Hatfield provides environmental management services for the Waneta hydropower expansion project
Dec 12, 2011
Hatfield is responsible for overall environmental management during the design and construction of the expansion of the Waneta Dam on the Pend d’Oreille River south of Trail, British Columbia. Once completed, this 335 megawatt hydroelectric Project will generate enough power to supply 60,000 homes annually. Safety and environmental management best practices, and community interests are being incorporated into every aspect of the project.
Located immediately downstream from the Waneta Dam and its existing powerhouse, the expansion Project will share the existing dam’s hydraulic head and generate power from flow that would otherwise be spilled.
At the end of October 2011, two power tunnels were blasted though to connect with the Powerhouse excavation. The excavation for the Powerhouse is scheduled for completion by the end of 2011, with the Intake excavation scheduled to be complete by the end of January 2012. Concrete work on the Powerhouse has begun and will be in full force starting early in 2012.
Hatfield’s primary responsibilities on the Waneta Dam Expansion Project include:
- Preparation of an approved Project Environmental Management Plan and associated Environmental Work Plans and Task Plans;
- Development and implementation of environmental training activities, including training over 700 workers as of December 2011; and
- Verifying compliance to Environmental Work Plans through routine surveillance and process audits that comply with our ISO9001:2008 quality management system.
The results of a recent external audit are indicative of Hatfield’s success as an environmental manager on this Project. The external audit found that over 700 workers have successfully completed environmental training, there is a high level of compliance with both receiving and end-of-pipe water quality, and no major environmental incidents have occurred since Project start-up.
Hatfield’s inputs on the Waneta Expansion Project are coordinated through Hatfield’s Kootenay Project Officein Rossland, BC. The office is supported by personnel with expertise in the areas of environmental management for industry, soils/vegetation, land reclamation, erosion/sediment control, biology, environmental assessments, project management, and terrestrial ecology.
Hatfield has provided environmental and natural resource consulting services to a number of clients designing, building, and operating infrastructure development projects, including highways, bridges, railways, and oil and gas pipelines over the past years. Hatfield’s thorough understanding of provincial and federal environmental regulations and our excellent working relationships with agency personnel enable us to provide our clients with cost-effective services.
For more information, please contact us:
Alan Stockwell
Senior Environmental Specialist and Partner
HATFIELD CONSULTANTS PARTNERSHIP
Amber Ashenhurst
Environmental Specialist
HATFIELD CONSULTANTS PARTNERSHIP
E-mail: hcp@hatfieldgroup.com
Tel.: +1 250 608 2748
