Environmental Impact Assessment Process for Major Hydro-Québec Projects

Owing to the nature of its operations and because it is the leading hydropower developer in Canada, Hydro-Québec produces many impact studies. Some of them are among the most voluminous ever produced in the country. The recent impact statement for the Eastmain-1-A/Sarcelle/Rupert project is a good example; the Romaine Complex study is another. Over the years, Hydro-Québec has built multidisciplinary teams involving many people and organized an unparalleled integrated process.

All impact studies are conducted by the Hydro-Québec Équipement division and Société d'énergie de la Baie James. Hydro-Québec Équipement handles the engineering and construction for electricity generation and transmission projects. The division has a number of project teams and specialized departments and works with numerous engineering and environmental consulting firms to ensure that Hydro-Québec benefits from the best expertise in Québec in these fields.

A typical project team

The project team assigned to a major impact study generally includes

• an administrator from our engineering and environment unit;
• project engineers;
• hydraulics and hydrology engineers;
• geomatics and geographic information systems specialists;
• government authorizations specialist (lawyer);
• environment project manager;
• at least a dozen environment specialists.

Specialists are assigned to projects based on the particularities of the environment in question. Click on the links in the first section below to see what specialists in the various fields have to say about their fascinating work. The next set of links summarize the context in which studies are conducted, followed by a selective bibliography of the largest impact studies.

Human environment specialists

Geography

Studies of the human environment look at land use and development, the socioeconomic context and the landscape. The project location determines the study requirements, which vary depending on whether the environment is urban or in an unorganized territory. I must consider the activities that people pursue in the area, such as vacationing, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and boating.

The study describes the existing conditions and analyzes the impacts the project will have on the area. We use information available from government departments and local organizations and hold meetings with users to share what we know about the area and inform them of our study results. If necessary, we conduct surveys to improve our understanding.

A hydroelectric development has impacts. This is why we put a lot of effort into measures designed to mitigate the negative ones. Mitigation measures may involve the construction of hunting and fishing facilities, docks, landing areas and boat ramps.

Mitigation measures are also intended to maximize positive aspects. Economic spinoffs are generated by project construction in the area directly affected and throughout Québec. Once construction has been completed, Hydro-Québec's environmental follow-up monitors actual impacts to see if they were anticipated correctly and determines whether the measures are effective.

Louise Émond

Archaeology

Red stones and fragments in a fire pit in a 1,530-year-old native camp. Eastmain-1 hydroelectric project.

Archaeological heritage is a fragile, nonrenewable resource that requires a preventive approach. My expertise is therefore needed from the moment project planning begins to identify the archaeological resources that need protection.

I design studies to determine the archaeological interest in a given area and plan inventories and archaeological digs at sites affected by new power generation, transmission and even distribution facilities.

André Burroughs

First Nations

Discussion with users on the post-diversion configuration of the Smokey Hill fishing site. Eastmain-1-A/Sarcelle/Rupert hydroelectric project.

My role is to document land use, social aspects and traditional knowledge of Native communities so that all project impacts on these communities are clearly identified.

I explain all the facets of a project to each family that uses an affected trapline, including project studies, construction activities and operations. I believe it's very important to share our views on the project's consequences and agree on mitigation measures to facilitate the continuation of hunting, fishing and trapping.

The information must be illustrated, nontechnical and translated into the language of the communities. Sometimes there are vocabulary limitations that can be overcome by adapting information to the local context.

Basically, my job is to respond to a broad range of concerns about project consequences and reduce the gap between traditional knowledge and the results of our scientific studies.

André Tessier

Biophysical environment specialists

Marine biology

Snow crab inventory in the Chenal de Mingan. Romaine Complex, fall 2005.

A full 82% of Hydro-Québec's electricity is generated from rivers that flow into the estuary and gulf of the St. Lawrence or into James Bay, which are saltwater or tidal environments.

Hydropower developments modify the hydrological regime at the river mouths. Reservoirs hold back the spring floods and generating stations operate at full capacity in winter.

To fulfill its obligations under Québec and federal environmental legislation, Hydro-Québec must study the impacts of its facilities on estuary and saltwater environments, including physical changes.

Fluctuating water levels and tidal currents complicate the study of coastal environments. Oceanography specialists study this environment and the species that inhabit it (crabs, capelins, quahogs, etc.), predict the impacts of hydropower generation projects and monitor the changes caused.

Danielle Messier

Geomorphology

Restoration and rehabilitation of wetlands on the Wemotaci plain in 2006 during construction of the Chute-Allard and Rapides-des-Cœurs generating stations.

Geomorphology is the study of the type, forms and origin of surface deposits. This information is used in transmission projects to plan access strategies and avoid problems with low load-bearing capacity or rough terrain. Geomorphological studies assess the risks of compacting farmland, creating ruts and soil erosion.

These studies also enable us to understand and predict bank erosion, sediment transport and deposits in the beds of lakes and rivers affected by hydroelectric development projects. The physical changes planned for these developments (reservoir creation and operation, river flow modifications) are major considerations in the assessment of environmental impacts and help determine the design of mitigation or compensation measures for aquatic and land animals and birds.

Guylaine Gagnon

Aquatic biology

Characterization fishing on the Romaine River. Romaine Complex.

Although hydroelectric projects generally bring about an increase in usable fish habitat, they involve major changes in the aquatic environment. My role is to assess the impacts of projects on fish populations.

In conjunction with several specialists in the field and wildlife technicians, I determine what species of fish are present and what the probable impacts will be. Working with the project team, I suggest measures to mitigate the negative impacts and foster favorite fishing species so that the project can be built in harmony with the host environment.

For more information, see the Hydro Projects and Fish Communities page.

Gabriel Durocher

Mercury

Pêche au réservoir Robert-Bourassa dans le cadre du suivi du mercure dans la chair des poissons.

As a mercury specialist, my role in hydroelectric project impact assessment is to evaluate the potential health risk to fish eaters of a temporary increase in mercury levels in fish flesh as a result of reservoir impoundment.

My work consists in determining current mercury levels and the extent of future increases. I also have to measure present and future mercury exposure levels of local inhabitants who eat fish. In conjunction with local public health authorities, I update the fish consumption guides according to changes in mercury levels so that people can continue to enjoy the health benefits of fish while avoiding the mercury-related effects.

For more information, see the Issue of Mercury for Hydro-Québec page.

Roger Schetagne

Land animals

Caribou being monitored while Eastmain 1 reservoir was being impounded, winter 2006.

My role is to assess the impacts of a project on land and semiaquatic animals, including all mammals, amphibians and reptiles. In my work, therefore, I study many species – from mice to moose – particularly beavers, frogs, wolves, snakes and caribou.

To gather up-to-date information, I organize regular field surveys to inventory animal species that frequent the study areas prior to the project.

Based on the inventory results and scientific literature, I assess the project's impacts on those species. I also develop mitigation measures that will reduce the impacts and other measures that compensate for them.

I organize other fieldwork during and after construction to determine the accuracy of the impact assessment and the effectiveness of the mitigation and compensation measures.

Alexandre Beauchemin

Birds

Counting birds from observation stations.

I assess the impacts of new hydroelectric generating station or power transmission line projects on birds. Birds are protected by various laws, including the Migratory Birds Convention Act 1994 and the Act respecting the conservation and development of wildlife. Some species have special status under the Species at Risk Act or the provincial Act respecting threatened or vulnerable species.

A number of impacts are possible. For example, a reservoir may flood wetlands used by waterfowl or a new power transmission line may entail a risk of collision or electrocution for a special-status species.

I conduct inventories to describe habitats, identify species and estimate the number of birds in the area so as to understand the host environment of each project. These surveys may be conducted by helicopter or from listening stations in the field, where we count the number of birds we see or hear, or by telescope from observation points. They are conducted in such varied environments as the James Bay peatlands, North Shore forests and Outaouais area rivers.

We then suggest mitigation measures that will reduce the impacts, such as developing habitats or installing nesting structures.

Stéphane Lapointe

Vegetation and wetlands

Preparation for revegetation. Péribonka River.

For an impact study, I must produce a map of vegetation and describe the plant communities that will be affected by the project. Descriptions of wetlands and counts of special-status species are especially important, not just to me, but also to the people who work with birds and animals.

To obtain an accurate picture of the situation, I have crews fly over the area, determine where the wetlands are and list the plant communities found.

When there are impacts on the plant life in an area, I develop mitigation measures, such as programs to transplant special status plant species or develop wetlands with borrowed fill.

Valérie Groison

Forestry

Part of the reservoir cleared up to the flood level.

As a forest engineer, I conduct all the studies on forest resources, with the help of forestry consultants, right at the beginning of a project. The impacts are sometimes related to flooding of forested land. We assess several impacts, including the area and volume of wood affected by the project.

To reduce the forest-related impacts, we implement a number of mitigation measures. These include recovery of merchantable timber and environmental clearing, which consists of removing trees before flooding to prevent future boating hazards and improve the aesthetics of the future water bodies.

Since mitigation measures for forests are expensive, I negotiate the administrative aspects with the Québec department of natural resources and wildlife to maximize wood recovery and keep costs as low as possible.

Guillaume Roy

Context and parties involved

Governments

Our specialists design studies on the basis of government requirements and Hydro-Québec practices. The requirements of the provincial government are generally issued as standard directives, while federal guidelines vary depending on the type of project. Sometimes joint federal and provincial directives are issued. Often, specific directives are issued while a project is under way and the specialists have to adjust their studies to comply with them. Mechanisms for cooperating with government departments are set up at the start, so that the government and company experts all understand each other with regard to the studies to be completed.

In house

Project teams can generally complete all the studies in just over two years. At least two years of field inventories are necessary for most fields of expertise. During the impact assessment, engineers and environment specialists meet often to discuss project details, select variants and incorporate mitigation and compensation measures that will improve the project from a sustainable development perspective. The measures take into account the opinions obtained from local communities during information and consultation meetings held at various stages of the project. The impact study for a major project represents over 20,000 hours for the environment specialists alone. It costs up to $10 million in contracts with specialized firms who are given specific assignments.

Final impact statement

Once all the studies are completed, the enormous challenge begins of compiling dozens of "background" reports into a single document that satisfies the government directives. The resulting report also needs to be in language that will be understood by the general public. This job, handled by a team of writers who work with the engineers and specialists, requires considerable work to summarize the information in nontechnical terms. Many versions of texts are commented upon by the authors of the background studies and by all the interested parties because all the fields are interrelated. At this stage, the "customer's" participation increases: representatives of Hydro-Québec Production or Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie make sure that the result meets their requirements and that they will mobilize the resources to meet their many short- and long-term commitments, particularly for environmental follow-up.

Public hearings

When the study is submitted to the authorities, the authorization process begins. It includes answering questions from government experts and public hearings. This stage can take another two years before work can begin. It requires ongoing collaboration with our communications specialists to explain all the smallest details of the project. Each Hydro-Québec expert has government counterparts, so all the background studies are reviewed thoroughly and discussed with various government departments at both the federal and provincial levels. The team must answer all the very technical, detailed questions and prepare to explain everything at the public hearings. This is a frantically busy time, requiring sustained teamwork.

Selected bibliography of project studies and reports (in French only)