Transboundary air: Trans Mountain Pipeline

(1) Name and address of proponent:
Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC 2700, 300 - 5th Avenue S.W. Calgary, AB T2P 5J2 telephone: 1-866-514-6700
info@transmountain.com

(2) Contact name for technical and design information:
Mr. D. Scott Stoness Vice President, Finance & Regulatory Affairs
Kinder Morgan Canada
2700, 300- 5th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta, T2P 5J2
Téléphone: 403-514-6643
Scott_Stoness@kindermorgan.com

(3) Description of the proposed project (major products, process, capacity, etc.):
The existing TMPL system is an approximately 1,147-km pipeline system between Edmonton, Alberta and Burnaby, British Columbia which transports a range of crude petroleum and refined products to multiple locations in BC.  The Project will increase the capacity of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline system from 47,690 m3/d   (300,000   bbl/d) to 141,500  m3/d   (890,000   bbl/d).     The   Project  consists   of  three components:  (1)  pipeline  segments  that  complete  a  twinning  (or  "looping")  of  the  existing pipeline in Alberta and British Columbia; (2) new and modified facilities, including pump stations and tanks; and (3) three new berths at the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, BC.

Primary emission sources are marine vessels: including tankers, barges, and tugs.  Also fugitive VOCs due to loading of tankers, from tankers in transit, storage tanks, and from a new Vapour Recovery Unit at the terminal, and GHGs from heating, flaring, fleet emissions, fugitives, and electrical consumption.

(4) Latitude and longitude coordinates, city/town, county and province.
Westridge Terminal located in Burnaby, BC 49°17'20"N   122°57'07"W
The marine emissions study area includes the Burrard Inlet, shipping channels across the Strait of Georgia, and through the Juan de Fuca Strait to Cape Flattery, and so emission sources will be within the 100 km distance from the US border. 

(5) Distance to the Canada-U.S. border:
32km from Westridge Terminal
Shipping channels in the Juan de Fuca Strait are within a few kilometers of the Canada-US border, and in the Southern Strait of Georgia, through Boundary Pass, and in the Haro Strait the channels actually follow the Canada-US border.

(6) Estimated annual quantities of the following pollutants released to the atmosphere (tonnes/ year).
(Note that there are some inconsistencies between the reported marine emissions and terminal emissions, so the increases in NOx, SOx, and VOC’s might be higher than the amounts below for the total project)

Marine Emissions Estimates (not including terminal emissions):

SO2 : increase of 38 tonnes per year
TSP : increase of 25 tonnes per year
PM2.5 : increase of 22 tonnes per year
Fugitive and Combustion VOC : increase of 953 tonnes per year
CO : increase of 121 tonnes per year
NOx : increase of 1,296 tonnes per year

(7) List hazardous air pollutants with emissions estimate (tonnes/year) for any hazardous air pollutants with expected annual emission rates of greater than 1 tonne per year.
An increase in BTEX is predicted as a speciation of VOC. Other possible emissions are H2S and mercaptans.

(8) For combustion processes, list capacity (tonnes/year), fuel type and grade:
There is new a Vapour Recovery Unit as well as a new standby Vapour Combustion Unit (for peak periods and back-up or standby use only when three tankers are berthed) at Westridge.  Capacity, fuel type, and grade to be supplied at a later time.
Capacity: N/A
Fuel Type: N/A
Fuel Grade: N/A

(9) Description of emissions control equipment to be used to minimize emissions of air contaminants/pollutants, if available.
Within Emission Control Area designated by International Maritime Organization so must meet fuel sulphur and NOx standards of ECA.  SOx and NOx reductions as a result of ECA will be fully effective for this project.  Reductions may be achieved by control equipment OR use of clean fuels (SOx only) and engine design (NOx only).

Switching from a Vapour Combustion Unit (to control fugitives) to a Vapour Recovery Unit once the Project is operational. Note that the emissions reported above take both ECA and the VRU into account.

(10) Description of potential transboundary environmental effects on air quality, if available.
The Project will result in the following air emissions within a few kilometers of the US border (e.g. shipping channels in the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca):

  • criteria air contaminants (CACs), a group of commonly found contaminants typically formed from combustion for which there are ambient air quality criteria, including PM, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulphur dioxide (SO2);
  • volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a group of organic compounds with sufficiently high vapour pressures under ambient conditions to evaporate from the liquid form of the compound and enter the surrounding air; and,
  • GHGs, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).

(11) Details on the environmental assessment process including deadline date for submitting written comments on the environmental assessment process and date for public meetings, if available.
National Energy Board (NEB) Panel process.
Deadline to submit applications to participate in the NEB hearing process: February 12, 2014.  Application to participate available at: http://www.neb-one.gc.ca/clf-nsi/rthnb/pplctnsbfrthnb/trnsmntnxpnsn/trnsmntnxpnsn-eng.html.
Deadlines and dates for submitting comments and hearings not yet known.

Page details

Date modified: