Pierre River Mine Project

WATER AENV SIRS 15 – 43
Reference
Question No. 31
Section 12.1
AENV (Alberta Environment). 1999. Surface Water Quality Guidelines for Use
in Alberta. Science and Standards Branch. Environmental Assurance
Division. Edmonton, AB. Submitted November 1999. 25 pp.
Request Volume 2, SIR 299, Page 21-54.
It is likely that the polishing pond DO concentrations for Jackpine and Pierre
River will be within close range of each other. Similarly, the Muskeg and Pierre
River streams also exhibit comparable DO concentrations. On this basis, the two
questions (i.e., SIR 299) are applicable to Pierre River.
31a Provide the answers to SIR 299 posed in terms of polishing pond DO
concentrations of the Pierre River project and its streams and receiving waters.
Response 31a The following are responses to the May 2009 Pierre River Mine, Supplemental
Information, Volume 2, SIR 299a and b, in terms of polishing pond DO
concentrations of the Pierre River Mine Project and its streams and receiving
waters:
References
Original SIR 299a
Explain why changing the annual frequency distribution of DO does not have an
adverse effect on DO concentrations.
Increases in dissolved oxygen concentrations, even up to 100% saturation, do not
have adverse effects on aquatic life. Therefore, changes in the annual frequency
distribution associated with increasing dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations are
not considered to adversely affect aquatic life. Dissolved oxygen is essential to
the metabolism of all aerobic aquatic organisms (Wetzel 2001) and no adverse
effects are associated with oxygen concentrations near saturation. Therefore,
provided that water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life for
dissolved oxygen (AENV 1999; CCME 1999; US EPA 2002) are met, and the
waters are not becoming highly supersaturated, changes in DO within these
bounds are not predicted to have an adverse effect.
AENV (Alberta Environment). 1999. Surface Water Quality Guidelines for Use
in Alberta. Science and Standards Branch. Environmental Assurance
Division. Edmonton, AB. Submitted November 1999. 25 pp.
CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment). 1999. Canadian
Environmental Quality Guidelines (with updates to 2006). Winnipeg,
MB.
12-44 Shell Canada Limited April 2010
CR029