BC Hydro – Metro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House Welcome Metro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House – June 23, 2016 Thank you for attending this Community Information Open House about the Metro North Transmission Study. We’re here to provide you with updated information on a conceptual design of the power line upgrade along the existing right-of-way in Anmore, and other considerations as we do further study and technical work on this alternative. About the Metro North Transmission Study We need an additional transmission line between Coquitlam and Vancouver to address the growing demand for electricity resulting from the region’s increasing population. We’re working to ensure the line is in place as early as 2020¹ to improve the region’s transmission network by increasing electrical transmission capacity and strengthening reliability. Our current transmission system is approaching its limit and without these improvements the network faces reduced service reliability. Under certain conditions, this could mean outages for the equivalent of about 30,000 homes and businesses, and service interruption for the equivalent of about 90,000 homes and businesses. Engaging with communities Since July 2013, we’ve had more than 60 meetings with local and regional governments, transportation authorities, community groups, property owners, and others to discuss the need for transmission improvements and the alternatives being studied. At the same time, engagement has also been ongoing with First Nations. Information about previous engagement can be found at bchydro.com/mnt . 1 Required in service date is influenced by load forecast, which is monitored annually.
Transcript
BC Hydro – Metro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House
WelcomeMetro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House – June 23, 2016Thank you for attending this Community
Information Open House about the Metro North
Transmission Study.
We’re here to provide you with updated
information on a conceptual design of the power
line upgrade along the existing right-of-way in
Anmore, and other considerations as we do further
study and technical work on this alternative.
About the Metro North Transmission Study
We need an additional transmission line between
Coquitlam and Vancouver to address the growing
demand for electricity resulting from the region’s
increasing population.
We’re working to ensure the line is in place as early
as 2020¹ to improve the region’s transmission
network by increasing electrical transmission
capacity and strengthening reliability.
Our current transmission system is approaching
its limit and without these improvements the
network faces reduced service reliability. Under
certain conditions, this could mean outages
for the equivalent of about 30,000 homes
and businesses, and service interruption for
the equivalent of about 90,000 homes and
businesses.
Engaging with communitiesSince July 2013, we’ve had more than 60
meetings with local and regional governments,
transportation authorities, community groups,
property owners, and others to discuss the
need for transmission improvements and the
alternatives being studied. At the same time,
engagement has also been ongoing with
First Nations. Information about previous
engagement can be found at
bchydro.com/mnt.
1 Required in service date is influenced by load forecast, which is monitored annually.
BC Hydro – Metro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House
Further study and technical work underway We’ve been studying three alternatives as part of the Metro
North Transmission Study and have identified Alternative 2
(see map) for further study, technical work and consultation.
Alternative 2 affects fewer residents and property owners,
has lower seismic and construction risks, and offers the best
value in terms of capacity for investment, compared to the
other alternatives studied.
The transmission improvement will consist of a combination
of overhead transmission lines and underground
transmission cables, running from the Meridian Substation
in Coquitlam to the Mount Pleasant Substation in Vancouver.
Generally, we’ll be able to use our existing rights-of-way.
While further technical work and study is needed, the
improvement could include:
0 Replacement of existing overhead lines in Anmore and
Port Moody, resulting in fewer, taller poles than currently
exist in these areas.
0 An overhead crossing of Burrard Inlet, within the current
right-of-way.
0 A new underground route through Burnaby and
Vancouver.
BC Hydro – Metro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House
Further study and technical work underway We are exploring options for:Positioning the line as it leaves the Meridian Substation
0 Technical challenge: Crossing an existing 500
kilovolt (kV) power line given the constraints of
the existing right-of-way.
Positioning the line south of Sasamat Lake
0 Technical challenge: Routing the line through an
area that includes a FortisBC gas pipeline, seven
existing transmission lines of varying voltages
and structure types, and a regional park, given
the constraints of the existing rights-of-way.
Crossing Burrard Inlet
0 Technical challenge: Consolidating the additional
line with existing infrastructure that currently
crosses Burrard Inlet.
Positioning the cable around Burnaby Mountain
0 Technical challenge: Routing the underground
cable around the north side of Burnaby
Mountain so that it is seismically secure. Along
Barnet Highway, placing the cable in the
roadway reduces the seismic risk.
South of Sasamat Lake
Existing Burrard Inlet crossing,
looking south
An area of slope instability along Barnet Highway,
west of the velodrome
We’ll also work with local governments to
determine the routing of the underground cable
through Burnaby to the Horne Payne Substation,
and from there through Vancouver to the Mount
Pleasant Substation.
BC Hydro – Metro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House
Anmore In developing the design of the overhead
portion of the line for Alternative 2, we have
been mindful of these guiding principles:
0 Stay within the existing right-of-way
0 Minimize the number of poles
0 Use existing monopoles as the basis for
design
0 Preserve and/or enhance existing vegetation
where possible to screen views of towers
and disturbed areas
0 Minimize access roads and laydown areas
0 Re-vegetate affected areas
Alternative 2 would involve adding an additional
230 kV transmission line originating at the
Meridian Substation in Coquitlam and extending
through Anmore, using our right-of-way that
has been in place since the 1960s.
Although additional technical work is required,
the current preliminary design in the residential
area of Anmore includes:
0 Consolidating the proposed additional line
with an existing line by replacing six wooden
H-frame structures totaling 13 poles, with
three taller steel monopoles, resulting in a
reduction of 10 poles.
0 Three existing monopoles, supporting two
230 kV lines, would remain in place with an
added grounding wire.
We would also do a landscape and visual
impact assessment, and work with landowners
to discuss options to reduce impacts.
Existing structures (monopole and wooden H-frame) in Anmore
Preliminary rendering showing a new steel monopole replacing a
wooden H-frame in Anmore (tower design and placement subject
to change). With Alternative 2, there would be 17 fewer poles than
existing in the Anmore area.
Alternative 2 overview
BC Hydro – Metro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House
Port Moody/Burrard Inlet Crossing Through Port Moody, the alignment would generally be within our existing
right-of-way in and adjacent to Belcarra Regional Park and Admiralty Point.
Within the existing right-of-way, we are looking to consolidate existing lines
onto fewer, taller poles. The location of these poles will be the subject of
further study.
Three options were looked at for crossing Burrard Inlet. The option identified
for further study:
0 Uses our existing right-of-way, eliminating the need for a third
transmission line crossing of the inlet.
0 Uses our existing property on the south side of Burrard Inlet to transition
the line from overhead transmission line to an underground transmission
cable.
0 Considers input from First Nations, Burnaby, Port Moody, Metro
Vancouver, and the Federal government.
Burnaby/Vancouver (Mount Pleasant Substation)Alternative 2 would require an additional transmission cable to run underground in Burnaby and Vancouver to the Mount
Pleasant Substation in Vancouver. The exact alignment would be determined through technical work and discussions
with stakeholders, including the City of Burnaby and the City of Vancouver.
The additional transmission line will be built underground in Burnaby and Vancouver because we don’t have an overhead
right-of-way. Along Barnet Highway, placing the cable in the roadway reduces the seismic risk.
Alternative 2 overview
Existing Burrard Inlet crossing,
looking north
Existing Burrard Inlet crossing,
looking south
BC Hydro – Metro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House
Underground cable versus overhead line Some of you have asked “Why can’t you build the transmission line underground in Anmore”?
Our right-of-way doesn’t include the rights to place the lines underground; however, we did take a look and here’s what we learned:
0 It is difficult to excavate a trench in uneven,
rocky terrain along the entire existing right-
of-way, especially at the west end where the
topography is very steep. Extensive blasting
would be required for new cable and casing.
0 The crossing of the creek at the west end of the
right-of-way (west of Fern Drive) would require
horizontal directional drilling.
0 The cable would require terminal stations and
manholes (12 metres long x 3 metres wide
x 3 metres deep) within the right-of-way,
potentially on private land.
For these reasons, it’s technically challenging to build an underground cable within the existing right-of-way, so we looked at what is involved with building it underground in local streets, and here’s what we learned:
0 The cable length would be about 4 kilometres
to replace 3 kilometres of overhead line.
0 We would need to build a large termination
station just east of Legget Drive to transition
from an overhead line to an underground cable.
0 We would also have to build a second large
termination station so the cable can transition
to an overhead line and travel along this
right-of-way to cross Burrard Inlet.
0 Three existing lines would remain in the
right-of-way.
The difference in cost*? 0 Overhead (3 kilometres):
Approximately $9 million*
0 Underground (4 kilometres): Approximately $35 million*
It would cost approximately 3.5 to 4 times
more to build an underground cable. It would
be difficult for us to justify the significant cost
increase to underground the line when there
is sufficient space in an existing-right-of-way
for an overhead line.
* Given the early stage of this study, costing is based on a conceptual level estimate only (+100/-35%).
-40 0
40
80
12
0
16
0
20
0
24
0
28
0
32
0
36
0
40
0
44
0
48
0
52
0
56
0
60
0
64
0
68
0
72
0
76
0
80
0
84
0
88
0
92
0
96
0
10
00
10
40
10
80
11
20
11
60
12
00
12
40
12
80
13
20
13
60
14
00
14
40
14
80
15
20
15
60
16
00
16
40
16
80
17
20
17
60
18
00
18
40
18
80
19
20
19
60
20
00
20
40
20
80
21
20
21
60
22
00
22
40
22
80
23
20
23
60
24
00
24
40
24
80
150
160
170
180
190
200
210
220
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
310
320
330
340
350
360
370
380
390
400
410
420
430
440
450
460
470
480
490
500
510
150
160
170
180
190
200
210
220
230
240
250
260
270
280
290
300
310
320
330
340
350
360
370
380
390
400
410
420
430
440
450
460
470
480
490
500
510
PI
-55
.19
°
PI
0.1
5°
PI
-0.4
2°
PI
0.5
4°
PI
-0.1
1°
PI
-0.0
1°
PI
-0.9
2°
PI
7.9
8°
PI
-0.2
5°
PI
-0.0
6°
PI
-0.4
8°
PI
-7.7
9°
02
-06
02
-06
03
-01
03
-01
02
-07
02
-07
03
-03
03
-03
03
-02
03
-02
02
-01
02
-01
02
-03
02
-03
02
-02
02
-02
02
-04
02
-04
02
-05
02
-05
01
-07
01
-07
01
-08
01
-08
303
121
218
145
380
456
204
170
120
278
81
2L49MDN CIRCUIT
260
260
260
26
0
220
22
0
260
26
0
280
280
320
32
0 320
34
0
340 320
380
30
0
280
220
420
180
180
22
0
200
18
0
180
200
240
24
0
220
180 180
180 200
20
0
180 180
18
0 1
80
20
0
200
200
240
240
220 220
180 220
02-0603-01 02-0703-03 03-02
02-01
02-03
02-02
02-0402-05
01-0701-08
2L49MDN CIRCUIT
2L54||2L61 CIRCUITS
REV
DATE
ACPT
DSGN
RDWG NO
CHK
DFTG
CHK
DFTG
INDEP
INSP
DISTR
NO
T T
O B
E R
EP
RO
DU
CE
D W
ITH
OU
T P
ER
MIS
SIO
N
NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION
SIZE
REVISIONS
REMARKS DATE REV ACPTNOREF# TITLE REF# TITLEDRAWING NUMBER DRAWING NUMBER
REFERENCE DRAWINGS REFERENCE DRAWINGS
DESIGNED DFTGCHK
DFTG
CHK
INDEPINSP
FORILLUSTRATION
ONLY
CONTOUR LINES SHOWN AT 10 m INTERVALS
EXISTING CONDUCTORS
EXISTING STRUCTURE (BROWN FOR 2L49MDN)
RIGHT-OF-WAY BOUNDARY (+/-1.0m ACCURACY)
PROPERTY LINE (+/-1.0m ACCURACY)
CLEARANCE LINES SHOWN AT 8.1 m ABOVE GROUND
FIL
E M
ET
RO
_N
OR
TH
_R
B_
2L
49
MD
N.x
yz
LIN
E "
Ex
isti
ng
2L
04
9M
DN
" P
LO
TT
ED
20
16
-06
-16
NOTES:
1) ALL DIMENSIONS ARE IN METRES UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
2) TERRAIN DATA BASED ON LIDAR DATA CAPTURED ON NOV 2, 2011 (L_00202)
MERIDIAN - HORNE PAYNE 230 kV T/L
METRO NORTH PROJECT (MNT)
EXISTING 2L49MDN CIRCUIT
PLAN AND PROFILE
SHEET 1 OF 1
2016 JUN AD
A ISSUED FOR ILLUSTRATION ONLY 2016-JUN JZ
J. ZABALA
MNT-OH-SK-00009
Vert. Scale
Horiz. Scale
10.0 m
40.0 m
N
Profile of the right-of-way through Anmore
BC Hydro – Metro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House
Health and safety We are committed to ensuring the safety of our communities and our workers.
Safety considerationsAs with the existing transmission lines and poles in the
right-of-way, our infrastructure is designed to withstand large
seismic and weather events, as per industry standards. Our
wires and poles are inspected yearly to ensure that they
remain safe.
The line would be designed to withstand a large seismic event,
and weather events including:
0 155 km/h winds
0 25 mm of ice accumulation around each wire
What are the EMF guidelines?
The World Health Organization endorses the guideline established by The
International Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). In its
guideline update in 2010, ICNIRP recommends a residential magnetic field
exposure limit of 2,000 milligauss (mG) and an electric field exposure limit of
5 kilovolts per meter (kV/m).
We follow the ICNIRP guidelines when we build our infrastructure.
The relationship between EMF and health remains a subject of ongoing
research. We will continue to monitor scientific research, as well as policy and
regulatory developments.
Distance (metres)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
40 4030 3020 10 0 10 20
Proposed
MF
mea
sure
men
t in
mill
igau
ss (m
G)
Existing
Residential magnetic field exposure limit
BC Hydro – Metro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House
Electric and magnetic fields Magnetic field levels The proposed work will replace the wooden H-frames with fewer, but
taller, steel monopoles that will support two 230 kilovolt lines, instead of
one, and a grounding wire. The existing monopoles that support two 230
kilovolt lines will remain in place with an added grounding wire.
For the new monopoles, we are arranging the order of the lines to
minimize magnetic field levels resulting in lower magnetic field levels at the
northern right-of-way edge.
These estimates are based on an estimated average electricity load
when the line reaches its maximum rating (or the maximum amount of
current the line is designed to carry) in about 30 years. The World Health
Organization endorses a residential magnetic field exposure limit of 2000
milligauss (mG).
Electric field levelsOn the northern right-of-way edge, the electric field level would decrease
by 25% to less than 0.5 kV/m.
On the southern right-of-way edge, the electric field level does not change
and remains less than 0.3 kV/m.
If you would like to learn more about electric and magnetic fields, please
review the resources listed on our EMF profile, or visit our website at
bchydro.com/emf.
Source: EMF in your Environment, U.S. Protection Agency, 1992.All measurements were taken 6 inches from the sources.
T YPICAL MAGNETIC F IELD LEVELS IN THE HOME
Hairdryer: 300 mG
Vacuum: 300 mG
Washing Machine: 20 mG
Dishwasher: 20 mG
Power Saw:200 mG
Portable Heater: 100 mG
BC Hydro – Metro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House
Environment and archaeology processFor a project of this size, BC Hydro will conduct a number of environmental and archaeological studies.
Environmental and archaeological overview assessmentsIdentification: 2013 – 2016
Environmental and
Archaeological Overview
Assessments are conducted to
help inform the selection of a
leading alternative for further
study.
Environmental and archaeological assessments Definition: 2016 – 2017
Once a leading alternative is
confirmed, Environmental and
Archaeological Assessments are
conducted. These studies include
fieldwork and help inform the
design of the transmission line
and appropriate mitigation.
Construction environmental management Implementation: 2018 (earliest)
Environmental mitigation and
best management practices
are included in a Construction
Environmental Management
Plan (CEMP). The contractors
working on the project will have
to comply with the requirements
of the CEMP by producing
and implementing their own
Environmental Protection Plans
(EPPs).
Environmental protection plans
Operation: 2020 (earliest) BC Hydro will audit the
contractors work to ensure that
work is conducted in accordance
with the requirements of the
CEMP and EPPs.
BC Hydro – Metro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House
The Anmore environmentWe’re committed to planning new infrastructure in an environmentally responsible manner. Studies are underway to determine how best to avoid or mitigate environmental and archeological effects.
Wildlife 0 The proposed additional line would pass over
top of residential backyards. Vegetation is
mainly limited to planted trees, gardens, and
manicured lawns. Wildlife habitat suitability is
limited to species that can co-exist in suburban
areas, including birds, small mammals, and
some large mammals tolerant of human
interactions, such as coyote, deer, and black
bear.
0 Forested areas are located to the west of the
community associated with Belcarra Regional
Park and Port Moody, and to the east associated
with Crown land within Anmore. These forested
areas provide increased wildlife suitability for a
variety of species.
Fish habitat 0 The proposed additional line would cross
suspected fish-bearing Schoolhouse Creek, just
west of Fern Drive, and fish-bearing Mossom
Creek to the east of Leggett Drive. Mossom
Creek is known to support Chinook salmon,
Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Pink salmon, and
Cutthroat trout. A small tributary of Anmore
Creek runs to the east of Sunnyside Road.
Vegetation 0 Metro Vancouver Sensitive Ecosystem Inventory
(SEI) Young Forest polygons are located in Port
Moody and Anmore, including one polygon east
of Mossom Creek identified as mature forest.
0 There have been several invasive species
identified in Anmore and within 100 metres
of the right-of-way, including Scotch Broom,
Himalayan Blackberry, Japanese Knotweed, and
Orange Hawkweed.
Archaeology 0 The existing right-of-way through the Anmore
area has been assessed as an area of low
archaeological potential. Further archaeological
assessment would be conducted if necessary.
Pho
to b
y: S
ean
Wes
ton
Pho
to b
y: S
ean
Wes
ton
Pho
to b
y: S
ean
Wes
ton
BC Hydro – Metro North Transmission Study – Anmore Community Information Open House
Next steps We’ll continue discussions with First Nations, local and regional governments, stakeholders, and property owners throughout the summer. We anticipate arriving at a decision this fall regarding a preferred alternative.
Ultimately, this transmission upgrade will require a
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN)
from the BC Utilities Commission (more information
can be found at bcuc.com). Subject to receiving that
certificate, we anticipate construction could start as
early as 2018 and be complete as early as 2020² to
meet growing demand for electricity and avoid impacts
