Kingston Pipeline Environmental Impact - Term Paper Example

Kingston Pipeline – Environmental Impact Utilities Kingston is owned by Ontario Corporation No. 1425447 which is in turn wholly owned by the City of Kingston. Utilities Kingston provides various utilities to the citizens of City of Kingston in the form of natural gas, electricity, and water services, and has been doing so for over 100 years now. They provide an affordable, socially conscious utility service in a cost-effective manner. (Kingston 2000) The provision of gas pipelines makes up a significant part of the company’s business. However, how socially conscious they are when it comes to gas pipelines is definitely questionable. There is no denying the environmental hazards of these gas pipelines, and whether or not Kingston Pipelines takes these negative externalities into account is questionable. The construction and operation of these pipelines are definitely set to have possible impacts on the physical, socio-economic, and natural environment. Pipelines are present in almost every region of the world in a variety of landscapes, including mountains, forests, tundra, fields, pastures, urban areas, and various water bodies such as rivers, lakes and oceans. They are used all around the world to transport hydrocarbons to markets and households, and vary in their diameters and lengths. In Canada alone, there are over 580,000 km of gas pipelines, majority of which are provided by United Kingston. Back in the day, construction of pipelines did not involve taking into account the impact on the environment during any part of the construction, before or after. It was a direct process of digging a ditch, placing pipes inside, and covering them up, and sometimes not even that. However, this has changed considerably as people and nations have become more aware of their environment, and are now more concerned with protecting it. When considering the environmental effects of pipelines, the following aspects are taken into account: soil, aquatics, fish, wetlands, native vegetations, and wildlife. There are several hazards to the environment that are said to be associated with the construction of a gas pipeline. These are in the form of damage to the soil, such as soil erosion, damage to the vegetation, emission of dust and other hazardous chemicals leading to air pollution, disturbance to the habitats of the area, disturbance to the water sources, risk of contamination, noise pollution, and many more. Each of these has far-spread effects in turn; therefore, a proper cost-benefit analysis should be carried out before starting a pipeline. (Alberta 1985) Environmental conservation practices involving pipelines include selecting the proper route, selecting appropriate timing for construction, and environmentally safe construction techniques. Moreover, any plan should also include mitigative measures that would ensure that the environmental damage is prevented or kept to a minimum. After the construction is done, post-construction monitoring has to be carried out to determine the success of the environment conservation techniques that had been employed. These techniques not only protect the environment but also improve the construction practices for any future projects. Pipelines are constructed within an area, the construction right-of-way, which has two parts: leased part of land, and the land used as workspace. The area is first cleared of vegetation; the topsoil is then stripped off using equipment such as bulldozers or graders. The pipes are brought into shape through bending, welding etc. The pipes are placed into their positions in the trenches and then the trenches are filled again with subsoil. The steps involved in the construction of these pipelines are said to have particular environmental hazards associated with them. These steps include: Right-of-way preparation; Pipe Delivery; Trenching; Joining Pipe Sections; Lowering the Pipe; Backfilling; Clean-up and restoration; and Testing. (Kingston 2000) Where the route of the pipe is located can have a significant impact on how the environment will be affected. Some environmentalists consider it to be the most important part of pipeline construction planning as it has the biggest impact on how the environment will be affected. It is said that the length of the pipeline should be kept minimal in order to minimize the disturbance caused to the area. Constructing pipelines in areas where there are already existing pipelines would help to again minimize disturbance. The number of watercourse crossings should be kept minimal. Construction should be avoided in sensitive areas such as wetlands, swamps, sand dunes in order to preserve the habitats there. Moreover, the pipeline can be routed around sensitive areas. The construction of access roads to the pipelines often has greater impacts than the pipeline construction itself so those have to be kept at a minimal distance. (Goodland 2005) In case of Kingston Pipeline, the route of the pipeline is mostly located in an area where there are shallow superficial soils and a moderate topography. However, there is an area along the route has a steep clay ridge. Trenching and vegetation removals in this area is said to have possible impacts on the environment. Moreover, carrying out pipeline construction in the area with steep slopes could cause gullying, in which a deep ditch will be formed in the land due to a prolonged flow of water. Rilling is another hazard, whereby small, close channels are formed due to the uneven erosion of the soil by running water. Sloughing will also result where a layer of the land will be shed off. Drainage patterns may also change due to this. Furthermore, many trees on the side slopes, both mature and semi-mature, will need to be removed in order to make space for the construction equipment. Removing one tree is known to have such dire effects on the environment, the amount of damage done by removing a bunch of them is unimaginable. (Gillespie 1966) Poor soil conservation is said to have an impact in the productivity of soil for agricultural purposes through the mixing of topsoil and subsoil, and through the compaction of soil. Compaction causes a hardpan layer to form which cannot be penetrated by the roots of plants and also disturbs water movement. An increase in the surface run off leading to a great increase in sheet, rill and gully erosion is also the effects after the additional effects of reduced aeration, the water holding capacity of soils and permeability. One of the major effects is the mixing of soil characteristics due to the excavation and reapplication of surface soils. These effects include changes in the structure, texture and rock content that may lead to great physical changes. In Kingston Pipeline, the agricultural soil may not be affected much by the pipeline construction but the soil present in the overland section will most definitely be damaged unless proper mitigation measures are taken. Mitigating impacts on wetlands is especially important. The watercourse crossings can, however, be affected by the pipeline construction. There are 3 watercourse crossings, one large and two small, by the pipeline. There is a chance that after the construction of the pipelines, the water level will rise, as well as the flow velocity of the water. This could cause flooding of the trench line and the downstream reaches may get silted. The vegetation of an area is uniquely adapted to soil, landscape and climatic conditions. It is also an integral part of the ecosystem, building and nurturing soils, controlling wind and water erosion and providing habitat for wildlife. In case of United Kingston, the vegetation in the area will also be adversely affected as it will have to be removed to make space for the construction of the pipeline. This will mean that there will be a loss of habitat in that area in the form of food and shelter for the animals over there. Moreover, the chances of erosion will increase in the area due to the lack of vegetation. There will also be an increased risk of invasive species; and alteration of water and seed dispersal. The reproductive success of many of the endangered species of the world has been potentially reduced by the construction projects which are considered to be rather harmful rather than for the better of the world. The wildlife in the area may also be affected by the increased noise pollution from the construction of the pipeline and affect breeding, foraging, and migrating behavior. Noise pollution will also affect the residents of the area. There will be an increased level of air emissions and dusts in the area during the time of the construction. Emissions generated during the construction phase include exhaust from vehicular traffic and construction equipment. The air emissions would include carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emitted by the exhausts of the construction equipment. Since the equipment will be run on diesel, there may also be emission of Nitrogen Oxide and Sulphur Dioxide. Welding will also be part of the construction which will inevitably lead to further emissions. Activities such as site clearing and grading, power plant and pipeline system construction, and transmission line construction would have more intense exhaust-related emissions. Impacts would depend upon the amount, duration, location, and characteristics of the emissions and the meteorological conditions (e.g., wind speed and direction, precipitation, and relative humidity). Vibration also results when the large, heavy equipment is moved for particular parts of the construction such as right-of-way and soil excavation. This could further result in the houses located nearby getting damaged due to cracks in the property. Other infrastructure in the area, such as tube wells, could also get damaged. Vibration, resulting from increased traffic and drilling/development activities, may also have effects on rock art and other associated sites (e.g., sites with standing architecture). Traffic congestion is another issue that needs to be addressed. If construction takes place in an area with a high traffic flow, then the traffic flow is bound to get disturbed, and contribute to noise and air pollution. Construction waste will be another major impact on the environment due to the construction of the pipeline. Solid and industrial waste would be generated during construction activities. This could include items like packaging, spent lubricating cartridges, coffee cups, lumber and unused construction materials. Hazardous waste would also require to be handled in a way that is environmentally safe. This could include hydrocarbon contaminated soils and pneumatic oils. For all these potential environmental concerns, mitigation measures need to be taken in order to prevent the environment from getting affected too adversely. Soil surveys are necessary for all pipeline projects, regardless of size and type of pipeline installed and the scope of the project. It is necessary to understand the physical and chemical properties of soils encountered on a site-specific basis in order to identify appropriate minimal disturbance soil handling procedures. The soil survey should identify all areas where special soil handling is required. Topsoil contains the seed organic material, and essential nutrients. Therefore, it is important to limit the disturbance to soils as much as possible. In order to prevent soil erosion, gullying, and sloughing, the construction team has to level the bank by excavating upslope areas. They should maintain the existing drainage contours at the toe of the slope. After the construction is finished, they could establish the contours and drainage again. Gabion baskets can be utilized to stabilize steep slopes. (Kingston 2000; Alberta et al. 2003) Vegetation inventories should be kept at site for any pipeline projects. Pre-disturbance vegetation inventories are necessary to make informed decisions on construction and soil handling procedures on a site-specific basis. Vegetation inventories are also necessary for final route selection by providing the information necessary to avoid communities that are difficult to reclaim. In order to prevent the loss of existing vegetation, the slopes could be re-vegetated by making use of hydro-mulching and hydro-seeding with a seed mixture that germinates quickly. Also, slow growing trees could be planted, such as cedars, in order to stabilize the slopes. These trees would also absorb moisture near the toe of the slope. Moreover, implementing construction activities during suitably dry conditions can reduce impacts to vegetation and soil. If construction activities are conducted at a time when the soil moisture is unsuitable, the amount of reclamation efforts required will be more and so will be the time needed to return lands to an equivalent land capability. (Alberta et al. 2003) Any escarpment that is crossed can be reinstated by filling in the pipeline trench with excavated rock. The toe of the escarpment can be stabilized using gabion baskets. The toe can be sloped at the top which will help the rainwater to infiltrate through the crushed rock. In order to minimize the damage made to the soil, some further mitigation measures will need to be taken. Construction should not be carried out in wet soil conditions. In order to minimize compaction, light-weight and wide-tracked equipment should be used rather than heavy ones which would damage the soil. In areas where the subsoil covers the trench and is relatively infertile, topsoil should be used. Hydro-seeding and mulching should be used to encourage faster re-vegetation. In order to prevent siltation or sedimentation in downpour water areas, effective mitigation should be carried out before the construction is started. The hydraulic characteristics of the watercourse must also be monitored closely while the construction is being carried out. To safeguard the vegetation, the width of the right-of-way will have to be minimized so that minimum number of trees is affected. Also, any areas that are affected will have to be re-vegetated. In case the trunk lies outside of the working area, branches can be pruned rather than cutting of mature trees. Any vegetation next to the traffic area should also be protected. A native seed mix can be used to establish any lost soil or plants again. In case of the threat to the habitat of the wildlife, the measures taken to protect the soil and vegetation of the area will also ensure that the habitat of these animals is protected. In order to minimize noise pollution, construction activities will be carried out between prescribed hours. Certain noise restrictions will be set to ensure that the residents of the area are not disturbed by the construction activities. Coming to the air emissions, it is said that United Kingston will employ construction equipment that is properly maintained and they will maintain standard emission control technology. Although any emissions made from welding cannot be avoided, however, the level of emissions will not be enough to contribute significantly to the air pollution. (Kingston 2000) To avoid dust emission, the level of topsoil stripped will be kept to minimum. This will protect the area from wind erosion. In case of dry conditions, the surface layer of the soil will have to be kept wet using water trucks. United Kingston will monitor the construction and take appropriate steps in case of any damage done to adjacent property by the vibrations caused by the large construction machinery. Moreover, no rocks will be blasted. In case they have to be, hoe ramming will be used to break up the rocks. To avoid traffic congestion and disturbing the flow of the traffic, all major roads will be directionally drilled or bored. They will also ensure that certain streets are not closed at the same time. Construction wastes will be deposited in specified containers, rather than being left out in the open. Hazardous wastes must be transported by licensed waste haulers to a registered disposal site. Any temporary storage of wastes on-site will be done in secure containers in designated sites away from environmentally sensitive areas (e.g., watercourses). If contaminated soils are encountered, construction in the area will be stopped while the type of contaminant is determined. (Kingston 2000) In conclusion, we can say that if the mitigation measures are properly implemented, then the negative impacts on the environment will be minimized. All recommendations made for mitigation purposes should effectively ensure that there is least damage to any aspect of the area and after the construction is finished, the area is returned to pre-construction condition. References: Gillespie, J. E., Wicklund, R. E., Matthews, B. C., Canada., & Ontario Agricultural College. (1966). The soils of Frontenac County. Ottawa: Research Branch, Canada Dept. of Agriculture. Kingston (Vic.). (2000). City of Kingston. Mentone [Vic.: City of Kingston. Retrieved from: http://www.cityofkingston.ca Goodland, R. (2005). Oil and gas pipelines: Social and environmental impact assessment: state of the art. Fargo, ND: International Association of Impact Assessment. Chapman, L. J., & Putman, D. F. (1984). The physiography of southern Ontario. Toronto, Ont: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Neville, M., Alberta., & Alberta. (2003). Best management practices for pipeline construction in native prairie environments: A guide for minimizing the impact of pipeline construction on the native prairie ecosystem. Edmonton: Alberta Environment. Alberta. (1985). Manual on soil conservation and pipeline construction. Edmonton: Alberta Land Reclamation Division, Regulated Operations Branch. Read More