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Electricity Filing Manual - Table of Contents

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ISSN 1916-5013

Electricity Filing Manual - April 2008 (PDF 1132 KB)

NOTE: Major Projects Management Office (MPMO)
The MPMO process applies to all section 52 (pipeline) and section 58.16 (power line) NEB Act applications for the construction of new facilities.

April 2008

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures

Glossary of Terms

List of Abbreviations

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Chapter 2 - Instructions to Users

Chapter 3 - Common Information Requirements

Chapter 4 - Project Description and Engineering

Chapter 5 - Consultation

Chapter 6 - Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment

Chapter 7 - Economics

Chapter 8 - Lands Information

Guide A - Information Filed Respecting Plan, Profile,
Book of Reference and Notices (NEB Act s.33 and s.34)

Guide B - Application for Right of Entry (NEB Act s.104)

Guide C - Requirements For Substituted Service Applications

Guide D - Model Conditions for IPLs - Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity

Appendix I - Memorandum of Guidance and Regulations

Appendix II - Referenced Documents

List of Tables and Figures

Table 2-1: Summary of Election Certificate Filing Requirements
Figure 2-1: Options Under NEB Act
Table 2-2: Sections of NEB Act Regarding IPLs
Table 2-3: Guide to Electricity Filing Manual by NEB Electricity Regulations section 5 for IPL over 50 kV
Table 2-4: Guide to Electricity Filing Manual by NEB Electricity Regulations section 4 for IPL under 50 kV
Table 5-1: Other Potential Federal Contacts
Table 6-1: Summary of Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Filing Requirements
Table 6-2: Filtering Questions for Determining Appropriate Level of Detail for an Application
Table 6-3: Circumstances Triggering the Need for Detailed Biophysical and Socio-Economic Information
Table 6-4: Filing Requirements for Biophysical Elements
Table 6-5: Filing Requirements for Socio-Economic Elements

Glossary of Terms

Abandonment The permanent cessation of the operation of a facility which results in the discontinuance of service. (Cessation d'exploitation)
Aboriginal Includes the Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada. (Autochtones)
Action Plans In the context of the Species at Risk Act - The competent minister is required to prepare one or more action plans based on the recovery strategy for a listed species. The action plan or plans and any amendments will be included in the public registry established under the Species at Risk Act. (Plan d'action)
Adverse Effect The impairment of or damage to the environment or health of humans, or damage to property or loss of reasonable enjoyment of life or property. (Effet négatif)
Baseline Information The current state of the environment or environmental setting for a particular element. This information will assist in determining potential environmental effects of the project by providing an environmental reference point for the element, with which to compare future environmental conditions, and potential project effects. (Renseignements de base)
Biophysical Environment

The components of the earth including:

(a) land, water and air, including all layers of the atmosphere;

(b) all organic and inorganic matter and living organisms; and

(c) the interacting natural systems that include components referred to in the previous bullets. (Milieu naturel)
Bulk Power System (or bulk electric system) The network of generating facilities and interconnected transmission facilities that produce and then flow electricity, respectively, around the overall power system and into non-networked distribution facilities that, in turn, radially serve end user load. (Réseau de production-transport d'électricité)
Contaminant A substance that is present or released in the environment at an amount, concentration, level or rate that results in or may result in an adverse effect. (Contaminant)
Critical Habitat The habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as the species' critical habitat in the recovery strategy or in an action plan for the species. [Species at Risk Act s.2] (Habitat essentiel)
Cumulative Effects Changes to the environment that are caused by an action in combination with other past, present and future human actions. ('Action' includes projects and activities.) (Effets cumulatifs)
Deleterious Substance

(a) any substance that, if added to any water, would degrade or alter or form part of a process of degradation or alteration of the quality of that water so that it is rendered or is likely to be rendered deleterious to fish or fish habitat or to the use by man of fish that frequent that water; or

(b) any water that contains a substance in such quantity or concentration, or that has been so treated, processed or changed, by heat or other means, from a natural state that it would, if added to any other water, degrade or alter or form part of a process of degradation or alteration of the quality of that water so that it is rendered or is likely to be rendered deleterious to fish or fish habitat or to the use by man of fish that frequent that water. [Fisheries Act s.34(1)] (Substance nocive)
Easement An agreement under which a company acquires the right to use the land for the pipeline or powerline. It is a written contract that sets out the rights of the company and rights of the landowner for the use of the right of way. (Servitude)
Election Certificate An authorization for an IPL for which the applicant has chosen that federal rather than provincial laws apply and resulting in a public hearing [NEB Act s.58.27]. (Certificat faisant suite à une décision)
Environmental Effect

In respect of a project:

(a) any change that the project may cause in the environment, including any change it may cause to a listed wildlife species, its critical habitat or the residences of individuals of that species, as those terms are defined in subsection 2(1) of the Species at Risk Act,

(b) any effect of any change referred to in paragraph (a) on

(i) health and socio-economic conditions,

(ii) physical and cultural heritage,

(iii) the current use of lands and resources for traditional purposes by aboriginal persons, or

(iv) any structure, site or thing that is of historical, archaeological, paleontological or architectural significance, or

(c) any change to the project that may be caused by the environment, whether any such change or effect occurs within or outside Canada. [Canadian Environmental Assessment Act s.2] (Effet environnemental)
Environmentally Sensitive Area An area designated in regional or local land use plans, or by a local, regional, provincial or federal government body as being sensitive to disturbance or identified by an applicant as being sensitive for some reason. (Région écologiquement sensible)
Fee Simple Owner The person or legal entity that is in the legal possession of land. Usually it is the person named on the title. (Propriétaire en fief simple)
Heritage Resources Cultural, historic, archaeological and paleontological resources are collectively known as heritage resources and can include pre-contact and post-contact features. (Ressources patrimoniales)
Human Health A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and the ability to adapt to the stresses of daily life; it is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (Santé)
International Power Line Facilities constructed or operated for the purpose of transmitting electricity from or to a place in Canada to or from a place outside Canada. (Ligne internationale de transport d'électricité)
Limiting Factor Anything that has a measurable controlling effect on a species growth or expansion, or on a biophysical element's continued capability to support its ecosystem. (Facteur limitant)
Migratory Bird A migratory bird referred to in the convention, and includes the sperm, eggs, embryos, tissue cultures and parts of the bird. [Migratory Birds Convention Act s.2] (Oiseau migrateur)
Mitigation In respect of a project, the elimination, reduction or control of the adverse environmental effects of the project, and includes restitution for any damage to the environment caused by such effects through replacement, restoration, compensation or any other means. [Canadian Environmental Assessment Act s.2] (Mesures d'atténuation)
Monitoring Plan The plan for resolving specific outstanding environmental issues, observing the potential environmental effects of a project, assessing the effectiveness of mitigation measures undertaken, identifying unanticipated environmental issues and determining the action required based on the result of these activities. (Plan de surveillance)
Notice A notice of the application for a permit or an election certificate, published by the applicant in accordance with section 58.12 of the NEB Act. (Avis)
Owner

For the purposes of sections 86 to 107 of the National Energy Board Act, the 'owner' is not restricted to the fee simple owner or to freehold lands[1]. In this regard, an owner may include any interest in, or possession of land, such as the fee simple owner, Aboriginal title, the administrators of crown and public lands and occupants of land. The interest held may be registered or unregistered.

With respect to sections 33 and 34 of the National Energy Board Act, the owner of lands includes the fee simple owner and may also include any other interest held in the land, as described above. When determining the owners of lands required for the project, the applicant should consider all potential owners of the lands required and implement its notification and acquisition processes pursuant to the Act. (Propriétaire)

[1] Sections 75 and 85 of the NEB Act describe the nature of an 'owner':

75. A company shall, in the exercise of the powers granted by this Act or a Special Act, do as little damage as possible, and shall make full compensation in the manner provided in this Act and in a Special Act, to all persons interested, for all damage sustained by them by reason of the exercise of those powers.

85. In sections 86 to 107, 'owner' means any person who is entitled to compensation under section 75.
Permit A permit means an authorization for the construction and operation of an international power line issued under Part III.1 of the NEB Act. (Permis)
Polluting Substance A substance that, if added to a water body, is likely to degrade or alter or form part of a process of degradation or alteration of the physical, chemical or biological conditions of the water body to an extent that is detrimental to its use by human beings, animals, fish or plants. [Exclusion List Regulations s.2] (Substance polluante)
Power Line Outside Canada That part of a power line in the United States that is between its connection to the international power line at the border and the first switching station in the United States. (Ligne située à l'étranger)
Power System Includes the generating stations, transformers, switching stations, transmission lines, substations, distribution lines and circuits necessary for the production, transmission and distribution of electricity. (Réseau d'électricité)
Power Transfer Capability The amount of power that can be transferred from one power system to another without impairing the reliability criteria of the interconnected systems. (Capacité de transfert de puissance)
Reclamation The process of re-establishing a disturbed site to a former or other productive use, not necessarily to the same condition that existed prior to disturbance. The land capability may be at a level different (i.e., lower or higher) than that which existed prior to the disturbance, depending on the goal of the process. Reclamation includes the management of a contaminated site and revegetation where necessary. Reclamation is not considered complete until the goals for reclamation have been achieved. (Remise en état)
Recovery Strategy A strategy for the recovery of a listed extirpated, endangered or threatened species prepared by the competent minister (as defined under the Species at Risk Act). If the recovery of the listed species is feasible, the recovery strategy must address the threats to the survival of the species identified by the Committee for the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, including any loss of habitat. The recovery strategy and any amendments will be included in the public registry established under the Species at Risk Act. (Programme de rétablissement)
Reliability Power system reliability is the degree of performance of the elements of the bulk electric system that results in electricity being delivered to customers within accepted standards and in the amount desired (from North American Electricity Reliability Corporation (NERC)). (Fiabilité)
Residual Effects Effects that are present after mitigation is applied. (Effets résiduels)
Responsible Authority In relation to a project, a federal authority that is required pursuant to subsection 11(1) of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act to ensure that an environmental assessment of the project is conducted. [Canadian Environmental Assessment Act s.2] (Autorité responsable)
Right of Entry The right of access to, and use of, land surface. (Droit d'accès)
Right of Entry Order An order by the National Energy Board made under the National Energy Board Act granting a company access to, and use of, a defined portion of land for the purposes as set out in the order. (Ordonnance de droit d'accès)
Right of Way (RoW) The strip of land acquired for which a company has obtained the rights for the construction and operation of the pipeline or powerline. (Emprise)
Socio-Economic Effect In respect of a project, any effect on a socio-economic element found in Table 6-5, including direct effects as well as effects resulting from a change in the environment (as referred to in the definition of Environmental Effect). (Effet socioéconomique)
Species at Risk An extirpated, endangered or threatened species or a species of special concern. [Species at Risk Act s.2] (Espèce en péril)
Species of Special Status Species listed under provincial jurisdiction or of recognized local importance because they are vulnerable, threatened, endangered or extirpated. (Espèce à statut particulier)
Study Area The area within the spatial boundaries of the scope of the environmental and socio-economic effects assessment. Since the spatial boundaries of the assessment may vary with different biophysical and socio-economic elements, the study area may also vary. (Zone d'étude)
Substation A subsidiary station of the electric power system where network interconnections are made and managed between transmission lines, or where electricity is flowed to or from the transmission network and transformed for further transmission or distribution along lower-voltage lines. (Sous-station)
Traditional Territory Crown lands where an Aboriginal group has claimed the right to use the land for traditional purposes such as hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering or spiritual activities. One or more Aboriginal groups may claim the same lands as their traditional territory. (Territoire traditionnel)
Valued Ecosystem Component (VEC)

Resources or environmental features that have all or some of the following features:

(a) importance to local human populations;

(b) regional, national or international profiles; or

(c) if altered from their existing status will be important in evaluating the impacts of development or human actions, and in focusing management or regulatory policy. (Composante valorisée de l'écosystème)
Valued Socio-Cultural Component (VSC) Cultural, social, economic or health aspects of the study population that, if affected by the project, would be of concern to local human populations or government regulators. (Composante socio-culturelle valorisée)
Viewshed The area visible from an observer's viewpoint and those areas from which that viewpoint may be seen. The boundaries of a viewshed are determined by the width of the angle of vision and the distance between the observer and various levels of vision (i.e., foreground, middle-ground, background, distant, etc.) (Bassin visuel)
Water Body A water body, including a canal, reservoir, an ocean and a wetland, up to the high-water mark, but does not include a sewage or waste treatment lagoon or mine tailings pond. [Exclusion List Regulations s.2] (Plan d'eau)
Wetlands Land where the water table is at near or above the surface, or which is saturated for a long enough period to promote such features as wet-altered soils and water tolerant vegetation. Wetlands include organic wetlands or "peatlands", and mineral wetlands or mineral soil areas that are influenced by excess water, but produce little or no peat. (Terre humide)
Wildlife Any species of wild organism, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates, plants, fungi, algae and bacteria. (Faune)

List of Abbreviations

ADR Appropriate Dispute Resolution
CCME Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment
CEA Act Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
CEA Agency Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
CSA Canadian Standards Association
CSR Comprehensive Study Report
DFO Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Electricity Regulations National Energy Board Electricity Regulations
ESA environmental and socio-economic assessment
EPP environmental protection plan
GPS Global Positioning System
IPL International Power Line
kV Kilovolt
MOG Memorandum of Guidance to Interested Parties concerning Full Implementation of the September 1988 Canadian Electricity Policy
NEB or the Board National Energy Board
NEB Act National Energy Board Act
NERC North American Electric Reliability Corporation
OPR Onshore Pipeline Regulations, 1999
Post-construction report Post-construction environmental monitoring report
PPBoR Plans, profiles and books of reference
Reporting Regulations National Energy Board Export and Import Reporting Regulations
RoW Right of Way
Rules National Energy Board Rules of Practice and Procedure, 1995
SARA Species at Risk Act
UTM Universal Transverse Mercator
VEC Valued Ecosystem Component
VSC Valued Socio-cultural Component
Valued Component VEC and VSC

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Date Modified:
2011-10-28