the immediate vicinity of Fort McMurray. Provensand and gravel reserves within the broader region are being depleted at higher rates by construction demandsfor infrastructure required in servicing current oil sands projects and Fort McMurray urban growth. Further, rockproduct variability in available sand and gravel reserves results in variable durability and quality of producedconcrete.

High quality, consistent aggregate rock products are required on a continuous basis for building and maintaininginfrastructure in the Fort McMurray Urban Service Area (USA) and demand will keep increasing. Over1,000,000 tonnes of suitable quality aggregate is now required on an annual basis for urban growth andinfrastructure projects within the Fort McMurray USA. Based on forecast population growth during the next 15to 20 years, it is estimated that demand will reach over 2 million tonnes of aggregates per year for urban growthand infrastructure projects within the Fort McMurray USA (see Volume 1, Section B.2.1).

Currently, the largest proven reserve of sand and gravel deposits producing aggregate rock products forconstruction materials is located about 80 km north of the Fort McMurray USA (Susan Lake Pit). This reserve isnow nearing depletion. A reserve of limestone is producing aggregate rock products for construction materialsand is located about 60 km north of the Fort McMurray USA (Hammerstone Quarry). The locations of bothreserves relative to the Fort McMurray USA can affect rock product costs as a result of increased hauldistances.



Parsons Creek Aggregates Limestone Quarry Project development summary:

Proven limestone reserves are of sufficient volume to provide for anticipated aggregate rock productsdemand in the Fort McMurray USA (north and south) over the next thirty five years based on currentmarket projections;

Location of limestone quarry and facilities in close proximity to the Fort McMurray USA resulting inreduced costs for product haul distances; and

Ability to produce a variety of limestone aggregate rock products at quality standards for constructionmaterials and environmental applications.

A.2.2 Benefits Arising from the ProjectProject limestone reserves are close to Fort McMurray USA resulting in competitive hauling costs. A qualitylocal aggregate source will greatly facilitate local and regional construction with competitive costs for qualityaggregate rock products.

Limestone rock, after crushing, screening and washing, can be used as a construction material (e.g., basecourse, railway ballast, filter rock) or as an aggregate component for construction materials (e.g., concrete orasphalt).

Limestone aggregate rock products offer a quality aggregate for concrete. A more durable concrete productresults from using better quality aggregates, reducing long-term maintenance and replacement costs forsidewalks, curbs, gutters and foundations.

Manufactured limestone fines (by enhanced crushing or screening eliminations) can be used in producingdrilling mud additives and for specialized environmental applications (e.g., acid neutralizer, acid soilamendment).

The Project will also be a positive addition to the Fort McMurray and Alberta economy during construction andoperation:

direct, indirect and induced employment) estimated at 31 person-years annually or over 1,000 person-years over the life of the Project;

an impact of $28.3 million on provincial GDP and $18.7 million on household income resulting fromProject construction phases;

annual municipal property tax payment of the Project to the RMWB will be approximately $0.5 million atpeak production rates;

net present value for provincial and federal corporate tax payments are estimated to be in the range of$4.0 - $6.5 million;

providing a local source of limestone that will greatly facilitate local construction by keeping costscompetitive for high quality aggregates;

contractors may be engaged to perform some of the mining operation;

contractors will be engaged for initial pre-stripping, soil and overburden removal, and site clearingrequired for quarry activities and operations;

contractors will be engaged to perform quarry drilling and blasting activities

contractors may be engaged to perform some of the quarry excavations;

contractors will be engaged for limestone preparation activities; and



contractors will be engaged for overburden and soil replacement and revegetation during quarryreclamation activities; and

opportunities for different “end land uses” including natural habitat, parks and recreation, or future urbangrowth through planned quarry reclamation.

PCA has worked closely with local communities and is identifying opportunities for local businesses andemployment. PCA believes that Project development will bring direct benefits to those communities.

A.2.3 Site SelectionThe proposed limestone quarry will be situated on approximately 877 hectares (ha) of Crown land containingthe Graymont MAIM lease area. The more southerly portions of the Project site are near the northern boundaryof the Fort McMurray Urban Service Area (USA). The potential for construction materials aggregates availableat the Project site are unique in the area; combining significant surficial reserves of sand and gravel deposits inthe northern portion of the Project properties, underlain by deposits of Devonian limestone of the WaterwaysFormation. Limestone deposit quality for the Project is comparable to or exceeding any other deposits in theimmediate area.

Exploration and drilling program for the proposed quarry site successfully established the detailed stratigraphyof the uppermost 80 m of Waterways Formation. Individual beds and zones within this formation were found tobe generally consistent and co-relatable across the width and length of the property (Knox, 2005). Geologicexploration has identified the five horizons (denoted from top to bottom elevations as MV, MIV, MIII, MII and MI)in the Moberly Member containing the two primary limestone ore zones and multiple ore zones for constructionaggregates

The Project will occupy about 566 hectares of the Graymont MAIM lease area. The proposed limestone quarry,with the potential to result in 391 ha of surface disturbances, is limited by the boundaries from recent reservationdispositions placed on the Crown land by Alberta Transportation for the Highway 63 realignment andInterchange project announced in 2009.

A.2.4 History of the Project DevelopmentOn June 18, 2007, Alberta Environment confirmed that the Parsons Creek Aggregates Limestone QuarryProject was a mandatory activity pursuant to Schedule 1(j) of the Environmental Assessment (Mandatory andExempted Activities) Regulation. Parsons Creek Aggregates (PCA) is required, pursuant to Section 44(1)(a) ofthe Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA), to prepare and submit an Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA) report for the proposed development of the Project.

Graymont and Lehigh Hanson (formerly Parson Creek Resources, now Parsons Creek Aggregates under theirjoint venture agreement) have been conducting, since 2005, geological, environmental and socio-economicassessments for the regulatory applications required for its limestone quarry development. Much of the workand knowledge gained during this time formed the basis for the revised 2009 limestone quarry design resultingfrom the introduction of the AT projects (Highway 63 realignment and North Parsons Creek Interchange).

A.2.5 Project ComponentsThe Project has segmented development of the proposed 391 ha limestone quarry into seven separate mineblocks or stages, ranging in size between 32 ha and 65 ha. The five largest mine blocks average 62 ha in size.Limestone quarry development will advance from block to block with extraction in the next block starting whilereclamation is occurring, or near completion, in preceding blocks where the limestone ore is depleted.

The following quarry operating parameters have been determined for this project:

total available limestone reserves are estimated at 58 million tonnes (Mt);



quarry area of 391 ha contains two ore zones for aggregate rock products;

initial and peak production rate of 0.25 and 2.0 Mt/yr, respectively;

quarry lifespan is estimated at about 40 years based on projected demand;

quarry activities and operations 8 months of the year (March to October);

quarry activities and operations at peak production will operate 24 hrs/day;

quarry mining direction will progress from north to south along Project lease;

about 1.8 tonnes of overburden/non-specification limestone will be excavated for each tonne oflimestone ore; and

existing Aggregate Operation is adjusted to include the potential to mine limestone deposit upper limitsas an additional source of aggregate materials.

The tabular and massive bedding of the limestone deposit lends itself to quarrying operations and, in particular,the development of quarry benches. Another favourable condition is the limestone deposit contained within theproposed quarry site property is bedded almost horizontally, dipping slightly to the southwest. Blasting andexcavating the limestone deposits while using quarry benches with risers between 5 and 7.5 m, will produceterraced landscape features as the quarry advances.

The following quarry activities and operations were determined as primary Project components:

Limestone mining, including drilling and blasting activities to produce limestone rock fragments forloading and hauling activities;

Limestone preparation, including crushing, screening and washing activities to produce finishedlimestone aggregate rock products;

Limestone product storage; including stockpile site preparation for finished limestone aggregate rockproducts; and

Limestone product load out and transport; including procedures for loading and hauling finishedlimestone aggregate rock products.

A.2.5.1 Limestone Mining

For limestone mining, the exposed surface area of the designated limestone ore zone is prepared by drilling andthe limestone broken by controlled blasting operations. This process will be undertaken only during daylighthours. A qualified blasting contractor will be used and no explosives or blasting agents will be stored on-site.The expertise of the explosives contractor and geology encountered will determine the combination of drill holesand explosive charges (or blasting agent) used.

After blasting, shot rock fragments are excavated by a front-end loader with a specialized quarry bucket. Rockfragments are then loaded into an off-road haul (OH) truck for transport to the portable crushing and screeningplant a short distance away. To optimize OH truck use and travel times, a fleet of up to four OH trucks may beused with the start up of quarry operations. While one OH truck is being loaded at the quarry working face, theother OH trucks will either be in transit or unloading at the surge pile prepared near the hopper and grizzly feedfor the portable crushing and screening plant.

While active limestone mining continues, equipment and vehicles stationed at the quarry will be deployed on aregular basis to conduct soil and overburden salvage along with clearing and grubbing of other designatedfuture quarry mining areas in advance of the current quarry mining areas. Again, before any soil andoverburden salvage occurs, a timber salvage contractor will be deployed to clear any merchantable timber.



Also, surface water or groundwater dewatering will continue when required. Regular on-site inspections willconfirm the need for using erosion and sediment control measures.

A.2.5.2 Limestone Preparation

Crushed rock products are produced when force is applied with sufficient energy to break the internal mineralbonds that exist within the rock. Crushing rock is an energy-intensive action requiring specialized crushingequipment, often assisted by hydraulics that shatter, cleave or use abrasion in applying force to break down therock to desired sizes. Crushing equipment proposed for the Project includes a jaw crusher for initial feed intothe portable plant and a cone crusher for producing finished aggregate rock products. Selection of crushingequipment may be modified by PCA or the crusher operator, as determined by rock fragment feed and endproduct needs.

Screening is the process used for separating rock fragments or aggregates into various sizes as required forproduct specification. Screening equipment types proposed for the Project include a vibrating grizzly for initialfeed into the portable plant and vibrating inclined for producing finished aggregate rock products. Screeningequipment selection may be modified as determined by PCA or the crushing operator’s preference inconsideration of the crushing equipment being used.

The portable crushing and screening plant location will be situated with consideration for optimal movements ofquarry equipment and vehicles (i.e., OH truck travel distances to and from the plant site). The Projectanticipates that the crushing and screening plant will operate at reduced production volumes during the first fewyears after the quarry start up; eventually ramping up to peak production levels anticipated for the Project whilemeeting anticipated market demands.

Aggregate washing further enhances quality and engineering properties of limestone rock products. Mostaggregate rock products, with dry fines removal by screening, can be adequately washed by feed materialpassing over vibrating inclined screens using high pressure water spray nozzles. Washed aggregate rockproducts are then sized by passing feed material through different sizing screens. Some wash plantconfigurations may require that feed material be pre-wetted before reaching the screen.

The described limestone preparation facilities (i.e., crushing and screening plant, conveyors and stacker) isentirely portable and is designed to relocate to active working areas of the quarry. The control room for theplant site is self-contained with a portable generator and is also designed to be relocated when the crushing andscreening plant is relocated. Although portable, the wash plant will not relocate as frequently as the portableplant spread because of the need to construct a new settling pond system.

A.2.5.3 Limestone Stockpiling and Storage

Finished limestone aggregate rock products are transported by conveyor from the portable plant to a stackingconveyor that will be used for constructing stockpiles sites. A separate stockpile is usually prepared for eachdifferent size (or blended sizes) of finished limestone aggregate rock products. Depending on volume andlocation, stockpile sites could also be constructed by using loaded OH trucks or dump trucks with a bulldozerdepending on equipment availability.

A.2.5.4 Limestone Product Load-out

Customer dump trucks and contract haulers will follow a constructed and clearly marked truck haul route withinthe Project to the designated quarry work area where finished limestone aggregate rock products are stockpiled.Waiting trucks will be loaded by front-end loader directly from the finished product stockpiles.

A.2.5.5 Sand and Gravel Operation

The previously approved Parsons Creek North Sand and Gravel Operation (the sand and gravel operation) isnow constructed and supplying sand and gravel products from the surficial alluvial deposits to the Fort



McMurray market area. Removal of sand and gravel from this location will also expose the upper limits of thelimestone deposit.

Depending on sub-surface conditions, PCA anticipates mining much of the accessible limestone beneath thesand and gravel deposit to produce additional aggregate rock products for the Fort McMurray market. Thefootprint of the sand and gravel operation remains the same as the existing operation plan with deeper pitexcavations. Depending on accessible volumes, supplemental limestone mining will extend the life of theAggregate Operation based on current PCA production estimates.

Subject to a favourable decision of this Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the Conservation andReclamation Business Plan for the sand and gravel operation, as approved under the current SML will besuperseded by quarry mining plans and Conservation and Reclamation Plan as described in this EIA.

A.2.5.6 Utilities

Utility systems will be required to support limestone aggregate rock production and associated quarry activitiesor operations:

propane supply;

auxiliary power generation;

diesel supply;

telecommunications interfaces; and

instrumentation and controls.

For the most part, these utilities will be portable and self-contained.

When required, propane will be supplied by a commercial contractor and used in a number of processes in theProject as a clean fuel source, primarily for building heating. Electric power required for most quarry activities oroperations will be diesel generated.

Water being collected in constructed sumps around the quarry, after settling treatment, will be used by adedicated water truck with spray bars and/or spray gun for dust suppression activities throughout active quarryworking areas.

During quarry operations, potable water will be required to meet the needs of the workforce, a maximum of 10-12 people per day, with 3-4 persons per day present during periodic and winter shutdowns. Potable water willbe contractor-supplied.

Portable sanitation facilities will also be supplied by contractor during quarry construction and operation.Wastewater will be transported offsite by contractor to an approved wastewater facility for processing anddisposal.

A.2.5.7 Infrastructure

Portable buildings will be used for a scale house, quarry office and a warehouse. The warehouse will be usedto store required equipment parts for quarry activities and operations.

The following haul roads are required for quarry activities and operations:

Access (external) road from Highway 63 to quarry north entrance

Proposed access (external) from North Parsons Interchange Project to proposed south quarry entrance;



Internal haul road from quarry entrance to limestone preparation facility, stockpiles sites and truckloading areas; and

Internal haul road from the active quarry area to limestone preparation facility.

In addition, there will be seasonal internal haul routes within the quarry development area to access soil andoverburden stockpile sites as required.

A.2.5.7.1 Municipal and Utility Services

The Project may be connected to external utilities and related infrastructure existing at the site boundary oroffsite within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB), however self-contained utilities will likely beused for Project start up. The connections to offsite utilities may include, but will not be limited to, natural gassupply, potable water supply, sanitary wastewater discharge, high voltage electric power line, andtelecommunications interfaces. Limestone aggregate rock products will be transported by highway transporttrucks to customers within the local market area.

A.2.5.7.2 Access to Highway 63

PCA has obtained License of Occupation and Highway Development Permit authorizations (from AlbertaSustainable Resources Development and Alberta Transportation respectively) to build a vehicle access toHighway 63 for purposes of the existing North Parsons Creek Sand and Gravel Project (sand and gravel pitoperation).

The access has been constructed and is currently operating at Highway 63 and the north boundary of theGraymont MAIM lease at the north end of Section 31. In March 2010, PCA submitted design drawings toAlberta Transportation for approval of proposed improvements to this intersection.

The proposed improvements will extend the southbound acceleration lane to accommodate all types of trucktraffic to and from the site to Alberta Transportation’s standards. Proposed access and egress for the limestonequarry will be to and from Highway 63 at two locations:

the existing PCA intersection location at the north end of Section 31; and

the future “North Parsons Creek” grade separated interchange which is being planned by AlbertaTransportation for a location immediately south of the Project Development Area (PDA) and north of theexisting Fort McMurray Urban Services Boundary. Alberta Transportation anticipates that thisinterchange will be completed in 2014 to serve the future expansion of the Fort McMurray urban areaand meet regional transportation needs. Alberta Transportation is designing the interchange in amanner to provide access for Parsons Creek Aggregates’ operations should access be required.

During initial years of quarry activities and operations, all access would be to and from the existing PCA at-grade intersection, with proposed design improvements as noted above. This intersection would serve thequarry until such time as Alberta Transportation determines that all, or a portion of, quarry traffic should bediverted to the south access being prepared for the new North Parsons Creek grade-separated interchange.Alberta Transportation (AT) controls the use of the existing intersection through conditions of the existingHighway Development Permit.

A.2.6 AlternativesIn terms of Project alternatives, there are no functionally different ways of carrying out the proposed Project.Further, the alternative of not proceeding with the Project was not considered viable, as the result would be aloss of the substantial regional benefits to be derived from the Project. PCA also considered the implications ofdelaying the Project but decided to move forward with the current schedule in order to meet increasing local andregional market construction material demands for aggregate rock products. The Project will assist in meetingdemands for aggregates that were previously filled by the depleted Poplar Creek Sand and Gravel Pit



In terms of alternative means for the Project, PCA considered a number of alternatives for facility design andlocation during the pre-feasibility phase of Project development. PCA’s decision-making approach considered,as applicable, a number of different factors including environmental, social, technical, operational and economiccriteria.

A.2.7 ScheduleSubject to Project approval, quarry construction and opening up is scheduled to begin later in the 3rd Quarter of2011 with limestone rock production commencing early in the 2nd Quarter of 2012. The quarry opening willbegin in the north part of Project site and proceed south over the next 30 years of proposed quarry activities andoperations, eventually towards Parsons Creek. After crossing Parsons Creek, the final phase of quarryoperations would be located about 1.0 km from the Fort McMurray USA and new residential areas. Subject toarea market demand for aggregates, the life of Project is expected to be 40 years, including completion ofrevegetation work for final reclamation of areas disturbed by quarry activities and operations.

A.2.8 CostsPCA decision-making is based on the significant Project resources invested in design engineering,environmental impact assessment and regulatory application. Capital expenditures for Project construction areestimated to be $30 million, while annual operating costs are expected to be $24 million at peak productionvolumes.

A.3 INNOVATION AND MANAGEMENT

PCA intends to be an industry leader in the supply of limestone products in North America taking intoconsideration innovative methods for product improvement, increased productivity and cost effectiveness.Proposals were received from several different licensors and the various configurations (i.e., quarry miningtechniques and mining equipment) were evaluated according to their ability to achieve PCA product objectives.The ultimate configuration was influenced not only by the desired product and quality target, but also by factorssuch as new and available technology, power sources, fuel availability and capital costs.

Alternatives considered either economic or technically feasibility were further assessed in terms ofenvironmental and socio-economic effects. PCA determined that the optimal balance between capital costs,operating costs, market demands, qualities of limestone aggregate rock product as well as environmental andsocio-economic considerations would be achieved by using conventional limestone quarry mining and portablelimestone preparation facilities.

A.3.1 Project DesignBoth short and long term planning objectives are required for the Project design before limestone quarry miningcan occur. Project exploration and drilling has provided information through comprehensive geologic data andanalyses for the overall quarry mining plan to optimize extraction of the designated limestone ore zones.

In addition to promoting cost-effective extraction procedures and preparation methods, the mining planestablishes the basis for the Conservation and Reclamation Plan and identifies opportunities to reduce surfacedisturbances and minimize the potential for environmental impacts resulting from quarry activities andoperations.

A.3.2 Management FrameworkInherent in the application of existing or new technologies and approaches is the ability to address uncertainty,since there is always less certainty about the actual performance of new approaches in the field. Adaptivemanagement is the preferred tool for addressing uncertainty and will be used by PCA over the Project lifespan.Adaptive management is a structured process used to systematically test assumptions in order to learn andadapt to unexpected results.



A.3.3 CooperationThe Project is located in an area currently containing small scale development at this time. However, locatednorth of the Fort McMurray USA and adjacent to Highway 63, the Project has been impacted by AT-plannedconstruction for Highway 63 of realignment and interchange projects. The AT projects provide opportunities andchallenges for coordinated and optimized development, requiring sharing of data and information andcommunication of information about specific features of the projects and relationship to other projects in thearea. PCA initiated and maintained ongoing consultation with AT since learning about these projects in 2009.PCA has developed a modified quarry mining plan for the Project to accommodate interests of both parties.

Graymont MAIM leases are overlapped with numerous surface dispositions within the Project area. PCA isseeking opportunities with other disposition holders to facilitate the exchange of development plans and datathat contributes to the orderly land use development in the region.

A.3.3.1 Consultation with Industry

Not including oil sands development, aggregate rock products are required on a continuous basis formaintaining area infrastructure in the Fort McMurray Urban Service Area (USA) and demand will keepincreasing with population migration. PCA believes the Project will result in providing many benefits to theregion.

In researching local area markets, PCA is aware of industry stakeholders requiring quality aggregate productsand have consulted with local suppliers and contractors responsible for area infrastructure work necessary forthe region’s continued growth and development, stable employment, economic diversification and businessopportunities.

A.3.3.2 Regional Initiatives

PCA anticipates further work with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo to define short-term and long-termrecreational activities within the Graymont MAIM lease in conformity with municipal policies that promoterecreational land uses in this area. Subject to appropriate regulatory approvals and sponsors, short-termrecreational opportunities would be most appropriate near the AT North Parsons Creek interchange at southend of the MAIM lease.

Longer-term recreational activities could be accommodated after limestone quarry reclamation. However, thefirst parcels of reclaimed land from the Project are scheduled at least 15 years after quarry opening. It appearsthat more intensive recreational activities will be most appropriate toward the south end of the MAIM Lease,closer to the Fort McMurray USA.

A.4 THE REGULATORY AND PLANNING FRAMEWORK

The construction, operation, and reclamation of the Project will require various approvals and licences fromprovincial, as well as federal and municipal government agencies. PCA is committed to meeting or exceedingall regulatory requirements in respect of the Project.

Pursuant to s. 50 of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (“EPEA”) and Schedule 1 (b) of theEnvironmental Assessment (Mandatory and Exempted Activities) Regulation, a quarry producing more than45,000 tonnes per year is a mandatory activity that requires an environmental impact assessment report besubmitted.

Under the Canada-Alberta Agreement for Environmental Assessment Cooperation, a single, cooperativeenvironmental assessment is to be conducted to:

meet the requirements of both the federal and provincial governments,

avoid duplication, and



ensure the environmental assessment is done as efficiently and effectively as possible.

As provided for in the agreement, the Provincial Government is the Lead Party for the review of theenvironmental assessment as the Project is located on provincial land.

A.4.1 Primary Federal, Provincial, and Municipal ApprovalsThis Application is made under the Alberta regulatory process and is designed to fulfill legislative and planningrequirements as outlined in Table A.4.1-1.

Table A.4.1-1 Regulatory Requirements associated with the EIA Application

Subject Authority Requirement

Federal

Navigable Waters Transport Canada(TC) – Coast Guard

Navigable Water Protection Act (NWPA) applies to work orprojects potentially affecting the navigability of watercourses. There is no requirement as waterways locatedwithin the Project Area are not considered navigable.

Fish HabitatDepartment ofFisheries and Oceans(DFO)

Fisheries Act applies to work that may affect fish or fishhabitat. Ongoing consultation with DFO indicates thatharmful alteration, disruption or destruction (HADD) of fishhabitat is not likely provided that suitable buffers aremaintained from fish habitat (e.g. Parson’s Creek,Unnamed Creek #6, and Athabasca River).

Explosives

Natural ResourcesCanada, ExplosivesRegulatory Division(ERD)

Explosives Act does not apply to this application. A thirdparty will be employed for all blasting activities and therewill be no explosives manufactured or stored on site.

RadioCommunications Industry Canada

Radio Communications Act specifies that no person shall,except under and in accordance with a radioauthorization, install, operate or possess radio apparatus,other than (a) exempted radio apparatus or (b) radioapparatus that is capable only of the reception ofbroadcasting and that is not a distribution undertaking.Project activitities do not result in non-compliance with theRadio Communications Act.

Provincial

Construction,Operations, andReclamation

Cabinet of theProvincialGovernment

An Order in Council is required for construction, operationand reclamation of the Project.


Natural ResourcesConservation Board(NRCB)

An approval under the Natural Resources ConservationBoard Act is required for construction, operation andreclamation of the Project.


Alberta Environment(AENV)

An approval under the Environmental Protection andEnhancement Act (EPEA) is required for the construction,operation and reclamation of the Project.

Water Diversion AENV An approval under the Water Act is required for thediversion of both groundwater and surface water.

Historical Resources Alberta Tourism,Park, Recreation and

A historical resources clearance under the HistoricalResources Act is being sought from ATPRC. A Historical



Table A.4.1-1 Regulatory Requirements associated with the EIA Application

Subject Authority RequirementCulture (ATPRC) -(formerly, AlbertaCommunityDevelopment)

Resource Impact Assessment (HRIA) will be submitted toATPRC in accordance with this Act.

Mineral Rights Alberta EnergyAn Alberta Metallic and Industrial Minerals (MAIM) lease forthe rights to limestone on the Project site has beenobtained. (MAIM lease #9404120901)

A.4.2 Other AuthorizationsUpon acceptance of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report PCA will make applications for theauthorizations required for the operation of the Project as outlined in Table A.4.2-1.

Table A.4.2-1 Regulatory Requirements post EIA

Subject Authority Requirement

Provincial

Surface Lease forthe Project Site

Alberta SustainableResourceDevelopment (SRD)

Mineral Surface Lease (MSL) and Licences of Occupation(LOC) under the the Public Lands Act is required for theProject. This will be applied for under a separateapplication.

Site Access AlbertaTransportation (AT)

The Traffic Act requires approval for location of accessroads to Highway 63. This will be applied for under aseparate application.

Municipal

Land Use andDevelopment PermitApprovals

Regional Municipalityof Wood Buffalo(RMWB)

The Municipal Development Plan was amended in 2006 toallow for Natural Resource Extraction (including quarryoperations) within the MAIM Lease site. Subsequent toapproval of this EIA further RMWB approvals will berequired prior to construction and operation of a quarry.These include appropriate amendments to the Highway 63North Area Structure Plan, and the Land Use Bylaw#99/059

A.4.3 Compliance with Policies and PlansA review of land use objectives and planning considerations for the study area included the legislation, bylaws,policies and plans of the RMWB and the Government of Alberta. The following list specifies the documentsreviewed and a summary of information applicable to the Project. For more detailed information, refer toConsultant Report (Volume 2, CR #4 Land Use, Section 3.0).



Fort McMurray Athabasca Oil Sands Subregional Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) (1996), AlbertaSustainable Resource Development

The IRP divides the planning area into five separate resource management areas (RMA). The Project’sstudy area is within the “Athabasca-Clearwater Resource Management Area” and the “Fort McMurrayFringe Resource Management Area”. The IRP states that the management and extraction of mineralsmust be conducted in a manner that minimizes impacts to the river valley ecosystems and other landuses and infrastructure within both RMAs.

Operating conditions, mitigative measures and reclamation procedures with regard to industrialdevelopment is evaluated on a project-specific basis.

Municipal Development Plan (Bylaw No. 00/005, 2000), including the Highway 63 North Area StructurePlan (Bylaw No. 99/037, 1999), Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

The RMWB will work to ensure that an adequate and appropriate supply of industrial land is available tomeet current and future industrial needs.

The study area for the Project is within an area designated as Future Major Recreational by theMunicipal Development Plan. This designation is assigned to lands deemed “appropriate for largerecreational uses, such as multi-use recreational facilities and athletic parks, and may also containpassive recreational trail networks, environmentally sensitive areas and open spaces”. This definitionwas amended in July 2006 (Bylaw 06/025) to state that “natural resource extraction may be appropriatewhere operating and reclamation plans effectively retain or enhance the end-use capability of the land”.The MDP provides the policy direction that supports natural resource extraction prior to end-usedevelopments.

The Project’s study area falls within land designated by the Highway 63 Area Structure Plan (ASP) asRecreation and Open Space.

The Land Use objectives of the Highway 63 ASP include the “encouragement of steady growth” andprovisions for “a land use planning framework that will strengthen the local economic base” and to“strengthen and support resource-based industry”, to “minimize potential land use conflicts” and to“protect opportunities for future growth and expansion of urban development.” (Section 5.2, Land UseObjectives).

Policies within the Highway 63 ASP specify buffer requirements along the highway, the Athabasca Riverand other drainage courses, and also recommend the consideration of impacts of industrialdevelopment on future recreation uses.

Land Use Bylaw (Bylaw No. 99/059, Sept. 2007), Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

The study area for the Project lies within the Parks and Recreation Land Use District, designated assuch for the purpose of providing land for the development of recreational areas and/or facilities for thegeneral public.

Small portions of SW-18-90-9-W4 and SW-7-90-9-W4 have been designated as land for BusinessIndustrial use to accommodate two small operations (refer to Volume 2, CR #4, Section 4.10).

Lands at the north end of the Project Area within the west half of Section 31-90-9-W4M wereredesignated in 2006 (Bylaw 06/037) to allow for “sand and gravel extraction and associated processingand shipping activities.

The Project is consistent with current and future development plans for the area as outlined in the AlbertaSustainable Resource Development’s Fort McMurray Athabasca Oil Sands Subregional Integrated ResourcePlan (IRP) (1996) and the RMWB’s Municipal Development Plan (Bylaw No. 00/005, 2000). The Project has



also being designed to ensure compatibility with the RMWB’s future urban growth plans as described in the“Fringe Area Development Assessment, March 2007”.

Application for amendments to the RMWB’s Highway 63 North Area Structure Plan (Bylaw No. 99/037, 1999)and Land Use Bylaw (Bylaw No. 99/059, Sept. 2007) to allow limestone extraction will be made uponcompletion of this Environmental Impact Assessment for the Project. Application for a development permit withthe RMWB, as required by the Land Use Bylaw, will follow once amendments have been approved.

Applicable municipal planning documents indicate that the Parsons Creek Lease is located on lands currentlydesignated for use as a recreational area. PCA will reclaim the area to be compatible with the end land use asdetermined in consultation with the public, first nations, municipality and provincial authorities. PCA will restrictaccess to the operational areas of the proposed quarry with the use of locked gates, signage and fencing wherenecessary during construction and operation. Access will also be restricted as necessary in areas undergoingreclamation while earthworks are being undertaken and vegetation is being established, however Aboriginalusers and current holders of trapping agreements will be allowed access to areas not undergoing constructionor operation.

A.5 COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

The intent of the PCA consultation strategy has been to identify and incorporate a range of community values toensure the Project will be appropriately adapted to the local context. PCA is addressing stakeholder concernsabout the Project and building positive, long-term relationships with the Project’s community neighbours.

Throughout more than four years of consultation activities, interested or affected members of the public, localinterests and aboriginal stakeholders were provided with opportunities to meet with PCA representatives andparticipate in the regulatory process. Their concerns and comments were integrated into the Project design andfuture reclamation planning to the greatest extent possible (Refer to Volume 1, Section C.4).

PCA has built long-term relationships with local and aboriginal neighbours to ensure the project will continue toaddress any concerns or issues that may arise over the life of the Project.

A.5.1 Commitments, Principles and ObjectivesPCA has made a commitment to provide meaningful engagement opportunities with local and aboriginalinterests who may be affected by the Project. The PCA consultation strategy is based on the followingprinciples:

To keep interested and affected stakeholders informed and engaged in the development of the Project,

To respond to their concerns and interests, and

To build positive relationships with the Project’s community neighbours.

To ensure the principles of the PCA consultation strategy were met, the following objectives were established bythe consultation team:

Provide multiple opportunities for input with open dialogue for all interested stakeholder groups

Communicate in a clear, honest and fair way about potential Project impacts and benefits

Incorporate stakeholder concerns within the mine and reclamation plan whenever possible and to thegreatest extent possible such as considerations for natural habitat and recreation opportunities, accessto the lease, traditional use of the site, visual and noise impacts, etc.

Provide ongoing communication and information for aboriginal communities potentially affected by theProject through activities such as attendance at community events, coordination of public and eldersmeetings, contributions for community events, etc.



This commitment to open public and aboriginal consultation has been carried throughout the planning andregulatory approvals process and will continue into the operations phase of the Project.

A.5.2 Program ComponentsA clear consultation process was followed with the following key steps:

1. Identify stakeholders who may have a specific interest or concern regarding the Project includingaboriginal groups;

2. Meet with identified stakeholders or stakeholder groups to listen to and understand their respectiveinterests, concerns, and/ or expectations in regards to the Project. This includes actively seeking inputfrom stakeholders through face-to-face meetings, community events, and presentations;

3. Develop a means to address stakeholder interests or concerns as they arise. This includes suchmeasures such as mitigating Project effects and/or modifying Project design;

4. Provide timely and ongoing updates to the general public during the EA process with communitynewsletters, open houses and face-to-face meetings as well as over the life of the project withcommunity newsletters, an annual open house, and posted website information; and

5. Maintain ongoing and open communication with key stakeholders to ensure transparent operations.

This consultation process was carried forward through the following program components:

Public Disclosure Document

Newsletters

Toll-Free Number and Website Update

Public Open Houses

Face-to-Face Meetings

TEK and TLU Studies

IRC Membership

Aboriginal Community and IRC Meetings

A.5.3 Summary of OutcomesAs a result of the PCA consultation program, the following changes to the Project or commitments to interestedstakeholders have been made:

1. PCA has established formal and informal relationships with Aboriginal communities;

IRC agreements or agreements in principle were established with three First Nations (Fort McKay FirstNation, Chipewyan Prairie First Nation and Mikisew Cree First Nation) and with Métis #1935

PCA maintains an informal working relationship with Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation IRC and FortMcMurray #468 First Nation. These relationships involve use of a “pay-as-you-go” mechanism forconsulting with ACFN and preparing a long-term agreement. PCA’s relationship with Fort McMurrayFirst Nation provides funding for community events.

PCA has discussed the EIA study with all Aboriginal groups in order to understand which groups willwant to undertake a formal professional review of the limestone quarry EIA.

2. PCA has committed to working with Aboriginal communities:



PCA is currently working to establish a plan for long-term community investment in aboriginalcommunities. The nature of these mutually agreed-upon initiatives is expected to evolve out of ongoingdiscussions with aboriginal communities.

PCA is committed to an open bidding process that includes aboriginal contractors

3. PCA has included TEK and TLU considerations into the EIA

There will be no disturbance of existing cabins formerly used by members of the of Fort McKay FirstNation and Métis Local #1935

The reclamation plan has been updated to acknowledge moose habitat by returning the north end of theProject Area to a naturalized landscape.

4. PCA has altered or adjusted the Project mine plan:

Crushers will be enclosed in response to the dust concerns

The mine plan has been adjusted to delete lands required by the Province for a new interchange on thesouth part of the Minerals Lease area.

The plan anticipates working further with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo to define short-termand long-term recreational activities within the MAIM lease area in conformity with municipal policiesthat promote recreational uses on the land. Subject to appropriate regulatory approvals and sponsors,short-term recreational opportunities would be most appropriate near the south end of the Project Areanear the new North Parsons Creek interchange. Longer-term recreational activities could beaccommodated after the limestone quarry has been reclaimed. More intensive recreational activitieswill be most appropriate toward the south end of the Project Area, closer to the Fort McMurray UrbanService Area.

Areas of the site that are not currently part of operations will be available for recreational activities thatdo not interfere with habitat protection areas or current site operations

5. PCA has altered or adjusted the Project reclamation plan:

A naturalized landscape, with potential for low-intensity recreational use, will be established at the northend of the site to complement existing moose habitat in this area;

The reclamation plan has incorporated quarry ponds and landforms that could accommodate a varietyof different recreation opportunities in the future. This reclamation design is intended to allow theRMWB to accommodate recreational activities on the land in the future in accordance with existingMunicipal Development Plan, Area Structure Plan, and Land Use Bylaw land use policies.

6. PCA has an established relationship with the Trapline #1790 Lease Holder:

Access to areas of the site not currently under extraction will continue to be available for trapping

Compensation has been agreed upon between PCA and the Trapline Lease Holder for any loss oftrapping opportunities

7. PCA has established how consultation should be conducted moving forward with aboriginal stakeholdersand the general public:

A general public open house for all interested local stakeholders will be hosted in Fort McMurray uponcompletion and filing of the EIA application

Community open house presentations to Elders are being held with Fort McKay First Nation, AthabascaChipewyan First Nation, and Metis #1935 prior to filing of this EIA application document. Similar



meetings are being arranged with other Aboriginal groups to occur at the time the EIA document isreleased or shortly thereafter.

8. Commitment to Ongoing Consultation

PCA will be an open and transparent operator in the region. An annual onsite open house will be heldduring the life of the Project for stakeholders to tour ongoing PCA operations.

A.6 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) for the Parsons CreekAggregates Project have been prepared to comply with all relevant provincial and federal legislation. The EIAmethodology and approach (Volume 1, Part D) was selected to satisfy both federal and provincial requirementswithin the spirit of the Canada - Alberta Agreement on Environmental Assessment Cooperation.

The application was initiated with the main objective of providing a comprehensive and integrated technical andenvironmental document that would enable an expeditious review and approval process. This section of theapplication provides a summary of more detailed information that is contained in Volume1, Part E and in theconsultant reports (Volumes 2 & 3, CR# 1 to #15). To assist in the review of this application, a commonnumbering scheme exists for each discipline between the sections of the report (e.g. Air Quality is discussed inVolume 1, Sections A.6.1, E.1, and Volume 2, CR #1; Human Health is discussed in Volume 1, Sections A.6.2,E.2 and Volume 2, CR# 2).

Valued Environmental Components (VECs)

The rigorous review of the proposed Project identified a number of environmental aspects that were specific tothe development of the Project. Each of the various disciplines that were investigated developed a list of ValuedEnvironmental Components (VECs). VECs for the Project are those environmental aspects associated with theproposed project development, which have been identified as a concern by PCA, the public, government andprofessional community. VECs consider both biological (i.e. ecosystem) and socio-economic attributes becauseof the broad-based definition of environmental effect as outlined both in federal and provincial legislation.

The EIA and CEA were focused on the effects that the Project would have on the identified VECs, incombination with other activities in the region, over the projected life of the Project. Application of the selectedmethodology provided the scope for the EIA and CEA.

VECs were assessed using three scenarios:

baseline case –which includes existing environmental conditions and existing projects or “approved”activities;

application case – starts with the baseline case and adds only the PCA Limestone Quarry Project; and

planned (CEA) case – which includes past studies, existing and anticipated future environmentalconditions, existing projects or activities, plus other “planned” projects or activities.

As appropriate VECs or findings have been identified within each of the following disciplines:

air quality;

human health;

noise;

land use;

soils and terrain;



conservation and reclamation;

vegetation;

wildlife;

hydrology;

hydrogeology;

aquatic resources;

historical resources;

traditional ecological knowledge and land use;

socio-economic; and

palaeontological resources

Study Areas

The “footprint” of the Project is approximately 391 ha. The local and regional study areas varied betweendifferent disciplines. The CEA for this Project considered all the existing, approved and reasonably foreseeableprojects. The study area boundaries defined within the scope of the EIA are shown on Figures A.6-1 and A.6-2.The projects considered in the CEA are discussed further in Volume 1, Part D (EIA Methodology).

Based on the input received during PCA’s public involvement program, advice from regulatory agencies and theprofessionals working on the project, PCA is confident that the approach used for the EIA and CEA for theProject is comprehensive and accurately reflects the impacts of the Project. PCA believes that theenvironmental effects assessment presented in the application provides the decision-makers with the necessaryinformation to decide whether the Project is acceptable and in the public interest.

A summary of the EIA is provided in this section. The full EIA information is provided in Volume 1, Part E andthe Consultant Reports (CR) which are listed in each sub-section below.

A.6.1 Air Quality AssessmentPCA retained DML Leahey & Associates and Stantec to conduct an Air Quality Assessment of the Project. Theresults of the assessment of the Project on Air Quality are provided in Volume 1, Section E.1 and are based onthe detailed Air Quality Assessment Report Volume 2, CR #1. A summary of the findings of the Air QualityAssessment are included in this section.

The Project will be the source of criteria air contaminants (i.e., carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2),fine particulate (PM2.5), and sulphur dioxide (SO2) as well as non-criteria pollutants (i.e., volatile organiccompounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals).

Observational data demonstrate that air quality levels within the Fort McMurray Area are currently well withindesirable levels as defined by Alberta’s Ambient Air Quality Objectives (AAAQO) with respect to CO, NO2, andSO2. These objectives are designed to provide adequate protection against adverse effects on soil, water,vegetation, materials, visibility, odour, comfort and well being. Concentrations of fine particulates (PM2.5) wereobserved to exceed the AAAQO about 0.3 % of the time. Such an exceedance frequency is also measured inpristine areas of Alberta.

Plume dispersion model evaluations demonstrated that maximum ground-level concentrations of CO, NO2, andSO2 will remain within desirable levels as defined by the AAAQO during Project operations.



Maximum predicted concentrations of PM2.5 exceed relevant AAAQOs values outside Project fence lines, butonly within areas that have no residential or industrial activities. They should therefore not have any adverseenvironmental or human health implications.

Plume dispersion assessments of emissions of VOCs, PAHs and metals associated with Project activitiesshowed that they should have only a minor effect on existing air quality at 10 sensitivity receptors selected forthe evaluation of the HHRA Volume 2, CR #2.

There will be no adverse effects of the Project with respects to ozone formation because the meteorology of theFort McMurray region is not conducive to anthropogenic ozone creation.

Analyses of the potential for acid deposition issues by AENV (2007) demonstrate that there should be noproblems relating to soil or water acidification up to 2011. This will include the period associated with Projectinitiation. The potential for issues to develop with respect to acid deposition will continue to be assessed andmanaged by AENV. Any emerging issues will be addressed by PCA in association with other regional industriesin accordance with the process specified by CASA and AENV (1999). Graymont is currently a participant andthe ACR representative on CASA.

Given the results of the modeling, and the conservative assumptions used, the Project is predicted to have aninsignificant effect on air quality as a VEC, as shown in Volume 1, Part E, Table E.1.7-1.

A.6.2 Human Health Risk AssessmentPCA retained Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc. to conduct a human health risk assessment (HHRA) of theproposed Parsons Creek Resources limestone quarry and handling facility, involving evaluation of potentialhealth risks to local residents and others from Project emissions. The results of the HHRA are provided inVolume 1, Section E.2 and are based on the detailed HHRA Report Volume 2, CR #2. A summary of thefindings of the HHRA are included in this section.

The scope and methods used were based on typical EIA terms of reference for HHRAs as issued by AlbertaEnvironment and Alberta Health and Wellness for proposed industrial projects.

The assessment cases evaluated in the HHRA included:

Baseline case

Project Alone case

Application case (Baseline case plus the contribution of the Project alone).

Chemicals of potential concern (COPCs) in atmospheric emissions included regulated substances such asnitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and sulphur dioxide (SO2).Non-criteria air contaminants included several individual volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclicaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and metals.

Four human receptor groups were identified for the HHRA as follows:

Temporary Visitor (e.g. hunter/trapper, recreational user)

Seasonal Aboriginal Resident

Permanent Community Residents

Commercial Employee

The HHRA assessed multiple potential COPC exposure pathways including acute and chronic inhalation, andchronic soil, local game and garden produce consumption. COPC assessed included both carcinogenic and



non-carcinogenic substances. In addition, potential health risks were assessed for mixtures of chemicals withsimilar health endpoints, such as respiratory irritants.

Potential health effects associated with the assessment cases are presented as ratios of the exposureestimates to the selected exposure limits, expressed as Risk Quotients (RQs) for non-carcinogens andincremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCRs) for carcinogens.

Predicted RQ or ILCR values of 1.0 or less indicate negligible health risks, while values in excess of 1.0 indicatepotential health risks, although conservative assumptions associated with the HHRA must be considered beforeconclusions can be made.

The conclusions of the HHRA are as follows.

A.6.2.1 Short-term health risks

Inhalation health risks associated with the Project air emissions on a short-term basis were evaluated bycomparing maximum predicted acute or short-term air concentrations with health-based regulatory guidelinesconsidered protective of the most sensitive individuals. With the exception of PM2.5, predicted acute RQ valuesdid not exceed 1.0 for any of the individual COPC and chemical mixtures under the Baseline or ApplicationCase. This demonstrates that, predicted COPC air concentrations were less than their health-based guidelinesand that the additive interactions of the COPC are not predicted to result in health effects. Therefore, healthrisks for these COPC and mixtures are considered negligible.

The one possible exception involves the potential exposure of persons to PM2.5 concentrations at the maximumground-level concentration. As discussed, the occurrence of this exceedance is highly unlikely (i.e., 0.2%) andthe area of potential impact is very small and close to the facility.

A.6.2.2 Long-term health risks

Inhalation

Inhalation health risks associated with the Project air emissions on a long-term basis were evaluated bycomparing maximum predicted chronic or long-term air concentrations with health-based regulatory guidelinesconsidered protective of the most sensitive individuals.

Predicted chronic RQ values for non-carcinogens did not exceed 1.0 for any of the individual COPC andchemical mixtures under the Baseline or Application Cases. This demonstrates that most of the predictedCOPC air concentrations were less than their health-based guidelines and that additive interactions of theCOPC are not predicted to result in health effects. Therefore, health risks for these COPC and mixtures areconsidered negligible.

For the carcinogens, maximum predicted ILCR values associated with the were all less than one in 100,000,indicating that the incremental cancer risk from the Project is deemed to be “essentially negligible” (HealthCanada 2004).

Additional Exposure Pathways

Health risks associated with multiple pathways of exposure were estimated by comparing exposure estimateswith health-based oral guidelines.

In most cases, the RQ values for the non-carcinogenic COPC and mixtures did not exceed 1.0 under the threeassessment cases. The exceptions include methyl mercury and the reproductive and developmental toxicantsmixture. For this COPC and mixture, the potential health risks were dominated by the predicted risks for theBaseline Case.



Given the negligible change in health risks between the Baseline Case and the Application Case, the Projectemissions are predicted to have negligible impact on the potential health risks associated with long-termexposure in the region. The weight-of-evidence suggests that there is a low potential for adverse health effectsto occur.

For all carcinogenic COPC, the predicted ILCR values associated with the Project and the Future EmissionSources were all less than one in 100,000, indicating that the incremental cancer risk is deemed to be“essentially negligible” according to Health Canada protocol (Health Canada 2004).

A.6.2.3 Overall Conclusions

Overall, it is concluded that the proposed Project will impose negligible health risks on local residents and othersin the area from exposures to Project emissions. Thus it is considered highly unlikely that acute or chronichealth effects will result from long term operation of the proposed facility.

A.6.3 NoisePCA retained aci Acoustical Consultants Inc. to conduct a Noise Impact Assessment (NIA) of the proposedParsons Creek Resources Project. The results of the NIA are provided in Volume 1, Section E.3 and are basedon the detailed NIA Report Volume 2, CR #3. A summary of the findings of the HHRA are included in thissection.

The results of the baseline noise monitoring indicated day-time and night-time noise levels that were very nearthe ERCB average ambient sound levels (ASLs) for a residential area. The current dominant noise source inthe area is vehicle traffic on Highway 63.

The Baseline Case noise modeling indicated day-time Sand and Gravel related noise levels combined with theASLs will be below the ERCB Directive 038 permissible sound levels (PSLs) for all surrounding 1,500 mreceptors and the closest future residential receptors in Parsons Creek. In addition, the dBC sound levels aremodeled to be less than 20 dB greater than the dBA sound levels, resulting in a low possibility of any lowfrequency tonal noise. As a result, no additional noise mitigation is required.

The various Application Cases noise modeling indicated Project related noise levels combined with the ASLswill be below the ERCB Directive 038 PSLs for all surrounding 1,500 m receptors and the closest futureresidential receptors in Parsons Creek. In addition, the dBC sound levels are projected to be less than 20 dBgreater than the dBA sound levels, resulting in a low possibility of any low frequency tonal noise.

PCA will implement best management practices for crushing, screening and power generation equipment usedduring daytime hours for the Project. When PCA quarry activities and operations are within 1500 m of potentialreceptors or if PCA starts 24-hour quarry activities and operations, PCA will deploy recommended best availabletechnology economically achievable, such as facility enclosures for the portable plant spread to provideenhanced noise suppression.

If required as a result of plant location, overburden screening berms will be constructed along propertyboundaries between potential receptors and the portable plant.

General equipment noise mitigation is also expected in the form of improved exhaust silencers withmanufacturers upgrades required for newer engines in Project later years.

A.6.3.1 Valued Ecological Components

The summary of project effects for the valued ecosystem components (VECs) is provided in Volume 1, Part E,Table E.3.7-1.



A.6.4 Land UsePCA retained Millennium EMS Solutions Ltd. to conduct a Land Use Assessment (LUA) of the proposedParsons Creek Resources Project. The results of the LUA are provided in Volume 1, Section E.4 and are basedon the detailed LUA Report Volume 2, CR #4. A summary of the findings of the LUA are included in thissection.

The Project is consistent with current and future development plans for the area as outlined in the AlbertaSustainable Resource Development’s Fort McMurray Athabasca Oil Sands Subregional Integrated ResourcePlan (IRP) (1996) and the RMWB’s Municipal Development Plan (Bylaw No. 00/005, 2000).

The land use assessment reviewed current land uses (Figure A.1-4) that include:

metallic and industrial minerals leases and permits;

oil sands leases;

petroleum and natural gas leases;

forestry management areas and other surface dispositions including surface material leases,easements, licenses of occupation, pipeline agreements, trapping agreements, government notationsand reservations, and miscellaneous leases; and

hunting and fishing.

PCA’s development plans will be consistent with existing provincial and municipal land use policies. In addition,development of the Project has been designed to have no significant impact on other land uses. PCA is activelyinvolved in consultation with stakeholders. Given the results of the assessment, the Project is predicted to haveno significant effects on land use as a Valued Environmental Component (VEC).

A.6.5 Soils and TerrainPCA retained Millennium EMS Solutions Ltd. to conduct a Soil Survey and Assessment of the proposedParsons Creek Resources Project. The results of the Soil Survey and Assessment are provided in Volume 1,Section E.5 and are based on the Baseline Soil Survey and Environmental Effects Assessment Report Volume2, CR #5. A summary of the findings of the soil Survey and Assessment are included in this section.

In total 174 soil inspections were recorded and 7 detailed soil sample locations were collected within the LSAand immediately adjacent lands. A total of 59 sites were collected bordering the LSA. All 59 sites have beenincluded in the determination of the baseline conditions for the Project. The inclusion of this data allows for amore robust analysis and interpretation of the baseline soil conditions within the LSA. At each inspectionlocation, specific site and soil characteristics were obtained to allow for a better understanding of the soil,vegetation, and landscape relationships as they pertain to soils distribution throughout the LSA.

In total, 19 soil series variants were combined with 7 unique landscape forms to create 17 soil map units used todescribe the LSA. Soil map units are a combination of soil types and landforms which typically occur together ina landscape (e.g. poorly drained soils associated with level to depressional terrain).

The most common terrain types in the LSA were floodplains (FP3a and FP3b) which accounted forapproximately 75% of the terrain in the LSA. The landforms are level to nearly level (0-3% slopes), typicallyhaving some degree of terracing as a result of the fluvial landscape and are imperfectly to poorly drained.

Within the LSA Orthic and Cumulic Regosols and Gleysols were the most common soils recorded and occurredin a majority of the soil map units as either dominant, co-dominant or significant soils.

The occurrence of these soils in the LSA was expected as these soils are common in fluvial landscapes.



The following is a brief summary of the potential environmental effects, residual effects and indication ofsignificance on the soil resource.

1. Soil Quantity - Soil horizons are variable in nature with respect to thickness and orientation within aprofile. Due to the inherent variability in soil thicknesses and limitations of large equipment used formaterials salvage, the potential for inadvertent under- or over-salvaging of the topsoil and subsoilresource exists. The result may be a slight decrease in topsoil quality and quantity through theinadvertent incorporation of underlying subsoil material. The residual impact is seen as not significantas implementation of a Conservation and Reclamation Plan (C&R) will minimize impacts to soil quantity.

2. Soil Quality – Changes in soil quality occur through the removal of soil materials and subsequentreplacement on re-contoured terrain. Losses in soil quantity and a decrease in soil productivity are aresult of soil removal and replacement. The impact is not significant as appropriate soil handling andreclamation will ensure equivalent capability is achieved after reclamation.

3. Soil Erosion – Soil erosion is expected to be minimized over the life of the Project(s) (Sand and Gravel,AT borrow, and Limestone quarry) through appropriate mitigative measures and effective soil handling.Timely re-vegetation of reclaimed areas and soil stockpiles will minimize the risk of erosion by wind orwater. Appropriate soil handling, storage, and implementation of mitigative measures to minimize soilerosion will result in a residual environmental effect that is not significant on the soil resource.

4. Accidental Releases – Impacts to the soil resource in the disturbance areas caused by accidentalreleases and operational incidents might alter chemical and physical attributes of soils, thereby affectingsoil quality. The residual environmental effect of potential soil contamination via accidental releases ispredicted to be not significant. All containment, spill response, and regulatory guidelines will ensurethat any accidental releases are remediated to minimize the overall environmental effect to the soils inthe disturbance areas.

5. Soil Biodiversity – Removal of the soil profile and eventual replacement will create reclaimed soilprofiles more homogenous than pre-disturbance conditions. Over time it is expected that soil diversitywill re-establish as soils form in the reclaimed landscape. The severity of this impact is considered tobe not significant, since with time, diversity in reclaimed soils will increase and provide a range ofreclaimed soil profiles and landscapes with a level of diversity similar to pre-disturbance.

6. Reclaimed Overburden Material – Overburden material will be used to backfill and re-contourcompleted mine blocks, and thus will be located below the reclaimed soil profile. Overburden materialswere rated as predominantly unsuitable for reclamation because of SAR, EC, and texture an/orstructure and consistence. The residual effect of overburden material on the reclaimed soil profile froma soil capability standpoint is not significant.

7. Potential Soil Acidification – The assessment of soils in the LSA for acid sensitivity indicated that themajority of soils are of low sensitivity to acid deposition. The geographic extent of the potential impact islocalized and no impacts to the soil are anticipated as a result of deposition from Project emissions.The potential impact to the soil resource as a result of acid deposition from activities/facilities associatedwith the Baseline or Application cases is not significant.

The impact assessment of the soil resource as a Valued Environmental Component (Volume 1, Part E, TableE.5.6-1) did not result in any of the potential impacts being rated as significant.

A.6.6 Conservation and Reclamation Activities and Closure PlanPCA retained Millennium EMS Solutions Ltd. to compile a conservation and reclamation activities and closureplan (C&R Plan) for the proposed Parsons Creek Resources Project. The C&R plan is discussed in Volume 1,Section E.6 with the detailed C&R Plan in Volume 2, CR #5. A summary of the findings of the C&R Plan isincluded in this section.



The Project entails quarry activities and operations that will produce limestone aggregate rock products forconstruction materials applications. In support of the overall quarry mine plan design MEMS has also compiledquarry development details and reclamation information to support the conservation and reclamation activitiesand closure plan provided in this report.

The Conservation and Reclamation (C&R) Activities and Closure Plan for the Parsons Creek AggregatesLimestone Quarry Project have been prepared to:

provide information about the planning process for the ongoing reclamation and the ultimate closure ofthe Parsons Creek Aggregates Quarry; and

provide the goals and endpoints for the development and reclamation of the Parsons Creek AggregatesQuarry.

The closure plan provides an overview of the development and reclamation plan with the eventual conclusion ofquarry activities and operations. Conservation and reclamation activities outline provides a program for theProject life-of-quarry development and reclamation plan covering a 40-year timeframe.

The C&R Plan (Figure A.6-3) for the Project outlines the vision, goals, approach and detailed plans forreclaiming all areas disturbed through the life of this project. The primary reclamation goal of the Project is toreturn the lands to a capability that is equivalent to predevelopment conditions and consistent with end land useobjectives.

The key components of the reclamation plan that will ensure these goals are met include:

the Project has sufficient soils to achieve equivalent land capability;

salvaging and replacing both upland soil material and organics will add diversity to the reclaimed minesoils.

the closure plan incorporates a general conversion of the disturbed area to upland, with the inclusion ofinterlake wetlands and three end-pit lakes;

a significant amount of direct soil replacement is a key aspect of maintaining ecological diversity onreclaimed landscape;

vegetation patterns will be similar to what existed prior to development with early seral stages that arecapable of ecological succession;

progressive reclamation allows for approximately two thirds of entire disturbed area to be reclaimed bythe time mining is completed; and

incorporating adaptive management strategy into all development activities.

A.6.7 VegetationPCA retained HabTech Environmental to conduct a Vegetation Resources Environmental Impact Assessment(VRIA) of the proposed Parsons Creek Resources Project. The VRIA was based on Vegetation Baselineinformation provided by Management Solution in Environmental Science (MSES Inc.). The results of the VRIAare provided in Volume 1, Section E.7 and are based on the VRIA Report and Baseline Vegetation ReportVolume 2, CR #7. A summary of the findings of the VRRA are included in this section.

Potential impacts of the project on vegetation resources were identified and assessed within the followingframework:

Regional and local issues of concern concerning vegetation resources were identified.



Valued ecosystem components pertaining to vegetation resources were selected in consideration of:baseline inventory/analysis; known regional vegetation issues; project-specific public concerns; and,potential project-environment interactions.

Spatial and temporal boundaries were established to frame and focus the assessment.

Potential environmental effects from the project (i.e. project interactions with vegetation VECs) wereidentified and described in detail.

Mitigation measures were identified to reduce project environmental effects;

The residual environmental effects (i.e. those effects remaining after all mitigation has beenimplemented) were characterized using accepted rating criteria.

The significance of residual environmental effects were rated using standard criteria.

The level of confidence in the environmental effects predictions was rated.

Potential cumulative effects were identified and assessed.

Follow-up and monitoring measures were proposed where necessary, notably for those VECs forwhich level of confidence in the effects predictions or success of mitigation measures were limited.

Repeatedly mentioned regional and project-specific issues of concern affecting the vegetation included thefollowing (Volume 1, Part E, Table E.7.3-1):

Loss (clearing, mining) of rare, sensitive or valued vegetation cover including:

Rare plants and plant communities

Old growth forests

Uncommon or restricted Ecosites/vegetation communities

Wetlands/Peatlands (bogs and fens)

Loss/alteration of plant and plant community diversity

Loss/damage to traditionally/medicinally used plants

Vegetation fragmentation leading to invasive species invasion including:

Vegetation patch alteration

Patch connectivity

Air emissions affecting vegetation health including:

Dust

Sulphur and nitrogen oxide

Acid deposition

Effluent releases and contaminant leaching affecting vegetation health

Changes in drainage patterns affecting plants including:

Surface water diversion

Groundwater changes/drawdown

Hydrological alteration

Changes in soil capacity affecting vegetation



Losses of productive/economic forest

Reclamation performance and effects on vegetation recovery

A total of 10 VECs were selected for vegetation impact assessment. These included:

Old growth forest

Wetlands

Riparian habitat

Plant species richness/diversity

Landscape diversity

Traditional/medicinal plants

Rare plants

Rare plant communities

Ecosite supply/rarity

Commercial forest

The following is a brief summary of the potential environmental effects on the local study area (LSA) and anindication of significance of the effect (Volume 1, Part E, Table E.7.4-1).

1. Old growth forest - Impacts of the project on old growth forest are temporary and will be ameliorated byprogressive reclamation and natural succession of undisturbed and reclaimed forest landscapes

2. Wetlands – Wetlands currently occupy 118.6 ha (7.4%) of the local study area distributed among 5different wetland types (MONG, SONS, STNN, WONN, Open Water). Full development (pre-mitigation)surface disturbance associated with the project will remove 47.4 ha (40%) of the total supply ofwetlands in the local study area. All 5 wetland types will be affected. The percentage of impact onwetland types in the context of the total supply within the local study area ranges from 3.8% (WONN) to60.0% (SONS).

3. Riparian habitat – All of the Local Study Area was classified as riparian habitat because it lies within theAthabasca River floodplain and is subject to frequent (> 1:100 years) flood events. Discussions ofeffects on various aspects of riparian habitat occurring in the LSA are included under other categories(i.e. ecosite/land cover type supply, old growth forest, wetlands).

4. Plant species richness/diversity – Land cover units with high and very high plant diversity potentialcomprise 17.0% and 9.8% of the LSA respectively. In contrast, land cover supporting low and very lowplant diversity potential occupies 10.8% and 0.4% of the LSA. The project footprint impacts a relativelyhigh proportion (41.8%) of land cover units with high plant diversity potential, although highly diverseland cover units are most well represented in the protected buffer (27.2%). Land cover units with veryhigh diversity ratings are poorly represented in protected buffers, although it should be noted that alarge proportion of very highly rated units were regenerating cutblocks

5. Landscape diversity – By its nature, surface mining simplifies topography, hydrology and vegetation,and results in generally less complex landscapes after mining and reclamation. Measures can be takento mitigate impacts on landscape diversity.

6. Traditional/medicinal plants – Most of the vegetated areas of the LSA have high potential for traditionalplants. Approximately one-third of these high and very high potential lands will be directly affected by



land clearing and mining. Because traditional plants are generally common species there remains agood supply of high potential habitats remaining in the protected buffer and unaffected portions of theLSA

7. Rare plants – Pre-mitigation land clearing and quarry excavation have potential to exert direct impactson rare plants and rare plant communities. The magnitude and duration of loss depends on the degreeto which these features are protected through mitigation by avoidance and/or relocation.

8. Ecosite supply/rarity – A total of 22 land cover types occur in the LSA of which 16 are classified asecosites. The remaining cover types include industrial, open water, regenerating vegetation, river, roadand right-of-way. Full development (pre-mitigation) surface disturbance will directly affect 15 of the 16classifed ecosites mapped in the LSA and 3 of the 6 non-ecosite cover types. The protected bufferalong the Athabasca river and Parson’s Creek occupies 11.1% of the LSA. Thirteen of the 16 ecositesoccurring in the LSA will be protected from land clearing within the undisturbed buffers. The ecositesthat will not be represented in the protected buffer are: CMA 01/02 (Sedge/marsh reed grass meadowcomplex), CMA 16 (Swamp horsetail meadow), and f2 (Horsetail-balsam poplar/spruce). Thepercentage of impact on ecosites in the context of their total supply within the LSA ranges from 0.0%(Ecosite f2) to 100% (CMA 16), and averages 35.1

9. Commercial forest - From 31.6% to 36.1% of productive timber classes will be removed from the LSAfollowing full development and without mitigation (i.e. re-planting and natural forest succession). ‘Good’timber productivity lands are more well represented in the protected buffer than other classes. It alsoshows that unproductive forest classes are disproportionately affected by Project surface disturbance.

A.6.8 WildlifePCA retained Management and Solutions in Environmental Science (MSES) Inc. to conduct a WildlifeEnvironmental Impact Assessment (WEIA) of the proposed Parsons Creek Resources Project. The results ofthe WEIA are provided in Volume 1, Section E.8 and are based on the detailed WEIA Report Volume 3, CR #8.A summary of the findings of the HHRA are included in this section.

Provincial and federal government agencies have identified wildlife species that are potentially at risk in Alberta.Wildlife species are ranked according to national (COSEWIC 2001), provincial (AENV 2001), and regional(CEMA 2001) guidelines. Federally, species of concern are identified as Endangered, Threatened or a Speciesof Special Concern (COSEWIC 2001). Provisions of the federal Species At Risk Act (SARA) and Migratory BirdsConvention Act (MBCA) were considered when determining which wildlife species to include as VECs.Provincially, wildlife species are categorized as Sensitive, May Be at Risk or At Risk (AENV 2001). Provisions ofthe provincial Wildlife Act were also considered when selecting VECs. In the Alberta Oil Sands Region, wildlifespecies (wildlife Key Indicator Resources or KIRs) are ranked as Priority 1, Priority 2 or Priority 3 (CEMA 2001).These three priority levels produced by the Cumulative Effects Management Association (CEMA) identify wildlifespecies of the boreal forest region that can potentially be used as indicator species. Species priority levels arebased on an assessment of their biological vulnerability, socio-economic importance, and the logisticalconstraints they present for continued monitoring. Biological vulnerability is determined from information on aspecies population status, ecological role, and sensitivity to development, regulatory importance and habitatspecificity. Socio-economic importance is determined by the traditional and cultural importance, subsistenceeconomic importance, and consumptive recreational importance of a species (CNRL 2003).

Given the above federal, provincial and regional layers of legislation and guidelines for wildlife species of specialmanagement concern, an initial list of species was created for consideration as VECs from candidate speciesthat are known to occur in the general area of the proposed Project. The candidate list was developed throughresearch of scientific literature and government reports, consultations with resource agencies, and localprofessional biologists and managers. The candidate species have at least one of the following fourcharacteristics:



1. The species is listed under federal or provincial legislation. Those are usually threatened orendangered species, but could also include species that are naturally rare or sensitive to disturbancebecause of low reproductive rates or extreme specialization to a particular habitat. The species mayalso be of special management concern to select agencies or government organizations.

2. The species plays an important ecological role. This includes ‘keystone’ species which have adisproportionate effect on other species and can significantly change their environment (Paine 1995)(for example beaver that create wetlands).

3. The species represents a particular habitat or ecosystem. Such species are usually called ‘umbrella’species whose distribution and habitat requirements are well understood and representative of therequirements of other species (Kerr 1997, Lambeck 1997). Their ecological requirements are usuallymore extreme than those of others, in terms of space required or the variety of habitat types usedthrough their life cycle.

4. The species is of concern to local communities because of its subsistence or cultural importance.

Rationale to include or exclude species was discussed and ratified at team meetings of Professional Biologists.In developing the wildlife VEC list, consideration was given to species, guilds, and predator-prey relationships(i.e., lynx/snowshoe hare) that are considered by local regional working groups as being priority items formanagement consideration when undertaking development activities. The final wildlife VEC list represents abroad spectrum of species and their respective habitats.

The VECs examined in the Wildlife Impact Assessment Report include:

moose (Alces alces);

fisher (Martes pennant) / marten (Martes americana);

beaver (Castor canadensis);

grouse, including Sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus), Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus),and Spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis);

common snipe (Gallinago gallinago);

old growth forest bird species;

mixed wood forest bird species;

Green-winged teal (Anas carolinensis); and

Canadian toad (Bufo hemiophrys).

Summary of Impact Significance on Wildlife Valued Environmental Components (VECs)

A summary of impact significance on wildlife Valued Environmental Components (VECs) is included in Volume1, Part E, Table E.8.3-1.

In all cases the magnitude of the impact for the Application Case for the Application Case of the Parsons CreekResources Project was non-significant. The Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) case resulted in a Non-Significant to Significant effect for Yellow rail and Canadian toad and a Significant effect for moose. All otherVEC’s had a Non-significant effect.

A Yellow rail habitat model was not run for the Regional Study Area (RSA) due to limited information on specifichabitat requirements. A Canadian toad habitat model was not run for the RSA due to the lack of appropriatespatial soils information for this area. Therefore, Yellow rail and Canadian toad was qualitatively assessed forthe wildlife RSA. Change in effective habitat availability for the CEA Case in unknown for the both Yellow railand Canadian Toad.



The largest potential effects of the Parsons Creek Resources Project on the availability of Yellow rail andCanadian toad effective habitat, movement, and mortality in the CEA Case are regional in extent, residual induration, of continuous frequency, reversible in the long-term to irreversible, and of moderate-high magnitude.The Project contribution is negative with a high probability of effect occurrence; however the project contributionto the CEA case is small relative to the cumulative regional effects. Overall, the cumulative impact of theParsons Creek Resources Project in combination with other projects in the RSA on Yellow rail and CanadianToad is non-significant to significant based on a low confidence rating.

The CEA Case may impact a portion of the regional population of Yellow rail, having a moderate magnitude ofimpact, or may impact an entire population of Yellow rail having a high magnitude of impact. The rarity of theYellow rail and our poor understanding of its habitat preferences and distribution contribute to our lowconfidence rating. The loss of any individuals can potentially have a high impact on the Yellow rail population inthe region. Depending on the regional population status of the Yellow rail, which is unknown, the CEA Casecould have a non-significant or significant impact on this VEC.

The complete distribution of Canadian toads is not known for the RSA, however, some observations of thespecies have been reported to Alberta Fish and Wildlife (see Consultant Report 8 – Part A: Wildlife Baseline,Volume 3, CR #8, Figure A.8-1). Consequently, there may be breeding population of the Canadian toad in theRSA. The magnitude of impact in the CEA Case may be of moderate or high magnitude depending on whethera portion of or an entire Canadian toad population is removed, respectively. The removal of a group of breedingindividuals may have negative repercussions for other groups of Canadian toads inhabiting the RSA, byaffecting immigration and emigration success between the breeding ponds (Marsh and Trenham 2001). Due touncertainty in the current Canadian toad status and distribution in the RSA, the confidence rating is low. TheCEA Case could have a non-significant or significant impact on this VEC.

Based on comparisons with other EIA’s in the Fort McMurray region (Consultant Report 8 – Part A: WildlifeBaseline, Section A.9), the Parsons Creek Resources Project LSA was found to have the highest overallaverage moose pellet group density (82.05 pellet groups/ha). In particular, shrub and bog/fen/wetlandvegetation groups appear to be particularly important based on their higher average moose pellet groupdensities compared to other LSAs. The Project wildlife LSA was also found to have high ungulate browse inbog/fen/wetland, deciduous, and mixed wood vegetation groups, as compared to other LSAs. In the ProjectApplication Case, moose will see a 13% reduction in effective habitat for the winter and spring seasons (Volume3, CR#8, Section B.1.4.1.1).

The wildlife LSA may represent a unique mosaic of effective habitat for moose that supports a higherabundance of moose than other areas of the boreal forest. Subsequently, seasonal movements by moosebetween winter and summer home ranges may be negatively impacted by this habitat loss. However, only agroup of individuals from the regional moose population are expected to be affected by removal of effectivehabitat within the LSA, and the Parsons Creek Project will likely have a non-significant impact (see Volume 3,CR#8, Section B.1.4.1.1).

Based on browse data, the Wildlife LSA may represent critical winter and spring habitat for ungulates in general.However, only a group of individuals from the regional ungulate population are expected to be affected and thisProject will likely have a non-significant impact.

A.6.9 Surface Water HydrologyPCA retained Northwest Hydraulic Consultants Ltd. (nhc) to conduct a Surface Water Hydrology Assessment(SWHA) of the proposed Parsons Creek Resources Project. The results of the SWHA are provided in Volume1, Section E.9 and are based on the detailed WEIA Report Volume 3, CR #9. A summary of the findings of theHHRA are included in this section.

An assessment was made of the hydrology of surface water features at the Parsons Creek Resources Project(the Project). These include: (1) the Athabasca River and (2) local streams which flow into and through theProject site.



The Athabasca River may inundate portions of the Project during ice jam and/or open water flood events. TheProject design anticipates, and is designed to accommodate, occasional flooding.

Parsons Creek and other smaller streams originate from offsite watershed areas west of the Project and drainacross the site into the Athabasca River. The Project will preserve undisturbed riparian corridors for the site’stwo fish-bearing streams, which include Parsons Creek and Unnamed Creek 6. The main source of water tothese features—the offsite drainage areas—will be entirely unaffected by the Project. Other small drainagescourses on the Project site that are not fish-bearing and have no inherent ecosystem value will be interceptednear the Project’s west boundary, diverted around or across the work area, and discharged to the AthabascaRiver.

Under existing conditions, the small drainage courses on the Project site provide conveyance routes for runofffrom offsite watershed areas to drain to the Athabasca River. The Project will provide alternate conveyancepaths for the water to reach the river. Any changes to the timing and magnitude of flows in the small drainagecourses, including any hydraulic routing effects in the final end pit lake configuration, will be imperceptible inrelation to the magnitude and natural variability of Athabasca River flows.

The Project will have minimal impacts to surface water hydrology. The Project will not alter or disrupt thehydrology of the local water features with ecosystem value. Hydrologic impacts to the local aquatic ecosystemsand the Athabasca River will be of negligible magnitude and not significant.

A summary of impact significance on surface water hydrology Valued Environmental Components (VECs) isincluded in Volume 1, Part E, Table E.9.2-1.

A.6.10 Hydrogeological Impact AssessmentPCA retained Millennium EMS Solutions Ltd. to conduct a Hydrogeological Impact Assessment of the proposedParsons Creek Resources Project. The results of the Assessment are provided in Volume 1, Section E.10 andare based on the Baseline Soil Survey and Environmental Effects Assessment Report Volume 3, CR #10. Asummary of the findings of the soil Survey and Assessment are included in this section.

A.6.10.1 Summary of Hydrogeological Regime

The following observations and conclusions may be presented regarding the hydrogeological regime of the site:

Groundwater flow is west to east across the alluvial deposits of the site;

In the southern one-half of the site:

The alluvial deposits are above normal river level and will not normally be influenced by changing riverlevels; and

A significant volume of the limestone quarry will also be above river level.

In the northern one-half of the site:

The combination of sand and gravel with high hydraulic conductivity with elevations below river levelmeans that river stage will have a significant direct influence on groundwater levels; and

The entire limestone quarry will be below the level of the river.

Water chemistry in the alluvium and the top of the limestone bedrock has TDS in the range of 600 to900 mg/L in what is typically a calcium/magnesium/bicarbonate water, however the shallow limestonehas some relative enrichment in sulphate. There are no issues with respect to the Alberta SurfaceWater Quality Guidelines (Alberta Environment, 1999); and



Water chemistry 15 to 20 m below the top of the limestone surface has significantly higher TDS and ischaracterized as sodium chloride. There will be issues with discharging water with theseconcentrations.

A.6.10.2 Valued Environmental Components

Valued environmental components (VEC) for this project are as follows:

Movement of groundwater to and from the Athabasca River;

Surface water quality from saline groundwater; and

Quality and quantity of groundwater supplies.

A summary of the significance of effects on VECs is presented in Volume 3, CR # 10 and Volume 1, Part E,Table E.10.5-1.

A.6.10.3 Movement of Groundwater to and from the Athabasca River

The quarry will intercept small volumes of water in the limestone that would have discharged into the AthabascaRiver. This water, along with other water entering the quarry, will be transferred by pumping to the riverprovided that it meets regulatory guidelines. The impact has no geographical extent and is insignificant.

With the reclamation of the portions of the quarry, groundwater flow in the overburden and limestone willdischarge into the wetland and subsequently into the Athabasca River. There is no impact and it is thereforeinsignificant.

After the Project’s quarry operations are completed in the northern portion of the area and reclamation hastaken place, the water levels in the wetland will return to original conditions; subject to the influence of end-pitlakes. This will serve to mitigate any impact that the previous aggregate operations might have created withrespect flow from the river to the pit.

A.6.10.4 Saline Groundwater on Surface Water

It has been stated that the flow of any saline groundwater from the limestone into the quarry will mix with otherfreshwater in the pit and result in an insignificant impact.

A.6.10.5 Quality and Quantity of Groundwater Supplies

There are no users of groundwater who will be impacted by the drawdown associated with this quarry. There isno anticipation of any potential user wishing to draw upon groundwater in the foreseeable future. Impact onquality and quantity of groundwater supplies is non-existent and therefore insignificant.

A.6.10.6 Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) Case

There is no interaction of the environmental effects on groundwater of this project or other projects. There areno cumulative effects.

A.6.11 Surface Aquatic Resources Impact AssessmentPCA retained Hatfield Consultants to conduct a Surface Aquatic Resources Impact Assessment (SARIA) of theproposed Parsons Creek Resources Project. The results of the SARIA are provided in Volume 1, Section E.11and are based on the SARIA Report Volume 3, CR #11. A summary of the findings of the SARIA are includedin this section.



A.6.11.1 Effects Assessment – Application Case

A.6.11.1.1 Effects on Aquatic Resources through Physical Loss of Aquatic Habitat

There will be physical loss of parts of existing watercourses in the LSA with the development of the Project.However non fish-bearing watercourses will be intercepted on the Project’s west and south west boundary,diverted around the work area, and discharged to the Athabasca River. Fish-bearing watercourses will beprotected by buffers.

As there will be no physical loss of existing watercourses in the RSA, this issue is not assessed for the RSA.

The creation and maintenance of the watercourse protection buffers will protect almost all of the documentedaquatic habitat and fish resources of the LSA:

It will protect all types of aquatic habitat in which fish were captured using backpack electrofishing and seine/dipnets;

It will protect all types of aquatic habitat in which fish were captured using minnow traps, with theexception of Type 3 habitat which had a CPUE of less than 2% of the average minnow trap CPUE forthe LSA;

Overall, it will protect the aquatic habitat in the LSA that contributed more than 99% of the total numberof fish captured in the baseline fish inventories; and

It will protect the only part of the LSA for which there is a demonstrated access for use by large-bodiedfish species from the Athabasca River (i.e., the northeastern edge of the LSA.

The residual (after mitigation) effects of the Project on surface aquatic resources through physical loss ofaquatic habitat are assessed as Insignificant in the LSA.

A.6.11.1.2 Effects of Project Construction Activities

Construction related activities have the potential to increase sediment loading to surface waters and affectsurface aquatic resources, particularly in Parsons Creek and Pond 1 which will remain intact, as well as otherwatercourses prior to their alteration and diversion as a part of quarry development.

Compliance with Codes of Practice for Stream Crossings

There will be a number of stream crossings required as part of the Project, including a stream crossing ofParsons Creek. The design and construction of all stream crossings will be done in compliance with the AlbertaCode of Practice for Watercourse Crossings and associated guidelines. These include, for watercoursecrossings: aquatic and biological assessments, watercourse crossing design and construction; post-constructionclean-up and reclamation; contingency measures; and watercourse crossing site monitoring.

All stream crossings constructed and operated by the Project will meet regulatory requirements for protection offish resources and aquatic habitat. This will also effectively mitigate effects on surface water quality.

Mitigation Measures for Construction near Watercourses and Waterbodies

Mitigation measures will be implemented during the construction of all Project infrastructure facilities (Volume 2,CR #11, Volume 1, E.11.4.2).



With strict implementation of the mitigation measures, the potential impacts of the construction activities of theProject on surface aquatic resources in Parsons Creek and Pond 1 as well as other watercourses prior to theirremoval as a part of quarry development are predicted to be negligible for both the LSA and RSA.

The residual (after mitigation) effects of the Project on surface aquatic resources from construction activities ofthe Project are assessed as Insignificant in both the LSA and the RSA.

A.6.11.1.3 Effects on Aquatic Resources through Changes in Amount of Groundwater Reporting toSurface Water

There will be changes in the amount of groundwater reporting to surface water. The Hydrogeology Report of thisApplication, Consultant Report #10 (Volume 3, CR#10) indicates:

There is likely little direct connection between surface waterbodies of the LSA and groundwater, and thereforethe lowering of groundwater levels will not draw water from surface waterbodies;

The set of main surface water diversion ditches will be located on the west side of the LSA to deal with waterentering the Project area from the west side of Highway No. 63 and any drainages from AT’s HighwayInterchange Project. The land surface on the western to northwestern edge of the LSA (adjacent to the highway)is higher and the water table is farther below the surface in this area than elsewhere in the LSA. It is thereforenot expected that groundwater will be intercepted at these locations; and

In general surface water in the LSA appears to be perched above the groundwater table. This means thatlowering of the groundwater table in specific locations prior to overburden removal will not influence the amountof groundwater reporting to surface waterbodies either inside or outside of the Project footprint and significanteffects from lowering of groundwater levels are not expected. In addition, overburden sediments in the southernpart of the LSA are relatively fine grained which means that drawdown of the groundwater table is not likely tobe wide-spread in the southern part of the LSA.

Therefore, it is predicted that there will be little overall effect on surface aquatic resources in the LSA fromchanges in groundwater levels.

The water management system for the Project, as described in the Project Description (Volume 1, Part B), willprovide disruption to the groundwater that, under the Baseline Case, moves to the Athabasca River (Volume 3,CR#10). However, this groundwater will not be lost, as the diverted groundwater will be moved to surfacedischarge points to the Athabasca River. Therefore, it is predicted that there will be little overall effect on surfaceaquatic resources in the RSA from changes in groundwater levels.

The residual (after mitigation) effects of the Project on surface aquatic resources resulting from changes in theamount of groundwater reporting to surface waterbodies are assessed as Insignificant for both the LSA andthe RSA.

A.6.11.1.4 Effects on Surface Aquatic Resources from Changes in Surface Water Quality andDischarge of Project-Affected Waters into Natural Watercourses

The following possible effects on surface water quality from Project activities, and consequent effects on aquatichabitat and fish populations, are considered:

Diversion of surface waters entering the LSA from upstream (i.e. west of Highway No. 63 and AT’s HighwayInterchange Project) around the active quarry area to discharge to natural watercourses;

Discharge of Project-affected water from quarries to natural watercourses; and



Accidental spills of chemicals and waste products stored within the Project Area.

Project water management schemes as outlined in the Project Description (Volume 1, Part B) will reduce thelikelihood of changes in surface water quality that would be sufficient to significantly affect aquatic resources.

Additionally, contingency plans for responses to releases will include timely clean-up, remediation, and reportingfor any unexpected releases. These plans are therefore measures to mitigate against the release of substancesthat could enter watercourses and waterbodies and negatively influence aquatic resources.

Discharges of quarry pit water to natural watercourses from the Project water management system areexpected to occur periodically and be of short duration. All planned discharges will be made only once the waterto be discharged meets the discharge water quality standards that will be contained in the associated Projectapprovals.

As the effects on surface aquatic resources from discharge of quarry water into natural watercourses arepredicted to be negligible for the LSA, they are also predicted to be negligible for the RSA.

The residual (after mitigation) effects of the Project on surface aquatic resources from discharge of quarry waterare assessed as Insignificant for both the LSA and the RSA.

A.6.11.1.5 Ecological Sustainability of End-Pit Lakes

At closure, three end-pit lakes will remain in the LSA landscape. The design of the proposed end-pit lakes asdescribed in Volume 1, Part B of this Application, Project Description.

With proper planning and management, end-pit lakes can become ecologically viable. In particular, a number ofcoal mine end-pit lakes have been monitored in the Coal Valley area of Alberta on the eastern slopes of theRocky Mountains. While topographic, hydrologic, and geological conditions in the Coal Valley area are differentthan those in the LSA and RSA for the Project, a recent report which summarizes the results of long-termmonitoring conducted on a number of those lakes suggests they continue to be ecologically viable:

Water quality in these end-pit lakes has very few guideline exceedances;

Trophic status has remained relatively constant;

The oldest end-pit lakes have developed biological diversity (plankton and benthic invertebratecommunities) comparable to natural lakes in the region; and

The end-pit lakes continue to be stocked with game fish and are important recreational fisheries for thearea.

It is expected that water quality of the end-pit lakes proposed for the Project will be suitable for aquatic life andthat the end-pit lakes will be ecologically sustainable, particularly in comparison to current Baseline conditions ofsurface water quality and aquatic habitat in the LSA.

The residual effects of the Project on aquatic resources in the end-pit lakes are assessed as Insignificant forboth the LSA and RSA.

A.6.11.1.6 Effects on Surface Aquatic Resources from Improved or Altered Access into the Area

This issue is not germane to this Project as none of the fish species residing in the LSA are large-bodied orsport fish species.



A.6.11.2 Effects Assessment – Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) Case

An AT Highway Interchange Project is proposed to take place immediately to the west and south west of theProject area. It is anticipated that the AT project will be carried out and completed in the short-term (within thenext 5 years). The AT project layout and water management system has not yet been finalized, howeverchanges to existing drainage patterns are expected, most likely diverting flow away from the western boundaryof the PCA Project area (either towards UC6 or Parsons Creek). It is also anticipated that all runoff from thehighway will be captured by a storm water retention pond, which following treatment, will likely discharge toParsons Creek.

It is assumed for the most part that AT project impacts and mitigations will be short term and will be containedwithin the Interchange and Hwy 63 alignment construction right of ways. As all residual effects of the PCAProject in both the LSA and RSA are predicted to be Insignificant for the Application Case, all residual effects ofthe Project in both the LSA and RSA are also predicted to be Insignificant for the CEA Case.

A.6.11.3 Summary Effects Assessment

A summary of the assessed Project (after mitigation) and residual effects on surface aquatic resources isprovided in Volume 1, Part E, Table E.11-1

A.6.12 Historical Resources Impact AssessmentPCA retained FMA Heritage Resource Consultants Ltd. to conduct a Historical Resources Impact Assessment(HRIA) of the proposed Parsons Creek Resources Project. The results of the HRIA are provided in Volume 1,Section E.9 and are based on the detailed HRIA Report Volume 3, CR #9. A summary of the findings of theHRIA are included in this section.

Based on the results of the HRIA conducted for the proposed Parsons Creek Resources Project, the ParsonsCreek Resources has satisfied their historical resources concerns with respect to the Historical Resources Act(RSA 2000). It is recommended that Parsons Creek Resources be granted Historical Resources Act clearancewith respect to the Parsons Creek Resources Project.

The Project will contribute to a very small proportion of the impact to historical resources in the RSA (1.4%); theeffect of this Project on historical resources is not significant.

Volume 1, Part E, Table E.12.5-1 provides the impact significance on historical resources Valued EnvironmentalComponents (VECs).

A.6.13 Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Land UseA Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Land Use report was completed as part of the Project application. TheTraditional Ecological Knowledge and Land Use are discussed in Volume 1, Section E.13 and Volume 3, CR#13.

Various traditional land uses were identified, that PCA will incorporate into the development of the ClosurePlan. Some of the principles that PCA will incorporate into the Reclamation and Closure Plan include:

direct placement of mineral soil which will introduce biodiversity to the reclaimed landscape andincrease the re-establishment of native vegetation;

reforestation to a variety of species;

establishment of grassy areas around some water bodies; and

establishment of wetlands and water bodies.



TEK input from Elders (see Volume 3, CR# 13) indicated that wetland areas should be incorporated in thereclamation plan to accommodate wildlife and hunting activities at the north end of the site.

A.6.14 Socio-Economic AspectsPCA retained Nichols Applied Management to conduct a Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) of theproposed Parsons Creek Resources Project. The results of the SEIA are provided in Volume 1, Section E.14and are based on the detailed SEIA Report Volume 3, CR #9. A summary of the findings of the HRIA areincluded in this section.

The Project is expected to have a positive impact on both the regional and provincial economies, including:

maximum onsite construction employment estimated at 9 person-years;

maximum operation employment estimated at 12 person-years annually;

a total operations employment impact (direct, indirect and induced employment) estimated at 31person-years annually or over 1,000 person-years over the life of the Project;

an impact of $25.4 million on provincial GDP and $16.7 million on household income resulting from theProject’s construction phase;

an annual impact of $3.56 million on provincial GDP and $1.50 million on household income resultingfrom the Project’s operation phase;

mineral royalty payments to the Government of Alberta of $88,000 annually at peak production; and

federal and provincial corporate tax payments estimated in the range of $4.0 - $6.5 million annually atpeak production.

The Project will also increase the local supply of construction aggregate for road and infrastructure projects inthe region. As a result of this increase in supply, along with the Project’s proximity to the Urban Service Areaand corresponding reduced shipping costs, the Project is expected to have a positive impact on competitivepricing of construction aggregate to customers near the Urban Service Area and points south in the region.

A.6.15 Palaeontological Resources Impact AssessmentPCA retained FMA Heritage Resource Consultants Ltd. to conduct a Palaeontological Resources ImpactAssessment (PRIA) of the proposed Parsons Creek Resources Project. The results of the PRIA are provided inVolume 1, Section E.15 and are based on the detailed HRIA Report Volume 3, CR #15. A summary of thefindings of the PRIA are included in this section.

Without mitigation, negative effects on palaeontological resources are expected. Although the WaterwaysFormation is a widespread geological unit, natural variations in preservation and species content of the fossilassemblages within the Project area will not necessarily be duplicated anywhere else. Some of theinvertebrates (e.g., bivalves, gastropods and nautiloids) recovered to date have not previously been scientificallydescribed.

Project effects on palaeontological resources can occur throughout the life of the mine (Application Case) andwill be limited to the mine area (local extent). These effects are irreversible. Fossils will continuously be crushed,but most will be fossils of low heritage value resulting in effects of low to moderate magnitude. With mitigation,the Project will have positive effects on palaeontological resources as it is expected to recover fossils of highheritage value that are unlikely to otherwise be discovered. However, because all fossils of high heritage valuecannot be identified and collected prior to crushing, some negative Project effects will occur.

Relative to the volume of fossiliferous limestone that will be lost to mining in the Fort McMurray area and thetotal volume of limestone that occurs in the Waterways Formation, only a small percentage of the overall volume



will be lost. In terms of removal of a stratigraphic unit, there are no known cumulative effects. There is nopalaeontological data available yet from other mining projects to determine if there will be a cumulative loss ofpalaeontological resources.

A.7 SUMMARY OF COMMITMENTS

Based on input received during PCA’s public consultation process as well as advice from regulatory agenciesand the professionals working on the Project, PCA is confident that the approach used for the EIA and CEA iscomprehensive and accurately reflects the impacts of the Project. PCA also believes that the environmentaleffects assessment presented in the application provides the decision-makers with the necessary information todecide whether this Project is acceptable and in the public interest.

A summary of the EIA is provided in this section. The full EIA information is provided in Volume 1, Part E andthe Consultant’s Reports which are listed in each sub-section below.

A.7.1 Air QualityMaximum concentrations for criteria pollutants at sensitivity receptors located in the vicinity of the proposedProject are shown to be much less than relevant AAAQO values for the CEA Case. Project air emissionsshould therefore not have any adverse environmental effects at the receptors including those relating to odoursand invisibility restrictions.

Concentrations of non-criteria substances predicted to occur at sensitivity receptors are all sufficiently small thatthey should not create a significant risk to human health. This means that risks to human health will be similarwith or without the Project. For this reason cumulative effects should not be of concern.

PCA will implement a dust suppression program for all quarry activities and operations recognizing quarryoperating areas and haul roads where dust sources are exposed to wind actions. Furthermore, PCA willconsider further opportunities to participate in regional initiatives relative to air quality issues.

A.7.2 Human HealthOverall, studies concluded that the proposed PCA Limestone Quarry Project will impose negligible health riskson local residents and others in the area from exposures to Project emissions. Thus it is considered highlyunlikely that acute or chronic health effects will result from long term operation of the proposed facility.

PCA has involved First Nations IRC groups, RMWB and other stakeholders in the preparation of theenvironmental impact assessment and will continue community involvement in the construction, operation andclosure phases of the Project.

PCA will conduct water quality testing in accordance with recommendations provided under the AquaticResources Impact Assessment (Volume 3, CR #11) during operation and closure of the quarry to confirm waterquality has not been adversely impacted by the Project.

A.7.3 NoiseThe baseline noise monitoring results indicate day-time and night-time noise levels that were very near theERCB average ambient sound levels (ASLs) for a residential area. The current dominant noise source in thearea is vehicle traffic on Highway 63.

The Baseline and Application case noise modeling indicate day-time Sand and Gravel related noise levelscombined with the ASLs will be below the ERCB Directive 038 PSLs for all surrounding 1,500 m receptors andthe closest future residential receptors in Parsons Creek. In addition, the dBC sound levels are modeled to beless than 20 dB greater than the dBA sound levels, resulting in a low possibility of any low frequency tonal



noise. As a result, no additional noise mitigation is required for daytime operations for Baseline andApplications case.

PCA will implement best management practices for crushing, screening and power generation equipment usedfor the Project during daytime hours. When PCA quarry activities and operations are within 1500 m of potentialreceptors or if PCA starts 24-hour quarry activities and operations, PCA will deploy recommended best availabletechnology economically achievable, such as facility enclosures for the portable plant to provide enhanced noisesuppression. Also, if required as a result of plant location, overburden screening berms will be constructedalong property boundaries between potential receptors and the portable plant.

At a minimum, enclosures will be lined internally with sound absorptive insulating material and have minimalpenetrations (other than openings for material pass-through’s). Building ventilation louvers (on walls or ridgevents) will be either internally or externally treated with sound absorptive covers which allow the air to passthrough but provide additional noise shielding and absorption. This applies to both passively ventilatedbuildings and forced air ventilated buildings. The buildings or enclosures will be of portable design andconstruction so that structures can be moved along with the equipment.

Finally, general equipment noise mitigation is also expected in the form of improved exhaust silencers withmanufacturers upgrades required for newer engines in later years of the Project.

A.7.4 Land UseThe entire Project area is located on Crown land. Graymont for PCA holds most of the dispositions in theProject area and will require a mineral surface lease to commence quarry activities and operations.Dispositions that are held by others are in a position to provide service for the PCA activities and operations.PCA will work with adjacent lease holders to ensure that any disposition boundary issues are dealt with in atimely manner.

There is a single trapping agreement (TPA) that covers the entire Graymont MAIM lease. PCA has haddiscussions with the trapper and has entered into a compensation program to mitigate the effects of Projectdevelopment on the trapline holder. PCA will also allow trapper access onto land that is not part of the activeProject development.

There are no commercial fishing opportunities on the Graymont MAIM Lease. Opportunities for recreationalfishing are limited by access to the Athabasca River. PCA will control access and restrict hunting activity withinthe Project. The remaining unused portions of the lease will be available to those who wish to pursue huntingactivities.

The PCA Limestone Quarry Project is located completely within the confines of Al-Pac’s FMA and NorthlandForest Products Limited timber licence. PCA is working with both companies to ensure that all merchantabletimber located within the Project is salvaged and made available to these two operators.

Sand and gravel operations development on the Graymont MAIM lease is currently found on the Mine Block 3 ofthe quarry mining areas. PCA has applied for and obtained SML’s for sand and gravel development beforequarry construction. PCA is actively pursuing sand and gravel development in advance of quarry operations toensure this valuable resource is utilized.

Through its public consultation program, PCA will continue to work with local stakeholders to ensure thatpotential impacts on land and resource use are minimized.

A.7.5 Soils and TerrainPotential environmental effects are considered to be similar for both the Baseline and Application cases withrespect to the types of disturbance (i.e., sand and gravel pit operation, AT borrow development and limestone



quarry mining), soil handling and storage activities, reclamation of disturbed lands and potential effects to thesoil resource. Therefore, the two cases were summarized in concert.

Baseline data for the Project provides PCA with detailed information that allows prescriptive reclamation of soiland landscapes based on land use, soil types, and distribution of soils in the landscape. Mitigative measureswere designed to ensure that equivalent land capability is attained after reclamation.

Proper construction and reclamation practices by PCA will ensure that the impacts on soil resources due to soilprofile disturbances are insignificant. Approximately 3.21 Mm3 of soil material (upland soils) will be salvagedand replaced over the Project life with half of this volume being directly placed on recontoured areas.

Although newly created landscapes and soils will have different properties than pre-quarry mining landscapes,reconstructed soil profiles will be self sustaining and able to support a variety of end land uses. Land capabilityafter reclamation is expected to be improved over pre-disturbance conditions, even with the conversion of someterrestrial land to end-pit lake features.

A.7.6 Conservation and ReclamationThe Conservation and Reclamation (C&R) Plan outlines the vision, goals, approach and detailed plans forreclaiming all areas disturbed through the life of this project. The primary reclamation goal of the Project is toreturn the lands to a capability that is equivalent to predevelopment conditions and consistent with end land useobjectives.

The Conservation and Reclamation (C&R) and Closure Plan for the PCA Liemstone Quarry Project have beenprepared to provide information about the planning process for the ongoing reclamation and the ultimate closureof the Project, providing the goals and endpoints for Project development and reclamation.

The conceptual C&R plan by PCA shows that reclaimed lands will feature regionally acceptable vegetationpatterns that are capable of ecological succession. The reclamation program will result in lands that aremaintenance-free, with self-sustaining ecosystems. Maintenance-free reclamation implies that additionalactivities will not be required, thus the ecological system will be self-sustaining. This does not mean that anunchanging state will be created, as landforms will experience normal successional processes during theevolution of the reclaimed landscapes. The landscape will evolve through seral states of initial revegetation toself-sustaining ecosystems consisting of mature vegetation communities typical of the region. Minimalmanagement of the reclaimed lands is expected after the establishment of the initial ecosystem.

As part of its corporate policies PCA will ensure that during the on-going reclamation and closure process:

end land use objectives are developed in consultation with stakeholders, building on the existingconsultation process

there will be an on-going consultation process with adjacent oil sands developers to ensure continuity oflandforms and drainage systems across lease boundaries; and

adaptive management of the C&R and Closure plan will be pursued through the incorporation of resultsof site specific research, regional research by Canadian Oil Sands Network for Research andDevelopment (CONRAD) and regional management systems developed by the CumulativeEnvironmental Management Association (CEMA).

It is not anticipated that the closure land uses will be exactly the same as those existing prior to thedevelopment of the limestone quarry. PCA will involve local stakeholders including the aboriginal communitiesin consultation in an effort to identify acceptable land use options and goals.



A.7.7 VegetationEnvironmental effects of the PCA Limestone Quarry Project on valued ecosystem components (VECs) will beavoided and/or reduced as a result of a number of mitigation measures. Measures that will be applied by PCAto avoid or lessen potential Project impacts are listed and discussed for each impact type (Volume 2, CR #7).Additional details are found in the Conservation and Reclamation Activities and Closure Plan for the Project(Volume 2, CR #6).

Monitoring in EIA is implemented to test and/or verify impact predictions and to measure the success of themitigation approaches implemented. PCA monitoring efforts should focus on predictions for which confidencelevel is low and on mitigation measures for which success is uncertain. The following areas of uncertainty exist:

degree of success in restoring upland native plant diversity in reclaimed mine areas using directlyplaced and stockpiled soils;

ability to successfully transplant rare plants and rare plant communities;

degree of success in restoring wetlands using on-site native plant materials; and

degree of success in restoring stream channels and associated riparian vegetation traversing the quarryfrom the west to the Athabasca River.

Monitoring programs will be designed by PCA to verify mitigation success as per the above areas of uncertainty.Monitoring plans will be established for each of these areas and these will include targets for measuringsuccess and for adapting mitigation approaches if success targets are not met.

A.7.8 WildlifeMitigation measures are intended to reduce potential effects of Project development. Effects and compliancemonitoring has been designed as a conceptual framework at this time. Details will be developed as Projectplanning, scheduling and footprints are further advanced. This will proceed in coordination with the approvalprocess. As part of the monitoring framework, baseline data has been collected so that future informationrelated to Project effects can be compared or contrasted with current baselines.

Major issues associated with the Project development and effects on wildlife include:

impacts to habitat availability resulting in habitat loss and alteration as well as reduced habitateffectiveness;

impacts to habitat connectivity caused by barriers to wildlife movements;

impacts resulting in direct mortality risk; and

impacts resulting in indirect mortality risk.

During the operational life of the quarry, most of the vegetation within the Project area will be removed ordisturbed, eliminating wildlife habitat. The effects of this clearing will have a significant local effect on the abilityof wildlife to use the area which is typical of mining or quarry projects. The areas adjacent to the quarry footprintwere assessed to determine the regional effect of this clearing. It was determined there is sufficient wildlifehabitat available in the RSA to reduce the effects of the PCA Limestone Quarry Project.

When quarry mining operations are completed, final reclamation activities can begin, thereby replacing wildlifehabitat within the former quarry footprint. This is one of the key mitigation measures to reduce the long termimpact to wildlife in the area. With appropriate mitigation and monitoring during quarry activities and operations,PCA will attempt to minimize the impact on wildlife wherever possible.

Potential mitigation measures have been developed that may reduce the potential effects of the PCA LimestoneQuarry Project and will focus primarily on three areas:



wildlife habitat;

wildlife movement; and

wildlife mortality.

The mitigation measures presented are specifically designed to address concerns relating to the wildlife VECs.The PCA Limestone Quarry Project closure plan has incorporated a variety of end land uses into the closurelandscape including areas for wildlife habitat. In the long term, after closure, the impact on wildlife VECs will beinsignificant.

A.7.9 HydrologyAn assessment was made of the hydrology of surface water features for the PCA Limestone Quarry Project.These include the Athabasca River and local streams which flow into and through the proposed Project site.The Athabasca River may inundate portions of the Project during ice jam and/or open water flood events. TheProject design anticipates, and is designed to accommodate, occasional flooding.

Parsons Creek and other smaller streams originate from offsite watershed areas west of the Project and drainacross the site into the Athabasca River. The Project will preserve undisturbed riparian corridors for the site’stwo fish-bearing streams, which include Parsons Creek and Unnamed Creek 6. The main source of water tothese features—the offsite drainage areas—will be entirely unaffected by the Project. Other small drainagescourses on the Project site that are not fish-bearing and have no inherent ecosystem value will be interceptednear the Project’s west boundary, diverted around or across the work area, and discharged to the AthabascaRiver.

Under existing conditions, the small drainage courses on the Project site provide conveyance routes for runofffrom offsite watershed areas to drain to the Athabasca River. The Project will provide alternate conveyancepaths for water to reach the river. Any changes to the timing and magnitude of flows in the small drainagecourses, including any hydraulic routing effects in the final end pit lake configuration, will be imperceptible inrelation to the magnitude and natural variability of Athabasca River flows.

Any water from these local drainages which eludes surface capture, and which infiltrates to shallow groundwaterand thence the pit(s), will be pumped from the pits to holding ponds, and then either used onsite for dust controlor released to the river after water quality has been tested and meets applicable regulatory standards. On-sitewater management during quarry mining operations will involve the removal of water in the active quarry pitsthat would accumulate from precipitation, local runoff, and groundwater sources. The amount of water to bemanaged on-site will be minimized by diversion of local drainages as discussed above. Water that is removedfrom the quarry pits will be recycled for use in dust control on roads and stockpiles. Excess water not used fordust control will be stored in retention ponds and tested to meet applicable water quality standards prior torelease to the Athabasca River.

The Project will have minimal impacts to surface water hydrology. The Project will not alter or disrupt thehydrology of the local water features with ecosystem value. Hydrologic impacts to the local aquatic ecosystemsand the Athabasca River will be of negligible magnitude and not significant.

A.7.10 HydrogeologyThe PCA Limestone Quarry Project will involve two operations that have distinctly different constraints. Surficialdeposits above the limestone will be removed before quarry mining operations. This removal of surficialdeposits in the north will be part of an aggregate operation that is taking place in Mine Blocks 3D and 3C. In thecentral and southern parts of the Project area, without viable sand and gravel deposits, overburden removal ispart of quarry operations.

The baseline for the environmental impact assessment with respect to the hydrogeological regime is:



The exposed limestone surface after aggregate extraction operations are completed; and

The overburden removal and limestone quarrying operations.

The limestone deposit is generally considered to have very low hydraulic conductivity. Large volumes of waterare not expected to enter the quarry. The planned water control for in-pit operations will be pumping fromsumps within the open pit. Dewatering wells are not anticipated. The water from the in-pit sumps will betransferred to settling ponds where it will mix with precipitation or surface runoff. This water will be used for dustcontrol and other process water. Surplus water will only be released if it meets regulatory requirements.

The major result of surface water diversion will be that water that currently runs on-site from the west andinfiltrates will no longer do so. This will mean a general lowering of groundwater levels within the site – a resultthat is desired with respect to dewatering of overburden in advance of the quarry. Surface water diversion mayhave the additional effect of lowering groundwater levels within the site. That would be considered asupplemental benefit to the diversion.

Quarry activities that might take place are intended to reduce groundwater levels in advance of overburdenremoval. There are two aspects to control of groundwater in the overburden:

Lowering the water table so that overburden removal can take place in relatively dry circumstances; and

Controlling the groundwater discharging from the overburden at the crest of the quarry, both ageotechnical and water management issue.

It is anticipated that water control within the quarry can be done with a series of sumps on the quarry floor.Given the very low hydraulic conductivity of the limestone at depth, there is no anticipation of the need fordewatering wells. The sumps on the quarry floor will collect a mixture of:

Seepage from the limestone;

Seepage from the overburden that has been allowed to run into the quarry; and

Direct precipitation or surface runoff into the quarry.

The water in the sumps will be used in operations such as dust suppression and any excess will be pumped tosettling ponds from which it will be released by quarry operations providing that it meets accepted water qualityguidelines.

It is estimated that the amount of water being pumped from the quarry would average 900 m3/d – less than anyamount used in operations. The majority of this volume would come from precipitation. It is further estimatedthat the TDS in this water would be in the range of 500 to 1,000 mg/L. The impact of release of this water isdiscussed in Volume 3, CR #11, Surface Aquatic Resources.

It is not anticipated that large volumes of saline water will enter the quarry. The low hydraulic conductivity of thelimestone, coupled with a low hydraulic gradient means that intergranular flow will be insignificant. Precipitation,inflow of water from overburden and other freshwater sources will be more than sufficient to dilute the saltconcentration to acceptable concentrations for discharge. The impact will be insignificant.

Open fractures or similar paths for groundwater movement from the limestone are not frequently encountered inthe open pit mines to the north of the Project. There is no reason to believe that these openings would occur atthe proposed site. If, in the improbable case that such opening(s) were encountered and salt water entered toquarry in significant volumes, the following mitigations might be undertaken:

Plug or grout the openings to shut off the flow; and Collect saline water for onsite treatment or transport for disposal off site.



All of these options have the end point of mitigating the potential impact of salt water egress into the quarry.Because there is mitigation, the impact is insignificant.

A detailed groundwater monitoring program will be required as a condition of any approval resulting from thisApplication. The purpose of this section is to outline the considerations that will be incorporated into thatensuing program. These considerations are as follows:

There are no users of groundwater by means of wells or springs within the area of influence;

The overburden removal in the south and the approved gravel extraction operations will be removingsurficial deposits, including any aquifers;

The operations do not use significant chemicals or produce any contaminants of concern;

Hydrocarbon fuel storage is anticipated; and

The limestone is anticipated to have very low hydraulic conductivity coupled with a hydraulic gradientinto the pit.

There are few issues that would form the basis of the need for a groundwater monitoring network. In this case,the existing observation wells installed for purposes of this document will be adequate at the outset.Observation wells in the surficial materials and limestone will be measured and sampled for major ion chemistryonce per year. Observation well(s) near fuel storage may also be considered as appropriate.

A.7.11 Aquatic ResourcesSurface water in the Project area is alkaline, with pH values generally above 8.0 and water that is classified ashard to very hard (total hardness ranged from 100 mg/L to 411 mg/L CaCO3). The generally high colour anddissolved organic carbon levels in most sampled watercourses and waterbodies indicate that the Project areacontains brown-water systems that are like many of the tributaries to the Athabasca River below Fort McMurray.Total phosphorus concentrations throughout the LSA are indicative of eutrophic to hyper-eutrophic conditions.Several water quality variables were below detection limits, particularly a number of the nutrients and ions, totalmercury, total recoverable hydrocarbons, and naphthenic acids.

There is little seasonal variation in surface water quality in the Project area. Analyses of variance to test forseasonal differences in the concentration of surface water quality variables indicate that, for most water qualityvariables, the variability in concentration within a season is significantly greater than the variability inconcentration among seasons. The exceptions to this are antimony and copper, which had significantlydifferent concentrations between summer and spring and summer and fall, and chromium and zinc, which hadsignificantly-different concentrations between spring and fall.

Fish were recovered from aquatic habitats on both Unnamed Channel No. 6 (UC6) and Parsons Creek.Because neither of these watercourses appear to have lakes upstream of the Project area that are of sufficientsize to serve as overwintering refugia for fish, it is reasonable to assume that UC6 and Parsons Creek are smallpermanent streams in which water flows all year but which may freeze completely during the winter, and thatfish passage in both UC6 and Parsons Creek is possible from Highway No. 63 to and from the Athabasca River,or to and from the ponded areas on these watercourses that do not freeze to depth during winter.

There will be physical loss of parts of existing watercourses in the Project area with quarry development.However, non fish-bearing watercourses will be intercepted on the Project’s west and south west boundary,diverted around quarry working areas and discharged to the Athabasca River. Fish-bearing watercourses willbe protected from quarry development by undisturbed buffer zones throughout the Project area:

No quarry activities or operations will be conducted within 50 m of the high water mark of ParsonsCreek on both banks, or within 30 m from water-source areas within that buffer, from Highway No. 63 tothe Athabasca River;



No quarry activities or operations will be conducted within 150 m from the high-water mark of theAthabasca River;

No quarry activities or operations will be conducted within 60 m of the western, northern, and southernedge of Pond 1;

No quarry activities or operations will be conducted within 150 m of the old floodplain channel thatcontinues north of Pond 1 and proceeds north to the northeast corner of the Project area; and

No quarry mining activities are proposed for mine block 1A immediately adjacent to UC6 and so it is notexpected to be impacted by Project development.

The creation and maintenance of the undisturbed buffer zones as described will protect almost all of thedocumented aquatic habitat and fish resources of the Project area:

It will protect all types of aquatic habitat in which fish were captured using backpack electro-fishing andseine/dip nets and nd it will protect all types of aquatic habitat in which fish were captured using minnowtraps;

Overall, it will protect the aquatic habitat in the Project area that contributed more than 99% of the totalnumber of fish captured in the baseline fish inventories; and

It will protect the only part of the Project area for which there is a demonstrated access for use by large-bodied fish species from the Athabasca River (i.e., the northeast edge of the Project area).

The residual (after mitigation) effects of the Project on surface aquatic resources through physical loss ofaquatic habitat are assessed as insignificant for the Project area.

Many quarry activities and operations will be ongoing over the life-of-Project and will overlap betweenconstruction, operation and reclamation phases of the Project. These phases will require the implementation ofa number of activities within the Project area including tree clearing; access road construction, streamdiversions, settling ponds and stream crossings; stripping overburden materials; managing soil and waste rockstockpiles and portable plant site set-up, including truck load out facilities. These construction-related activitieshave the potential to increase sediment loading to surface waters and affect surface aquatic resources,particularly in Parsons Creek and Pond 1 which will remain intact, as well as other watercourses prior to theiralteration and diversion as a part of quarry development.

There will be a number of stream crossings required as part of the Project, including a stream crossing ofParsons Creek. The design and construction of all stream crossings will be done in compliance with the AlbertaCode of Practice for Watercourse Crossings and associated guidelines. Require mitigation measures willcommence once the exact location of the stream crossings are finalized. These mitigation measures mean thatall stream crossings constructed and operated by the Project will meet regulatory requirements for protection offish resources and aquatic habitat; this will also effectively mitigate effects on surface water quality.

The following mitigation measures will be implemented for quarry activities and operations:

Earthworks contractors will be required to submit a erosion and sediment control plans. Sedimentcontrol methods will be minimized at the stream crossings according to methods such as thosedescribed by Alberta Transportation (1999, currently under revision) and will include, as required: theuse of cut-off trenches, silt fences, flow barriers, temporary and/or permanent sediment control pondsand/or traps, and ditches to minimize or eliminate sediment transport from exposed soil areas intoreceiving water bodies or watercourses;

If required, a network of interception ditches will also be constructed around the permanent waste rockstockpiles and portable plant site areas to capture and divert silt laden runoff to quarry retention sumps;

The time intervals between clearing/grubbing and subsequent earthworks will be minimized, particularlyat or in the vicinity of watercourses or in areas susceptible to erosion;



Upon completion of construction, disturbed areas will be revegetated to stabilize soils and minimizeerosion (to be done as soon as practicable after construction is complete). Interim vegetative cover willbe established where necessary or appropriate to bridge the interval between disturbance andreclamation. Additional erosion and sediment controls (i.e., silt fences, fiber matting etc.) would bedeployed as appropriate in these disturbed areas where erosion or sedimentation is observed; and

Special provision will be made for protection of surface watercourses and waterbodies from anyconcrete works. This will include: prohibition from discharging concrete wash water into anywatercourse or waterbody, and containment and isolation of any concrete-affected water for eithertreatment until it meets water quality criteria suitable for discharge to the natural environment, or elsetransported to a facility approved for related containment and/or disposal.

With strict implementation of the mitigation measures described above, the potential impacts of quarry activitiesand operations on surface aquatic resources in Parsons Creek and Pond 1 as well as other watercourses priorto their removal as part of quarry development are predicted to be negligible for the Project area for thefollowing reasons:

Impacts from quarry activities and operations which have been identified as potentially adverse aremitigable using standard engineering and environmental design applications;

Short-term impacts on surface aquatic resources during stream crossing installation are expected to betemporary and localized. Potential adverse effects associate with sedimentation are expected to beconfined to the areas immediately downstream of construction activities;

Any water from quarry sumps which is released to the clean surface water diversion system will betested and will meet regulatory requirements prior to discharge; and

Quarry activities and operations will follow Project development plans and schedules. These activitieswill be carried out sequentially, at intervals, before the development of new areas.

The residual (after mitigation) effects of the Project on surface aquatic resources from construction activities ofthe Project are assessed as insignificant in Project area.

At closure, three end-pit lakes will remain in the Project reclaimed landscape. The design of the proposed end-pitlakes is conceptual. The final design of each end-pit lake will be prepared once each of the quarry mine blocksbecome eligible for reclamation and PCA will use sets of guiding principles that are available at the time of end-pitlake design, in consultation with regulatory agencies and stakeholders, when developing the final end-pit lakedesigns. These guiding principles are expected to influence final end-pit lake values, sustainability, biologicaldiversity and use of native species, use of practical methods for end-pit lake design and construction, and the use ofadaptive management in end-pit lake design, construction, and management. Most of these guiding principles arecurrently under consideration for end-pit lakes in the Athabasca oil sands region and for end-pit lakes at coal mineoperations in the mountains and foothills of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

It is expected that water quality of the end-pit lakes proposed for the Project will be suitable for aquatic life andthat the end-pit lakes will be ecologically sustainable, particularly in comparison to current Baseline conditions ofsurface water quality and aquatic habitat in the Project area. The residual effects of the quarry operations andreclamation on aquatic resources in the end-pit lakes are assessed as insignificant for the Project area.

Environmental monitoring for surface water quality will be conducted at three stages of the Project: construction,active mining, and reclamation. Monitoring will consist of water quality monitoring to ensure environmentalquality guidelines are being met and compliance with regulatory approvals, as well as fish inventories to ensurethat Project effects of aquatic habitats are insignificant.

All construction activities will comply with strict Environmental Management Plans prepared as part of constructionagreements that will outline acceptable methods for each of these activities. Routine audits and associated



environmental monitoring will be conducted during construction periods. In particular, suspended sediments will beroutinely monitored during construction periods for all instream construction activities (i.e. watercourse crossings).

Parsons Creek is the primary watercourse in the LSA and it will be sampled on a regular basis both upstreamand downstream of the Project to monitor the quality of surface aquatic resources both entering and leaving theProject site. Surface water quality sampling will occur in more than one season in a year to document seasonalchanges, while fish inventories and aquatic habitat surveys will likely be conducted once per year. In addition tothose water quality variables with regulatory guidelines, a variety of other water quality variables will bemonitored in water released to natural watercourses from the water management system.

Reclamation and closure monitoring will be conducted at annual intervals at selected reclaimed sites and inend-pit lakes to document changes in surface aquatic resources during the reclamation and closure process.

A.7.12 Historical ResourcesA single precontact archaeological site was identified during the HRIA conducted for the Project. This site hasmoderate to high heritage value, and continued avoidance of this site is recommended. If continued avoidanceis not feasible, further investigation is recommended prior to impact and would consist of 12 square metersStage I mitigation.

HfOu 5 is a subsurface lithic artifact scatter that was identified in shovel tests along an old channel of theAthabasca River. The site has moderate to high heritage value, and further study (shovel testing, excavation) isrecommended prior to impact. This site is located within an undisturbed buffer zone for the protection ofaquatic resources in Pond 1, and will not be impacted. No historic period sites were identified during Projectstudies.

Five other land use sites (i.e., recent in nature) were recorded and photographically documented; these landuse sites are of significance to local communities (see Traditional Land Use study), but are not anticipated forimpact from the Project; should these land use sites be impacted, consultation with affected parties isrecommended.

Based on the results of the HRIA conducted for the proposed PCA Limestone Quarry Project, it isrecommended that PCA Resources has satisfied their historical resources concerns with respect to theHistorical Resources Act (RSA 2000). Application has been made recommending that PCA be grantedHistorical Resources Act clearance with respect to the PCA Limestone Quarry Project.

The Project will contribute to a very small proportion of the impact to historical resources in the RSA (1.4%); theeffect of this Project on historical resources is not significant.

A.7.13 Traditional Environmental Knowledge and Land UseThe effects assessment addresses the primary and secondary effects the Project may have during quarryconstruction, operation and reclamation phases. The perceived cumulative effects of past and existing activitieswithin the Regional Study Area (RSA) are also considered, as are potential positive effects.

Potential effects to occupancy and use during the quarry construction phase are directly related to the Projectfootprint and typically include primary impacts to Aboriginal dwellings, spiritual sites, gravesites, trails, resourceharvesting locales, or specific resource (e.g., wildlife, vegetation) habitats or features (e.g.,bear dens). For thequarry operations phase the potential primary effects that are considered relate to the environment, health andwell-being of the resources, and the health and well-being of the Aboriginal peoples whose traditional territoriesmay fall within the RSA. Included are all aspects of life that the Aboriginal group feels may be affected by thefacilities and/or by its by-products over the project's lifespan. They are not usually site-specific. Effectsconsidered for the quarry reclamation phase relate to decommissioning activities and overall reclamation or



restoration plans as it pertains to Aboriginal use and well-being. Perceived effects typically address both sitespecific and cumulative effects.

Secondary effects for the Project include perceived changes in land use that arise from changing social andeconomic conditions related to Project construction, operations and abandonment. These effects can includedemographic shifts, land use restrictions, increased outsider access and changes to the local and regionaleconomy. Assessment work carried out using the approaches outlined above offers potential for creatingpositive effects, one of which is the opportunity to better understand Aboriginal history, traditional practices andcultural perspectives. There is also much to be learned from knowledgeable Elders about a region’s biodiversity(passed on through generations) which can lead to innovative models of sustainability.

Project-specific mitigation measures may include site avoidance, buffering, enhancement, further studies,monitoring or co-management programs, restoration or conservation measures, or compensatory action.Irreversible changes to cultural traditions necessitated by changing economic and environmental circumstancesover time (cumulative effects) may require long-term mitigation strategies to assist in developing alternatelivelihoods (economic systems) congruent with the values and worldview of the Aboriginal group (Figure 1).Mitigation of cumulative effects can sustain the cultural identity, heritage and well-being of the group.Determining appropriate mitigation measures requires the participation of the community, governments andindustries operating within the traditional territory.

A.7.14 Socio-Economic AssessmentCertain factors will influence the ability of the Project to reach peak production including the level of regionaldemand for limestone as construction aggregate and whether a market materializes in the region forenvironmental applications of limestone aggregates.

The Project is expected to have a small albeit positive impact on both the regional and provincial economies,including:

maximum onsite construction employment estimated at 9 person-years;

maximum operations employment estimated at 12 person-years, annually;

total operations employment impact (direct, indirect and induced employment) estimated at 31 person-years annually or over 1,000 person-years over the life of the Project;

an impact of $28.3 million on provincial GDP and $18.7 million on household income resulting from theProject’s construction phase;

an annual impact of $3.56 million on provincial GDP and $1.50 million on household income resultingfrom the Project’s operation phase;

mineral royalty payments to the Government of Alberta of $88,000 annually at peak production; and

federal and provincial corporate tax payments estimated in the range of $4.0 - $6.5 million annually atpeak production.

The Project will also increase the local supply of construction aggregate for road and infrastructure projects inthe region. As a result of this increase in supply, along with the Project’s proximity to the Urban Service Areaand corresponding reduced shipping costs, the Project is expected to have a positive impact on competitivepricing of construction aggregate to customers near the Urban Service Area and points south in the region.

The Project is expected to have a negligible impact on service providers in the region for several reasons. Amaximum population impact scenario for the Project’s operations, taking into account direct, indirect andinduced employment impacts, is estimated to be in the range of 105 people. With the urban populationestimated to reach 120,000 people by 2018, the Project’s impact is negligible.



Previous socio-economic impact assessments (SEIAs) for oil sands projects in the region have attempted tocapture and quantify direct, indirect, and induced employment impacts of both an individual project as well asprojects planned for the region. The expected usage of the Project’s end products indicates that the Project isone which primarily supports the oil sands industry and its associated impact on the general economy. As such,the impacts of the Project have already been accounted for in previous SEIAs for oil sands projects in theregion. These impacts include not just employment impacts, but also population impacts and the associatedservice provider effects.

Despite the relatively small impact of the Project on the local community, the proponent is committed to workingwith community stakeholders throughout the life of the Project, including supporting specific communityprograms and initiatives where possible.

A.7.15 Palaeontological ResourcesProject effects on palaeontological resources can occur throughout the life of the quarry (Application Case) andwill be limited to the quarry area (local extent). These effects are irreversible. Fossils will continuously becrushed, but most will be fossils of low heritage value resulting in effects of low to moderate magnitude. Withmitigation, the Project will have positive effects on palaeontological resources as it is expected to recover fossilsof high heritage value that are unlikely to otherwise be discovered.

However, because all fossils of high heritage value cannot be identified and collected before crushing andscreening work, some negative Project effects will occur. Relative to the volume of fossiliferous limestone thatwill be lost to mining in the Fort McMurray area and the total volume of limestone that occurs in the WaterwaysFormation, only a small percentage of the overall volume will be lost.

In terms of removal of a stratigraphic unit, there are no known cumulative effects. There is no palaeontologicaldata available yet from other mining or quarry projects to determine if there will be a cumulative loss ofpalaeontological resources. No traditional knowledge for palaeontological resources was collected for theProject. Climate change is not expected to affect palaeontological resources.

To address the adverse Project effects on palaeontological resources, the following mitigation measures areproposed. These recommendations will be reviewed by the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology who, inconjunction with Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, will determine what palaeontological mitigation isrequired for the Project.

The Project is a large-scale development where ground disturbance will occur over a large area for an extendedperiod of time. Fossils of high heritage value, such as fish and exceptionally preserved invertebrates, are likelyto be discovered. A Management Plan to address these finds is recommended, including:

formulation of a Discovery Protocol to deal with finding fossils of high heritage value during mining, forexample, collecting fish fossils so that they are not processed and crushed;

a sampling program to document the faunal content of new areas/horizons exposed as mining occurs;

occasional site visits by a professional palaeontologist are recommended to evaluate the potential ofnewly exposed horizons and areas, sample the fauna, and examine fossils set aside by workers; and

development of an Education Program for quarry workers.

The Project provides the opportunity to recover fossils from horizons that are unlikely to ever be naturallyexposed at the earth’s surface. The most effective way to recover the fossils of high heritage value is to teachquarry workers what to look for. An Education Program would establish the importance of saving these fossilsand outline the procedures to follow.



A.8 GUIDE TO THE APPLICATION

A.8.1 Document OrganizationThis Application comprises three volumes.

Volume 1 comprises the main part of the Application, and is intended to provide the regulators (Federal,Provincial and Municipal), stakeholders, the Public and First Nations with the information necessary tounderstand the project, review the EIA and process the EPEA and Water Act approvals. Volume 1 includes thefollowing parts:

Part A: Project Introduction, which provides the formal letters of transmittal and an overview of theApplication. The overview of the Application describes the Project concept, the proponent andapplicant, the location of the Project, the need for and purpose of the Project, the major Projectcomponents, Project schedule and costs, the proponent’s approach to innovation and management ofenvironmental and socio-economic issues, the regulatory framework, the proponent’s community andstakeholder engagement program, the environmental and socio-economic considerations pertinent tothe Application and a summary of commitments made by Parsons Creek Aggregates, in relation to theProject.

Part B: Project Description, which provides detailed information regarding the proposed developmentarea, innovations in Project design, the site development plan, the major Project components (includingmine plan, limestone handling facility, infrastructure and utilities and offsites), analysis of alternatives,schedule, approach to health, safety and environmental management, air emissions (includinggreenhouse gases) management, waste management and adaptive management.

Part C: Public Consultation, which describes the approach and activities undertaken by theproponent and documents the issues raised by communities and stakeholders.

Part D: Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology, which describes in detail the approach to,and methods used, in the assessment of environmental and socio-economic effects of the Project,including cumulative effects, the scope of the Project being assessed, the scope of the assessment, theVECs upon which the assessment is focused, the assessment boundaries, the criteria used to evaluatethe significance of any predicted residual effects, the assessment cases (i.e., Baseline, Application andCEA Cases) and the tools and steps used to identify and evaluate potential Project-environmentinteractions.

Part E: Environmental Impact Assessment, which provides a summary of the environmental andsocio-economic impact assessments.

Part F: EPEA Approval Application, which addresses the information required for approval pursuantto the EPEA.

Part G: Water Act Approval Application, which addresses the information required for approvalpursuant to the Water Act.

Volumes 2 and 3 include detailed Consultants’ Reports documenting the environmental and socio-economicimpact assessments for various disciplines.

Volumes 2 includes:

Consultant Report 1: Air Quality

Consultant Report 2: Human Health

Consultant Report 3: Noise

Consultant Report 4: Land Use

Consultant Report 5: Soils and Terrain



Consultant Report 6: Conservation & Reclamation

Consultant Report 7: Vegetation

Volumes 3 includes:

Consultant Report 8: Wildlife

Consultant Report 9: Hydrology

Consultant Report 10: Hydrogeology

Consultant Report 11: Surface Aquatic Resources

Consultant Report 12: Historical Resources

Consultant Report 13: Traditional Environmental Knowledge and Land Use

Consultant Report 14: Socio-Economic Impact Assessment

Consultant Report 15: Paleontological Resources

A.8.2 Terms of Reference and Concordance TableTo assist reviewers of this Application to ascertain completeness of the documentation and to locate informationof particular interest, a detailed concordance table has been prepared correlating the specific informationrequirements of the primary approvals (identified in Section A.4.1) with the Application documentation.

The approved Terms of Reference and Concordance table is provided for the EIA and is presented in Appendix1 in Volume 1.

A.8.3 Glossary of Term and AbbreviationsA glossary of terms and abbreviations used throughout the Application is presented in Appendix 2 in Volume 1.

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Graymont (SML050015, SML060014, SML060015, SML060016, SML070025)

Scott Land & Lease Ltd. (OSL7407090343)

E-T Energy (OSL7404100542)

Alberta Transportation (RDS090017)

Cancelled with outstanding obligations

Project Area (390 ha Limestone Quarry)

PCA (Graymont) MAIM Lease* (No. 9404120901)

* The entire MAIM Lease is within ALPAC's (FMA9100029) and Northland Forest Product's (CLT A150001) Agreement Areas

JH Drilling (SML090054 recent application)

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REF: MEMS, Nov 2009

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e2 - Dogwood-Balsam poplar/Spruce

e3 - Dogwood-Spruce

S - Sedge/marsh reed grass meadow complex

WL - Wetland

End Pit Lake

Undisturbed Buffer

Project Area

Higway

Contour (2m Interval)

part a: project introduction - alberta.ca · 2016. 8. 16. · parsons creek aggregates project part...

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