Report - Agence canadienne d'évaluation environnementale

Assessing the risks related to the project
A number of federal departments also commented on the risk assessment approach
followed by the proponent. Thus, the Canadian Explosives Research Laboratory
(CERL) of Natural Resources Canada was of the opinion that the methodological
approach used by the proponent to assess marine risks was acceptable. Environment
Canada also stated that that the proponent used a risk analysis method that is
generally acknowledged in North America and Europe (DQ65.1, p. 1; DB5).
Regarding the pipeline, the proponent specified that the risk assessment is also in
compliance with relevant provincial and federal government requirements. In his
opinion, the assessment took into account the requirements of the National Energy
Board (NEB). The Board was of the opinion that the proponent’s pipeline impact study
generally complied with the requirements of the Federal Guideline to submit the
project’s impact study and those of its filing manual 1 (PR3.4.1, C8, p. 8.2; DB1).
♦ Finding — The Panel found that the methodology used by the proponent when
assessing individual and societal risks complied with established practices in this field,
and that it was accepted by government departments and organizations in charge of
regulatory frameworks and follow-ups when assessing the project.
Participants’ concerns
During the hearings, several participants and resource persons questioned the
hypotheses used by the proponent in the analysis of accident scenarios that could
result in fires, as well as the tools used to carry out these analyses. The criticisms
concerned, among others, the size of the breaches taken into account by the
proponent, the choice of effect thresholds for thermal radiation, and using steadystate
rather than initial spill pools in case of LNG leaks. It should be noted that several
of these topics apply accident scenarios both in the seaway as well as on land.
At the request of Transport Canada, and within the scope of its work related to the
technical review process of LNG terminals and transhipment sites (TERMPOL), a
review of the project’s risk analysis was conducted by CERL experts (for the maritime
aspect of the project only). Transport Canada specified that the overall CERL
concerns would be taken into account when formulating the recommendations for the
TERMPOL report (DQ65.1). The TERMPOL report concerning this project was
published on May 15, 2007.
1. [On-line: www.neb-one.gc.ca/ActsRegulations/index_e.htm#filing_manual].
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