Decision 2004-05
https://had.aer.ca/link/decision3790
- Applicant
- Canadian Natural Resources Limited
- Application Number
- 1273113
- Title
- Decision 2004-5: Canadian Natural Resources Limited, application for an oil sands mine, bitumen extraction plant, and bitumen upgrading plant in the Fort McMurray area (Horizon Oilsands project Joint panel report of Alberta Energy and Utilities Board and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency)
- Date
- 2004
- Title
- Decision 2004-5: Canadian Natural Resources Limited, application for an oil sands mine, bitumen extraction plant, and bitumen upgrading plant in the Fort McMurray area (Horizon Oilsands project Joint panel report of Alberta Energy and Utilities Board and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency)
- Date
- 2004
- Applicant
- Canadian Natural Resources Limited
- Application Number
- 1273113
- Hearing Panel
- Dilay JD
- Houlihan RN
- Kupfer G
- Hearing Type
- Board
- Joint
- Category
- Oil sands
- Legal References
- Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act 1992
- Oil Sands Conservation Act S10
- Oil Sands Conservation Act S11
- Notes
- Also available in French
- Interveners
- Deer Creek Energy Limited
- Theriault D
- Montemurro M
- Hackbarth D
- Mikisew Cree First Nations
- Schindler D
- Byrne J
- Brownlee J
- Kienzle S
- Komers P
- Waquan A (Chief)
- Courtorielle W
- Courtorielle S
- McKay R
- Waquan MR
- Marten T
- Oil Sands Environmental Coalition
- Kitagawa M
- Woynillowicz D
- Dort-McLean A
- Fort McKay First Nation
- Metis Local 122 (Fort McKay)
- Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
- Fort McMurray Medical Staff Association
- Marlboro Environmental Committee
- Brandenburg
- Sierra Club of Canada
- Dastous C
- Dastous M
- Shell Canada Limited
- Suncor Energ Inc.
- Imperial Oil Resources
- ExxonMobil Canada
- Syncrude Canada
- UTS Energy Corp.
- Birch Mountain Resources Ltd.
- Government of Canada
- Environment Canada
- Fairbairn M
- Bates-Frymel L
- Norton MR
- Brownlee B
- Lindeman D
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans
- Majewski D
- Thomson A
- Courtney R
- Makowecki B
- Shamess J
- Walker D
- Huber W
- Natural Resources Canada
- Browning GR
- Cliffe MK
- Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta
- Yoshisaka D
- de la Chevrotiere C
- Marriott P
- Boyd M
- Barrett R
- Bodo K
- Chabaylo R
- Rhude L
- McEachern P
- Singh K
- Hale C
- Wood Buffalo First Nation
- Campbell RSJ
- Castor W
- Cree E
- Woodward R
- McDonald D
- Chipewyan Prairie First Nation Industrial Relations Corporation
- Approval
- Approved with conditions
- Conditions
- CNRL must do the following as conditions of approval: On or before December 31, 2007, submit to the EUB for its review and approval a report on the southwest area lease boundary containing a comprehensive evaluation of the lease boundary geology and reserves, geotechnical conditions, alternative mining scenarios and impacts, and associated costs, in accordance with Section 3.1 of EUB ID 2001-7 (Section 7.1.3). At least five years prior to mining at the southeast lease boundary but no later than December 31, 2010, submit to the EUB for its review and approval a report on the southeast area lease boundary containing a comprehensive evaluation of the lease boundary geology and reserves, geotechnical conditions, alternative mining scenarios and impacts, and associated costs, in accordance with Section 3.1 of ID 2001-7 (Section 7.1.3). At least six months prior to the construction of the plant site, submit to the EUB for its review and approval a report documenting efforts that have been taken to optimize the plant site area with respect to the minimization of resource sterilization (Section 7.2.2). At least six months prior to field preparation, submit to the EUB for its review and approval detailed geotechnical designs for all external overburden disposal areas (Section 7.3.2). At least five years prior to mining at the final pit wall but no later than December 31, 2016, submit to the EUB for its review and approval a report evaluating the mineable oil sands ore quality and nonrecoverable quantity in the east final pit wall area adjacent to the Athabasca River, and a detailed geotechnical stability evaluation of the final east pit wall location (Section 7.5.2). Beginning with the September 2004 annual mine plan, submit to the EUB the details of the MOPP testing (Section 7.6.2). At least six months prior to beginning mine depressurization activities, submit to the EUB for its review and approval a monitoring plan to detect basal aquifer pressure changes at the lease boundary with DCEL (Section 7.7.3). On or before February 28 of each year following start-up of mine depressurization activities, or such other date as the EUB may stipulate, submit to the EUB a report on the results of the basal aquifer monitoring program at the lease boundary with DCEL (Section 7.7.3). Within one year of project approval, satisfy the EUB on the need, or otherwise, to monitor the effects of depressurization and injection activities along the northern and western boundary of mining activities (Section 7.7.3). On an annual average basis, limit diluent losses to tailings and the scheme to not more than 4.0 volumes per 1000 volumes of bitumen production, unless it can satisfy the Board that a limit of 4.3 volumes per 1000 volumes of bitumen production is appropriate (Section 8.2.3). Not discharge any untreated froth treatment tailings to the tailings area (Section 8.2.3). Every five years commencing February 28, 2010, or such other date as the EUB may stipulate, submit to the EUB a report on the feasibility of coke use and sales potential (Section 9.13). On or before February 28, 2005, and every year thereafter, or such other date as the EUB may stipulate, submit to the EUB a progress report summarizing
- research and development on solid tailings technologies, and
- modifications to the existing tailings plan to ensure a trafficable landscape, rapid progressive reclamation and to eliminate the need for long-term storage of fluid tailings (Section 10.1.3). Two years prior to planned start-up, or such other date as the EUB may stipulate, submit to the EUB a report summarizing the engineering design and operating plans for the NST system (Section 10.1.3). On or before February 28 of every year following start-up, or such other date or frequency as the EUB may stipulate, submit to the EUB a report summarizing for the preceding year the performance of the NST system, including reasons for deviations from design (Section 10.1.3). Within one year of project approval, satisfy the EUB on the need, or otherwise, to monitor for potential effects of injection activities on the depressurization needs of other developments in the regional study area (Section 12.7). Include in the project area a minimum setback of 250 m from the edge of the wetted width of the Athabasca River during spring flow, excluding the water intake facility (Section 15.6).