Standards and Best Practicesfor Instream Works

Pipeline CrossingsVersion 1.0

You have selected this document because your project involves Pipeline Crossing works in or about a stream. Works addressed in this section involves pipeline crossing methods used to cross a watercourse. When planning your project, develop designs and select locations to minimize potential impacts to fish and fish habitat. If your works are outside the scope of this Guidebook then a MOE Approval application must be completed and DFO contacted to determine if a review and/or Authorization under the Fisheries Act is appropriate.

Other Guides in this SeriesGuidebook Introduction

Bank Stabilization

Beaver Dam Removal

Bridges

Channel Maintenance

Culverts

Habitat Enhancement & Restoration

Miscellaneous Works

Pipeline Crossings

Public Utility Works

Urban Stormwater Management

Wharf, Pier, Dock, Boathouse & Mooring

Supporting DocumentsGeneral BMPs & Standard Project Considerations

Regional Timing Windows

Contact ListB.C. Ministry of Environment Contacts Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Contacts

Glossary

MOE/DFO Notification, Approval & Authorization Instructions & Forms

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 2

Introduction

DisclaimerInformation in this document is provided for guidance only. Users must apply appropriate legisla-tion and regulations as applicable to the works in and about a stream that are being considered. It is strongly recommended that an appropriately Qualified Professional(s) (QP) be consulted as part of project development. Legislation and regulations should be consulted and applied as they pertain to your project. If a discrepancy arises between this document and legislation, the legislation takes prece-dence. Neither the Province of British Columbia nor Government of Canada guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information referenced herein and in no event are liable or responsible for damages of any kind arising from its use. Note that other legislation and regulations (e.g., municipal) may also apply to such activities and should be consulted.

About this document...

Before you proceed with your project you must ensure that you:

understand and apply the appropriate • Water Act Standards to your project;understand the federal • Fisheries Act and ensure you are in compliance with Section 35 of the Act which prohibits the Harmful Alteration, Disruption or Destruction (HADD) of fish habitat and Section 36 of the Act which prohibits the release of deleterious substances to a watercourse; Every effort should be made to incorporate applicable Regional Operational Statements into your project. Operational Statements outline measures and conditions for avoiding HADDs to fish habitat and thus allow works to proceed in compliance with subsection 35(1) of the Fisheries Act;review the appropriate DFO Pacific Regional Operational Statement(s) and determine if •Operational Statement Notification and/or Authorization is appropriate;incorporate the applicable • Best Management Practices to comply with the Standards; and,complete and submit a • Notification, Approval and/or Authorization application for MOE and DFO as required for your project.

Glossary

Important words, denoted in bold text, are defined in the glossary, included as a separate document for download as part of this same series.

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 3

How to proceed with your Pipeline Crossing Project

The following five (5) steps will help guide you through the provincial and federal Notification, Approval and/or Authorization process for Pipeline Crossing Construction or Maintenance works:

1Step

2Step

3Step

4Step

5Step

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 4

How to proceed with your Pipeline Crossing Project

3Step

Addendum

Pipeline Crossing Construction or Maintenance Water Act Standard Condi-tions:

pipeline and associated works are installed in a dry stream channel at a depth •so that the top of the pipe is at least 1 m below the lowest elevation of the bed of the stream; and,the crossing is constructed in accordance with the requirements prescribed •in paragraph 44(b) of the Water Act for clear span crossings in the case of an aerial crossing:

the crossing and approach roads do not produce a backwater effect -or increase the head in the stream;equipment used for construction, including site preparation, -maintenance or removal of the crossing, is situated in a dry stream channel or operated from top of bank;the hydraulic capacity of the crossing is equivalent to the hydraulic -capacity of the stream channel or is capable of passing the 1 in 200 year maximum daily flow and that, for suspended pipelines the height of the underside of the crossing is also adequate to provide free passage of flood debris and ice flows; and,crossing materials meet the standards of the - Canadian Standards Association, as applicable.

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 5

Best Management Practices (BMPs)

4Step

The following Best Management Practices (BMPs) are methods, that if followed, will help ensure your project minimizes potential impacts to fish and fish habitat and will provide a standard level of protection to the aquatic and terrestrial environment poten-tially affected by your project.

It is the responsibility of the proponent/developer to ensure that they are in compliance with all applicable legislation.

There are three (3) types of BMPs you should consider:

General BMPs and Standard Project Considerationsi. applicable to any project;Pipeline Crossingii. Construction or Maintenance specific BMPs (below); and,Supportive informationiii. applicable to project design, implementation and Pipeline Crossing Construction or Maintenance techniques.

i. General Project BMPs and Standard Project Considerations

Please proceed to the General BMPs and Standard Project Considerations section to review consider-ations applicable to your project.

ii. Pipeline Construction or Maintenance Specific BMPs

To achieve the required Standards and objectives that your activity must meet, apply the following BMPs as applicable to your works.

To reduce impacts on fish and wildlife habitats and populations, your Pipeline Crossing construction and maintenance activities must consider:

General Pipeline Construction or Maintenance Activities

DESIGn

PL01 ensure General BMPs and Standard Project Considerations have been consulted and appropriately applied prior to commencement of work;

PL02 ensure construction and maintenance activities adhere to Regional Timing Windows to prevent disruption of fish and wildlife habitat;

PL03 avoid floodplains, meander bends, braided streams, alluvial fans and areas where bank stability may be a concern;

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 6

Best Management Practices (BMPs): continued...

PL04 protect natural function and features by avoiding critical fish and wildlife habitat areas;

PL05 align stream crossings perpendicular to stream flow;

PL06 design works to avoid impacting instream complexing such as large woody debris (LWD);

PL07 ensure that soil and weather conditions are factored into work activities so that construction does not result in soil erosion and siltation into the stream;

OPErAtIONAl

PL08 install effective erosion and sediment control measures prior to works to prevent entry of sediment into the watercourse and inspect these measures regularly during the course of construction to ensure they are functioning properly. Make all necessary repairs if any damage occurs or effectiveness is compromised;

PL09 avoid disturbing the bed and banks of the stream by ensuring operational activities and set up remain outside the bankfull width of the stream;

PL10 minimize right-of-way clearing by limiting impacts to on-site and adjacent riparian areas and only work where using directional drilling setbacks from shore. Use existing trails, roads or cut lines as access routes to avoid disturbance to the riparian vegetation, wherever possible;

POSt WOrkS MItIgAtION

PL11 maintain effective erosion and sediment control measures until complete re-vegetation of disturbed areas is achieved;

A. Directional DrillingDESIGn

PL12 conduct geotechnical evaluations for directional drilling and boring operations where channel and surficial morphology indicate a high risk of crossing failure (e.g. known debris or buried construction material);

PL13 design the drill path to an appropriate depth below the watercourse to minimize the risk of frac-out and prevent the line from becoming exposed due to natural scouring of the stream bed;

PL14 locate drill entry and exit points far enough from the banks of the watercourse to minimize impact on these areas;

PL15 develop a frac-out response plan that includes measures to stop work, contain drilling mud, prevent further migration into the watercourse and notify all applicable authorities;

OPErAtIONAl

PL16 ensure operators do not remove riparian vegetation between drill or bore entry and exit points in preparation of trenchless stream crossing operations;

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 7

Best Management Practices (BMPs): continued...

PL17 construct a dugout/settling basin at the drilling exit site to contain drilling mud to prevent sediment and other deleterious substances from entering the watercourse. If this cannot be achieved, use silt fences or other effective erosion and sediment control measures to prevent drilling mud from entering the watercourse;

PL18 store all waste materials outside of the riparian area and dispose of excess drilling mud, cuttings and other waste materials at an adequately sized disposal facility located away from the water to prevent it from entering the watercourse;

PL19 prevent deleterious substances, such as polymers, bentonite, lubricants and sediment from entering the watercourse;

PL20 monitor fluid pressure and watercourse along a minimum distance of 400 m downstream from the crossing site to identify signs of frac-out during all phases of construction;

EMErgENCy FrAC-Out rESPONSE

PL21 keep all material and equipment, needed to contain and clean up drilling mud releases, on-site, in good working order, and readily accessible in the event of a frac-out;

PL22 immediately notify MOE and DFO if frac-out occurs during works (MOE Environmental Emergency Management Plan Incident Reporting Hotline 1-800-663-3456; DFO Observe, Record and Report Hotline 1-800-465-4336);

PL23 train all appropriate staff in emergency protocol implementation prior to works as part of emergency frac-out plans;

PL24 establish a prioritized clean up procedure according to risk of potential harm and to capacity for drilling mud disposal so as to prevents re-entry into the watercourse;

PL25 ensure emergency clean-up measures do not result in damage to the banks and watercourse;

PL26 document all incidents of frac-out, spills or release of deleterious substances that occur and submit them to the appropriate authorities upon completion of works;

POSt WOrkS MItIgAtION

PL27 monitor reclaimed/deactivated sites in areas of erodible soils until successful plant cover re-establishment and long-term site stability occur;

B. Punch & Bore Crossing

DESIGn

PL28 conduct geotechnical evaluations for directional drilling and boring operations where channel and surficial morphology indicate a high risk of crossing failure (e.g. known debris or buried construction material);

PL29 design the punch and bore path at an appropriate depth (minimum of 1 m) below the watercourse to prevent the pipeline or cable from becoming exposed due to natural scouring of the stream bed;

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 8

Best Management Practices (BMPs): continued...

PL30 develop a response plan to be implemented immediately in the event of a sediment release or spill of a deleterious substance. This plan must include measures to:

stop work, contain sediment-laden water and other deleterious substances and •prevent further migration into the watercourse;

notify all applicable authorities in the area; •

promptly clean-up and appropriately dispose of the sediment-laden water and •deleterious substances; and,

ensure clean-up measures are suitably applied so as not to result in further •alteration of the bed and/or banks of the watercourse.

OPErAtIONAl

PL31 ensure operators do not remove riparian vegetation between drill or bore entry and exit points in preparation of trenchless stream crossing operations;

PL32 excavate bell holes beyond the top of bank, a minimum of 30 m from any watercourse to preserve riparian vegetation and allow containment of any sediment or deleterious substances;

PL33 treat water and divert uncontaminated water into a vegetated area or settling basin to remove suspended solids and prevent sediment and other deleterious substances from entering the watercourse, when dewatering bell holes;

PL34 stabilize any waste materials removed from the work site (including bell holes) above the ordinary high water mark (HWM), to prevent them from entering any watercourse;

PL35 contain spoil piles with silt fence and ensure it is compacted, covered with biodegradable mats or tarps and/or plant native grass or shrubs;

PL36 monitor the watercourse to observe signs of malfunction during all phases of the work;

PL37 keep on-site and readily accessible all material and equipment needed to contain and clean up releases of sediment-laden water and other deleterious substances for the duration of the work;

POSt WOrkS MItIgAtION

PL38 monitor reclaimed/deactivated sites in areas of erodible soils until successful plant cover re-establishment and long-term site stability occur;

C. Other Pipeline Installation MethodsOpen Cut Crossing

OPErAtIONAl

PL39 ensure sediment or other deleterious substance(s) do not enter any watercourse as a result of open cut pipeline construction or maintenance activities;

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 9

Best Management Practices (BMPs): continued...

PL40 install open cut pipeline stream crossings in naturally dry stream channels (no water flow present) or in isolation of any stream flow to prevent downstream sedimentation. If dewatering, water diversion hoses must be screened as per the Freshwater Intake End-of-Pipe Fish Screen Guideline (DFO, 1995) and MOE Temporary Diversion works Standards and BMPs must be applied.

PL41 fish salvage, where fish are present in any part of the watercourse, is necessary prior to dewatering during Temporary Diversion activities. An appropriately Qualified Professional(s) must complete the salvage and acquire necessary collection permits from MOE and DFO and comply with applicable regulations and legislation;

PL42 pump wastewater from project dewatering activities to stable, well-vegetated areas above the high water mark (HWM) of the stream so that fine sediment and other particulate matter can settle out prior to re-entry into the watercourse. These locations must be monitored to ensure that neither erosion nor icing occur;

PL43 all instream pumps should have capacities that exceed expected flows and backup pumps and generators must be on site and operational should they be required;

PL44 maintain natural stream flows upstream and downstream of the worksite during the construction period;

PL45 limit disturbance of the streambed and banks to that necessary to place the pipeline;

PL46 place any materials generated from the open cut pipeline construction or maintenance activities outside the riparian area of the stream to prevent bank erosion and sedimentation of the watercourse during spring melt or periods of increased precipitation;

PL47 backfill excavated sites with appropriate, compacted fill material. Do not backfill with vegetation, debris or mud;

POSt WOrkS MItIgAtION

PL48 re-contour the streambed to its original state and leave in a condition that prevents scouring of the bed, erosion and/or siltation of the watercourse upon completion of the project;

PL49 control surficial water flow at the crossing location upon completion of the project; and,

PL50 monitor reclaimed/deactivated sites with areas of erodible soils to ensure successful plant cover appropriate for the site has re-established to ensure long-term site stability.

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 10

iii. Supportive Information

The following sources provide you with additional planning, design, implementation and review advice for a variety of project-specific activities. Please follow the appropriate links to obtain further information on your project specific activity.

General Considerations

Pacific region Operational Statementshttp://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/decisionsupport/os/operational_statements_e.htm

Develop with Care: Environmental Guidelines for Urban and Rural Land Development in British Columbia http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/bmp/devwithcare2006/DWC%202006%20Sec%201%20Introduction.pdf

Freshwater Intake End-of-Pipe Fish Screen Guidelinehttp://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/223669.pdf

land Development guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Habitat (Section 5 and 6)http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/publications/pdf/165353.pdf

riparian Areas and revegetation, Pacific regionhttp://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/decisionsupport/os/riparian-reveg_e.htm

Canadian Standards Association http://www.csa.ca/

Pipeline Crossing Design & Techniques

Oil and Gas Commission Stream Crossing Planning Guide (northeast BC)http://www.ogc.gov.bc.ca/documents/guidelines/Stream%20Crossing%20Planning%20Guide.doc

Pipeline Associated Watercourse Crossings, 3rd Editionhttp://www.neb.gc.ca/clf-nsi/rsftyndthnvrnmnt/nvrnmnt/rfrncmtrl/pplnwtrcrssngs2005-eng.pdf

Pipeline-Stream Crossingshttp://www.wildsalmoncenter.org/pipeline-stream-english.pdf

Guide to the Code of Practice for Pipelines and Telecommunication Lines Crossing a Water Body, Including Guidelines for Complying with the Code of Practicehttp://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/Legislation/CoP/PipelineGuide.pdf

Directional Drilling Region Operational Statementhttp://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/decisionsupport/os/os-drilling_e.htm

Punch & Bore Crossings Region Operational Statementhttp://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/decisionsupport/os/os-punch_bore_e.htm

Supportive Information

Pipeline Crossings – Standards and Best Practices for Instream Works 11

MOE/DFO Notification, Approval & Authorization

5Step

If you determine that your project requires notification and/or approval from MOE or DFO, please ensure that MOE and/or DFO application instructions are followed and forms com-pleted and sent to the appropriate agency.

The latest application instructions and forms for MOE and DFO can be found at http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/BMP/