NATIONAL ENERGY CORPORATION OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO LIMITED

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY FOR THE PROPOSED CAPITAL AND MAINTENANCE DREDGING OF THE BRIGHTON HARBOUR, LA BREA. CEC#1766/2007

Prepared by

Rapid Environmental Assessments (2003) Limited

In Association with

WorleyParson Komex Europe Limited SENES Consultants Limited Lee Young and Partners

August 2008.

National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NEC) was incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Trinidad in 1979. One of its prime mandates is to develop strategies to monetize the country’s natural gas reserves. The NEC has been the owner and operator of multi-purpose piers and other infrastructure at the Point Lisas Industrial harbour since 1980 and now manages marine assets of over $800 million TT Dollars on behalf of the state. In 1999 the NEC was given a new mandate to develop and manage new industrial estates and associated marine infrastructure which could form the catalyst for further expansion of investment in heavy gas-based industries. NEC’s first project since then was the upgrade and expansion of the La Brea Industrial Estate which was closely followed by the development of the Union Industrial Estate. NEC currently operates two active berths at the Port of Brighton. The first is a 62 m long and 8.4 m deep berth for offshore platform service vessels and small cargo vessels, and the second is a 287 m long, 8.4 m deep berth used for the export of large offshore structures and for berthing and offloading of general cargo vessels.

In keeping with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s mandate to develop industrial sites and marine infrastructure to promote the expansion of the natural gas sector, NEC has taken steps to expand the existing facilities at the Port of Brighton. The port will be promoted as a modern multi-user, general purpose port designed to provide facilities for the handling of liquid cargo (petrochemicals), break-bulk and bulk solid cargo and limited containerised cargo (using cranes). The expansion project will include: 1. The development of new marine terminal with docking and cargo storage facilities for the Alutrint Aluminium Complex (AAC) and other down stream plants located on Union and La Brea Industrial Estates. This includes the extension of the existing dock (Berth #2) at the Brighton Port to the east by a

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

maximum of 327m. 2. Capital dredging and widening of the existing approach channel and turning basin and berths at the Brighton Port to accommodate vessels of up to 30,000 Dead Weight Tonnes (DWT) and of maximum draft -11m CD1. Note that for safety reasons, the new dredged depth of the Brighton Harbour will be -12.8m CD from its current dredged depth of -8.4m CD 3. A multi-user petrochemical pier to service the export requirements for petrochemicals manufactured at the Union Industrial Estate2.

Collectively, these activities form an overall plan to expand and upgrade the Brighton Port to greater serve the need for import and export of raw materials, feedstock and products for gas based downstream industries to be sited at the Union and La Brea Industrial Estates.

The NEC will continue to own and operate the Port of Brighton, maintaining responsibility for berthing operations and maintenance of all infrastructure for the future users of the port (including the Alutrint Dock and the Multi-User Petrochemical Pier).

The proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging development is an integral component of the overall port expansion project at La Brea, without which the ability to handle large cargo vessels bringing in raw materials for the Alutrint Aluminium Complex will be severely impaired. In this regard the NEC applied to the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) for a Certificate of Environmental 1

CD : below chart datum As of the date of production of this EIA study report, no progress has been made on the start of construction of the Ansa McAl UAN plant (in spite of the award of a CEC in 2005) for which this petrochemical pier is a critical component. It is doubtful if the UAN project will go ahead and thus the petrochemical pier component of the Brighton Port Upgrade and Expansion Project has been suspended indefinitely.. 2

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

Clearance (CEC) for the project3. The EMA determined that the project required an Environmental Impact Assessemnt (EIA) study to be conduct prior to the grant of the CEC and issued final Terms of Reference (TORs) for the conduct of an EIA on 26th April 2007.

The proceeding EIA report focuses on the proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging development and has been prepared in response to the final TORs issued to the NEC by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA).

Note that the NEC had previously applied for a CEC4 for the proposed dock expansion and storage yard development at the Brighton Port and has already submitted an EIA in response to TORs received for that proposed project. The field studies, impact analyses, mitigation measures and management and monitoring plans for that project also included an analysis of the impacts of the Capital and Maintenance Dredging activities since these are an integral component of the port development and the cumulative impacts of both projects are more important to the management of the impacts of the entire port development than the two parts treated individually.

While this EIA report for the Capital and Maintenance Dredging component of the Brighton Port expansion and upgrade project has been prepared as a stand alone document for CEC administrative purposes, the reader is strongly advised to refer to the EIA prepared for the Dock and Storage Yard component of the port expansion and upgrade project to get a better understanding of all interactive issues related to the two components of the port expansion and upgrade project. (CEC#1516/2006)

3 4

CEC#1766/2007 CEC#1516/2006

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

The Capital and Maintenance Dredging is necessary to facilitate the creation and ongoing maintenance of a berth of 307m, a turning circle of some 625m diameter and an approach channel 200m wide at the Brighton Port. The capital dredging will require the excavation of approximately 2.3 million cubic meters of consolidated material from the sea bed to create a consistent dredge depth of 12.8m below chart datum within the boundaries of the Brighton Harbour area (See Figure I).

The estimated capital dredge quantities for the approach channel, turning basin and dock extension will be approximately 1.3 million cubic meters of spoil and for the Petrochemical Pier another 1 million cubic meters of spoil. Phase I will entail the capital and maintenance dredging for the approach channel, turning basin and dock extension areas while Phase II will be completed when the Petrochemical Pier development is brought back on stream.

The first phase of the capital and maintenance dredging programme is expected to take between 30 and 50 weeks, with maintenance dredging occurring every two to three years after that (depending on the rate of siltation of the Brighton Harbour, now estimated at 0.5 to 1.0m per annum). A trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) will first suction the soft material lying on the sea floor transferring this material to the hold of the TSHD vessel for later disposal at an approved dredge spoils disposal area in the Gulf-of-Paria, some 5 Km due west of Claxton Bay5 (See Figure II). At the disposal site, the material will be pumped out of the TSHD vessel’s hold at low pressure directly onto the sea floor. This action will limit the amount of silt and fines available for distribution in the water column and for dispersion into surrounding areas.

5

The area earmarked for the disposal of dredge spoils was suggested as a possible site after discussions with senior personnel of the Maritime Services Division (MSD) of the Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT). Applications are to be made to both the MSD and the Commissioner of State Lands by the NEC upon grant of approval of the CEC to delineate a specific area and have it registered as an approved disposal area by the MSD. _______________________________________________________________________________________ ES-4 Rapid Environmental Assessments (2003) Limited

National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

Figure I: Proposed Layout of the Expanded Brighton Port and Harbour Showing new Areas to be Dredged Outlined in Red. (Source: NEC, 2007)

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

Proposed Dredge Spoils Disposal Area – Water Depth is 30-32m.

Figure II: Possible Location for the Disposal of Dredge Spoils.

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

Approximately 20,000 m3 of material is estimated to be removed and disposed of per week for fifteen weeks using the TSHD. Once the soft unconsolidated material is removed, a BackHoe Dredger (BHD) will be used to remove the consolidated sediments from the areas of excavation on the sea floor. During the dredging operation a series of barges will be tied alongside the BHD vessel and the dredged material will be transferred to these barges. Once filled the barges will be towed to the approved dredge spoils disposal area where trap doors on the base of the hull will open and the material will free fall onto the disposal site. Approximately 30,000 cubic meters of spoils will be excavated and disposed of each week for thirty weeks using the BHD.

Development planning in Trinidad and Tobago requires the evaluation and approval of conceptual plans and detailed engineering designs by a number of state regulatory agencies as shown in the Table below. For this particular project, the Maritime Services Division of the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Commissioner of State Lands and the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Public Utilities and the Environment, must grant approvals for the dredging activities at the initial stages of a project prior to the start of physical works. If the capital and maintenance dredging of the Brighton harbour is approved by all the necessary regulatory bodies it is anticipated that work will begin in the third quarter of 2008. Project completion is anticipated in the second quarter of 2009.

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

Table I: Regulatory Approval Outline – Brighton Harbour Capital and Maintenance Dredging. REQUIRED APPROVAL Certificate

of

Environmental

APPROVAL AGENCY •

Environmental Management Authority

•

Commissioner of State Lands

•

Maritime Services Division

•

Maritime Services Division

•

Environmental Management Authority

•

Maritime Services Division

•

Maritime Services Division

•

Maritime Services Division

•

Environmental Management Authority

Clearance. Environmental

Impact

Assessment. Allocation

of

Dredge

Spoils

Disposal Area. Capital

Dredging

of

Brighton

Harbour. Land Reclamation in Brighton Harbour. Alteration of Coastlines Disposal of Dredge Spoils

Regulation and Safety of Shipping Registration of Dredging Vessels Registration of new vessels calling at Brighton Port Pollution of coastal water ways from ships or other coastal works

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

REQUIRED APPROVAL

APPROVAL AGENCY

Safety and Health of Workers

•

Ministry of Labour

•

Local Health Authority

•

Occupational

Health

and

Safety

Authority Fire

Safety

(Prevention

and

Response)

•

Chief Fire Officer

•

Siparia Regional Corporation

•

OSH Authority

•

Solid Waste Management Company of

Emergency Response Plan Disposal and Control of Non-

Trinidad and Tobago Limited

Toxic, Non-Hazardous Garbage and other Solid Waste Treatment

and

Disposal

of

•

Environmental Management Authority

•

Environmental Management Authority

•

Environmental Management Authority

•

Ministry

Industrial Effluents Disposal and Control of Toxic or Hazardous

Solid

Waste,

Oily

of

Energy

and

Energy

Industries

Waste from vessels. •

Ministry of Public Utilities and the Environment

•

Solid Waste Management Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited

Air, Water, Noise and Biota

•

Environmental Management Authority

•

Town and Country Planning Division

Monitoring Programmes Advertisements/Signs

(Control of Advertisements) Approval of Outline and Final

•

Town and Country Planning Division

Planning Permission

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

An application for a Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) {CEC 1766/2007} for this development was submitted to the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) in accordance with the CEC Rules, 2001. NEC was then provided with a Final Terms of Reference (TORs), dated April 26th 2007 for the conduct of an EIA.

In issuing the TOR the EMA has determined that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required before any resolution on NEC’s CEC application can be made. As such the EMA requires that the information submitted in the CEC application be supplemented with the results of the EIA which would contain specific details of an assessment of biophysical and social impacts and the development of an Environmental Management Plan (EMP), to guide the various project activities throughout their respective life cycles.

For this particular project, the study area is defined by two components a “Wider Study Area” and an “Immediate Study Area”. The Wider Study Area was identified as the area indirectly impacted by the proposed capital and maintenance dredging and includes all of the land, sea and air space within a ten kilometre radius of the Brighton Port (See Map LABSK-0016). The Wider Study Area is administratively located within the municipality of Siparia (formerly in the County of St. Patrick) and the Electoral District of La Brea. It consists of the following communities La Brea, Rousillac, Sobo Village, Union Estate, Vessigny, Vance River, Gonzales, Cochrane and Brighton. The wider study area also includes the Gulf of Paria along the south west coast of Trinidad.

The Immediate Study Area is defined as the area that may be directly impacted by the proposed project activities i.e. air emissions, noise, siltation and wastewater discharges, and hazards and risks and includes all of the land, air and sea space within

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

a three kilometre radius of the Brighton Port. The Immediate Study Area includes the marine environment immediately adjacent to the proposed facility, the La Brea Industrial Estate, the town of La Brea and the communities of Brighton, and Vessigny.

Rapid Environmental Assessments (2003) Limited (REAL) was commissioned by NEC to conduct the EIA in accordance with the Terms of Reference issued by the EMA. This document, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), provides a detailed description of the proposed activities relating to the conduct of the proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging. The key focus of the EIA was to compile an environmental aspects register based on a detailed review of the proposed engineering designs, construction elements and operational elements of the expanded Brighton Harbour, as well as the operational factors that would apply during the on going maintenance dredging required to keep the port operational. The environmental and social aspects register for the project is summarised in the Table below. In this regard, the EIA methodology included the following:

1) Review of the detailed engineering designs and construction work plan as proposed by the NEC for the dredging works that would be undertaken to widen and deepen the approach channel and turning basin. 2) Compilation of a description of the biophysical and social environment in the area of influence of the project based on a review of all studies, report, data and other information in the public domain. 3) Assess where data gaps exist in the review of the biophysical and human environment and undertake field studies to fill these data gaps. 4) With specific reference to the Capital and Maintenance Dredging development, conduct field studies on the oceanographic and coastal morphological factors that exist in the nearshore and coastal environment of

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

the area of influence of the project. 5) Utilize relevant data in the public domain as well as that collected above on oceanography and coastal morphology to conduct a hydrodynamic and sediment transport model to determine whether the widening and deepening of the harbour will have a negative impact on existing ocean circulation and sediment movement in the area of influence of the project. 6) Conduct a semi-quantitative risk assessment of the project elements to determine the levels of significance of risk to human health and the environment from the Capital and Maintenance Dredging of the Brighton Harbour. 7) Develop environmental and social impact mitigation strategies for reducing residual impacts of the project not already mitigated by design and/or operational parameters. 8) Develop for implementation by NEC, an environmental management and monitoring plant that will govern the execution of the project from the initial stage of capital dredging to the latter stage of maintenance dredging.

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

Table II: Environmental and Social Aspects Register for Brighton Harbour, Capital and Maintenance Dredging.

Phase

Project Component

Use of dredging equipment and machinery

Use of vehicles

Procurement

Storage General Project Activities

Pre-construction works

Environmental Aspect •

Maintenance and repair while in port

•

Vessel refuelling

•

Operating

•

Driving / commuting

•

Maintenance and repair

•

Refuelling

•

Loading / unloading

•

Purchase of products,

•

supplies and raw materials

•

Use of lighting

•

Storage of hazardous materials

•

Storage of raw materials (non-hazardous)

•

Vegetation clearance

•

Earthworks (including stockpiling and grading)

•

Upgrading of access routes (include grading and surfacing)

•

Installation of perimeter fence

•

Installation of temporary sanitation units

•

Installation of telecommunications systems

•

Installation and use of power / energy systems

•

Construction of drainage system

Installation of Services

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

Table II: Environmental and Social Aspects Register for Brighton Dock, Storage Yard and Harbour Upgrade (cont’d).

Phase

Project Component

Land reclamation works and construction of quay

Dredging

Construction Construction of storage yard and onshore structures

Waste management

Environmental Aspect •

Sheet piling

•

Backfilling

•

Compaction

•

Grading and surfacing

•

Installation of crane rails

•

Use of dredge equipment (vessel)

•

Dredging operations

•

Disposal of dredge material

•

Use of chemicals, coatings and paint

•

Transport (personnel, equipment, machinery)

•

Use of equipment

•

Building works

•

Operation of fabrication yard (including steel works, casting, concrete batching, etc)

•

Storage and disposal of construction wastes

•

Solid waste management

•

Liquid waste management (including effluent and runoff)

•

Hazardous materials management

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

Table II: Environmental and Social Aspects Register for Brighton Dock, Storage Yard and Harbour Upgrade (cont’d).

Phase

Project Component

Shipping activities

Operations

Environmental Aspect •

Berthing of ships

•

Ship waste management

•

Loading and unloading of materials

•

Cleaning and maintenance

•

Use of equipment (including forklifts, monorail crane, trucks)

•

Transportation of materials to storage area (vehicles and conveyor system)

•

Storage of materials (including use of heated tanks)

•

Transportation of materials to AAC site

•

Waste management

Process activities

The assessment of environmental and social impacts, risks and hazards and conduct of the oceanographic studies and modelling revealed the following:

1. The

impact of the creation of a wider and deeper channel and turning basin at

Brighton Harbour poses no increment in environmental impact or risk to the coastal littoral or morphological patterns. In particular, the hydrodynamic and sediment transport modelling study revealed that: •

There will be increased sedimentation along the eastern

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

reclamation boundary (rates ≈ 3cm per annum). This will act as a natural system for recharge of sand to Station Beach which is currently being eroded by longshore currents. •

Sedimentation rates in the enlarged dredge basin will be slightly less in the proposed situation due to an increase in longshore currents. This will reduce the frequency for maintenance dredging in the approach channel and turning basin.

•

There will be an increase (approx. 10%) in wave heights as a result of widening of the basin. This will cause swells to approach the coast east of the reclaimed area with increased energy. This can be mitigated with coastal protection to ensure that the eastern side of the dock is not eroded.

•

The proposed port expansion is not expected to impact on erosion and accretion patterns downdrift of the port development, thus no impacts are likely to Vessigny Beach.

2. The

activities related to the capital dredging of Brighton Harbour will present

severe impacts to sessile organisms resident in the sea bed as well as pelagic fish in the general area of the Brighton Harbour. The changes that will occur are irreversible and consistent with other major infrastructural developments either on land or in the sea. While the impacts to sessile organisms cannot be prevented, impacts to pelagic species and marine water quality arising out of the movement of sediment will be mitigated by the method of dredging employed. The main mitigation measure to be employed during dredging is technology based and involves the use of a trailing suction hopper dredging method to limit the quantity of silt to be disturbed during the initial removal of unconsolidated silt in the harbour. For capital dredging which requires the excavation of consolidated material from the sea floor, a backhoe type dredger will be used.

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

In conclusion, the Brighton Port development is a key component in the development of heavy gas based industries that increases value added to the natural gas supply chain, as part of Government’s new policy thrust. Both construction and operational phases will add benefit to employment of unskilled persons in La Brea and environs. The operation of the Brighton Port, still regarded as a suffrage wharf, will be more in line with modern commercial multiuser port practices consistent with those of Point Lisas, Pointe-a-Pierre, Port-ofSpain and Point Fortin.

In the main, pre-construction and construction phase impacts are temporary and managed through aggressive implementation of management plans for environmental risks, social benefits, emergency response and contingency planning. Capital and maintenance dredging does not add any incremental risks to human health or to environmental systems in the Brighton area. A continuous system of monitoring will be implemented by NEC, LABIDCO and Alutrint to ensure that residual impacts are carefully managed over the life of the project. This monitoring programme will include: 1. Weekly inspection of dredging and dredge spoils disposal activities to ensure compliance with all requirements in the CEC grant of approval. 2. Noise monitoring during works to include monitoring in adjacent communities. 3. Monitoring of water quality on a weekly basis for silts and oil and grease during dredging. 4. During the operational phase of the development, oceanographic instruments will be permanently moored in the Brighton harbour to monitor current speed and direction, wave period, wave height, wave direction, wave spectral analysis, salinity, temperature, water depth on a continuous period.

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

5. Synoptic data on climate will also be collected on a continuous basis at the Brighton Port, including parameters such as air temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, rainfall.

This on-going operational phase monitoring programme will not only provide environmental data but data necessary to the safe operation of the port and the reduction

of

impacts

to

human

health.

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National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Limited EIA for the Proposed Capital and Maintenance Dredging for the expansion of the Brighton Port

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