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1. Why is this project needed?
The existing aviation fuel delivery network that serves Vancouver International Airport (YVR) does not have the capacity to meet the long-term fuel requirements at the airport, especially during peak demand periods. Ensuring a safe and reliable fuel supply to the airport is critical to the continued success of YVR and the benefits the airport brings to our economy and community.
^ to top Please see the Project Overview section of this site for more information.
2. If the project receives regulatory approval, how long will construction take and when will it be completed?
The proposed project will be reviewed in accordance with applicable regulatory and environmental review requirements, including: - British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act
- Port Metro Vancouver Environmental Assessment Process
- Vancouver Airport Authority Development Permit and Facility Alteration Permit Processes
- Fraser River Estuary Management Program
- BC Oil & Gas Commission – Pipeline Act
- City of Richmond Development Permit Process
If the project satisfies the requirements of the regulatory agencies, construction is expected to begin around summer 2011 and take about 20 months to complete.
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3. How much will this project cost?
The current projected cost is $70 million to $100 million.
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4. How much employment will it create?
About 100 person years of direct employment will be created during the design and construction phase. Another 14 person years of direct employment will be created during the operations phase. Additional economic spin-off benefits will accrue during the construction phase through indirect employment associated with, for example, fabrication, materials and transportation.
It should also be noted that the goal of the proposed project is to meet the growing needs of YVR, which is an important economic engine for BC, contributing approximately $1.7-billion in direct Gross Domestic Product (GDP) value added. The airport employs more than 26,000 people now. Creating a safe, reliable fuel supply will enable YVR to continue growing and remain an important economic generator.
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5. What other options were considered before the proposed project was selected?
In 2001, VAFFC began the process of identifying alternative fuel delivery strategies to meet the long-term demand for aviation fuel at YVR. As a result, 14 options were assessed at a screening level with respect to potential economic, environmental, social and regulatory impacts associated with their construction and operation.
After weighing the relative merits of the various concepts, the South Arm Fraser River option emerged as the preferred concept. The next-most promising alternatives included: - Delivery of fuel via rail from a refinery in Alberta
- An offshore terminal/mooring facility, west of Sea Island
- An upgrade/replacement of the existing pipeline delivery system
See Other Fuel Delivery Options for more information.
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6. Could the aviation fuel requirements be met by rail from the refinery in Cherry Point, Washington. Has this option been considered?
To do so would require the construction of a new trans-loading facility in Richmond and a pipeline to connect it to the airport. To meet the fuel requirements of YVR, an estimated 60 to 80 rail cars would be needed to deliver aviation fuel every day at this new facility. A facility to accommodate this kind of rail traffic would require a very large tract of land. In addition, rail cars are individually loaded and emptied, creating a higher risk for leaks or spills than the current proposal. And because of the multiple jurisdictions and rail operators, each load would have an estimated transit time of almost one week.
In addition to the obvious inefficiencies, and increased environmental and safety risks, the rail proposal fails to address one of the airport’s most critical needs: a secure source of aviation fuel. Committing to one supply source creates a reliability risk. Any disruption to the Cherry Point refinery would have a severe impact on YVR within days. And although the BP/Arco Refinery may have access to marine imports, the overall solution essentially replaces our 15 km buried pipeline with almost 100 km of busy, two-way railway traffic. VAFFC’s proposal will more reliably meet the future needs of YVR with increased capacity from a greater number of fuel sources, both local and off-shore.
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7. Can the Westridge marine terminal and storage facility on Burrard Inlet be expanded to accommodate Panamax class tankers?
Westridge is owned by Kinder Morgan Canada. That company would have information about their system and business. Based on the review of various options VAFFC studied, we believe the proposed project is the best option.
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8. If the pumping system on the existing line was upgraded, would it meet the needs of YVR?
Upgrading the pumping system would only provide a short-term solution; it will not meet the long-term needs for YVR. Also, upgrading the pumping system would put additional stress on the pipeline.
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9. If your proposed project proceeds, what will happen to the existing fuel delivery infrastructure?
That would be up to Kinder Morgan Canada, which owns the system.
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10. Why can’t the proposed pipeline be routed along Highway 99?
We approached the Ministry of Transportation about the possibility of locating the pipeline within their road allowance. This possible route was discounted because Transportation officials said they wanted to keep their options open for possible future highway upgrades that would conflict with a pipeline buried in their right-of-way.
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11. There is a lot of empty space at the airport and on Sea Island. Why not build the facility there?
Options on Sea Island were eliminated due to constraints on the foreshore and the North Arm, not due to land space. See Other Fuel Delivery Options for more information.
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12. Why not store more fuel on Sea Island?
Additional fuel could be stored on Sea Island; however, the issue is getting the fuel there. Currently the fuel is delivered through the Trans Mountain pipeline and by tanker truck. This pipeline has insufficient delivery capacity to supply the peak demand periods, so another method for delivering fuel to YVR must be found.
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13. Will Panamax class tankers be able to turn around in the river off the Fuel Receiving Facility or will they have to move to another location to safely manoeuvre for the return voyage to the Strait of Georgia?
The proposed facility is at one of the widest points of the river. From our discussions with the Port Authority and the Fraser River Pilots Association, we understand that the proposed vessels can be turned at this location, likely with the assistance of tugs.
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14. What would happen if a Panamax class tanker were disabled in the Fraser River during high tide and unable to be moved as the tide receded?
The vessel would be towed to safety, either to a berth on the Fraser, at anchor in English Bay, or to a nearby shipyard (Vancouver or Victoria). The transit time for a vessel under tow to clear the river is less than the minimum duration of available tidal windows for safe navigation.
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15. What if it was disabled during a strong river discharge that can reach up to six knots? Would tugs be able to control the vessel or would it just drift?
Tugs used to assist vessels will be large enough to provide safe control under any foreseeable combination of wind, tide, and current. The required tug sizes will be determined through comprehensive tug force analysis and navigation simulation studies to be conducted at a future stage of the project.
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16. Will tugs accompany Panamax tankers on their approach up the Fraser River to the VAFFC facility?
Tugs would assist the vessel during berthing and de-berthing. Most ships currently transiting the Fraser River do not need to have escort tugs standing by along the entire route. Tanker ships would use escort tugs if so mandated by the regulatory agencies (Transport Canada, Coast Guard, Fraser River Pilots or Port Metro Vancouver) or vessel’s insurance company.
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17. What impact would tide changes have on unloading of vessels at the Fuel Receiving Facility?
The specific nature of the river’s variable conditions will be incorporated into VAFFC’s operating procedures and contingency planning, mitigating any potential impact of tidal changes.
Tidal movements and the salinity of the water, both of which can affect vessel movement along the Fraser River, fluctuate during the year. These conditions affect what size vessels can travel the river and when. VAFFC will consult with the Fraser River Pilots Association and Port Metro Vancouver to determine optimal timing windows for scheduling barge and Panamax class vessel transits and unloading. Through BC coastal waterways, a government-certified BC marine pilot from the Fraser River Pilots Association will provide guidance to the command of all ships unloading fuel at the fuel receiving facility. It will be up to the river pilots to determine whether the optimal conditions exist before vessels will be permitted to travel along the river and unload their cargo at the fuel receiving facility.
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18. Who would pay the cost of dredging if it is required on the Fraser River to accommodate Panamax tankers?
Port Metro Vancouver has a policy to ensure a two-hour transit window for each day of the year on the lower Fraser River. To implement this policy, the port undertakes selective dredging operations, particularly following strong river discharge conditions, to manage sediment accumulation. The dredging program is necessary to maintain channel depths for the current range of vessels transiting the river.
The riverbed at the face of the proposed wharf facility is mostly self-scouring due to the shape of the river at this location. During the design stage of this facility, additional dredging requirements for Panamax vessels will be determined and if required, it will be paid for by VAFFC.
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19. The proposal calls for expanding the existing wharf on the Fraser River. Will this mean the wharf is larger and protrudes further in the Fraser River?
No. Expansion of the structure will not require it to be longer, but there may be additional piles installed on the water side of the main wall.
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20. What kind of environmental protection and safety measures will be in place?
Safety of the public and workers, and protection of the environment are fundamental priorities for VAFFC. The new system will be constructed and operated to meet the highest standards for safety and reliability.
Visit the Marine Terminal, Receiving Facility and Pipeline sections in the System Safety section of this site for more information.
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21. What would be the environmental impact to the Fraser River if a tank at the proposed fuel storage facility were to rupture in the event of an earthquake?
The facility will be designed to current Canadian standards, including those for seismic events. The fuel receiving tanks will be located away from the river and within a containment berm capable of containing 110% of the volume of the largest storage tank.
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22. What would be the impact of a fire or leak at the fuel receiving facility?
Safety of the public and workers, and protection of the environment are fundamental priorities for VAFFC. The new system will be constructed and operated to meet the highest standards for safety and reliability. VAFFC is developing a comprehensive Spill Prevention and Emergency Response Plan and will be studying more specific risk scenarios as part of the provincial review process.
Storage tanks at the fuel receiving facility for this project are proposed on industrial land adjacent to the terminal, distant from residential and commercial areas. In the event of a fire or spill, the impacts and emergency response procedures would vary depending on the size and location of the fire or spill, weather, tides, and wind direction.
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23. The location of the proposed marine facility is close to the Reifel bird sanctuary. If there is a spill won’t this sanctuary be destroyed?
Fuel barges currently travel up and down the Fraser River and past the Delta foreshore on which the Reifel bird sanctuary is situated.
The proposed marine terminal is located 15 kilometres upriver from the mouth of the Fraser River where the sanctuary exists. State-of-the-art containment systems will be employed at the marine terminal. VAFFC will also develop a Spill Prevention and Emergency Response Plan and implement best practices with all vessels. In addition, Burrard Clean will be contracted to provide marine spill response services.
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24. Are there other environmental concerns related to transporting aviation fuel by barge on the Fraser River?
Many types of fuel already travel on the Fraser River. Although we are proposing larger vessels than are currently used to transport fuel, these larger vessels will all be double-hulled and subject to the strict navigational requirements to travel on the river. The largest vessels we anticipate at the terminal are the same size as many of the cargo vessels already travelling on the river. Additionally, all vessel movements on the river are controlled by the Fraser River Pilots Association, expert operators who handle ship travel and mooring on the river.
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25. What are the dangers associated with the storage of aviation fuel?
Like any fuel, aviation fuel is flammable and must be handled in a safe manner. Facilities that handle aviation fuel are secured by high fences, fire protections systems and camera monitoring, ensuring the highest level of safety around the facility.
Aviation fuel is less volatile than automotive gasoline. Aviation fuel has similar characteristics as automotive diesel fuel.
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26. What precautions will be taken to ensure the fuel storage facilities are safe?
Storage tanks are designed to meet the most up-to-date seismic and material standards, and situated inside a two- to three-metre high containment berm. Monitoring and control systems will be incorporated into the facility to ensure safety and environmental protection at all times.
Visit the Receiving Facility section in the System Safety section of this site for more information.
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27. What precautions will be taken to ensure the pipeline is safe?
The pipeline will be constructed to modern regulations, and buried approximately 2.5 metres (about 8 feet) underground within a public right-of-way that is marked to indicate a pipeline is located beneath.
The pipeline location will be listed as a utility. That means any party needing to dig in the vicinity of the pipeline can obtain accurate information as to its location so that it is not accidentally damaged. Visit the Pipeline section in the System Safety section of this site for more information.
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28. There was a pipeline rupture in Burnaby in 2007. What’s the risk of a similar incident with the proposed pipeline?
Most incidents occur as a result of people not checking properly to find where a pipeline is buried and hitting it with construction equipment.
The pipeline in that case was a large high pressure crude oil pipeline. The incident was the result of pipeline being struck by a construction crew doing work along the road under which the pipeline is routed. An investigation into the incident by the Transportation Safety Board found that the pipeline’s location, based on a 1957 drawing, was not accurately indicated on the design drawings used for the work being undertaken by the construction crew. Also contributing to the accident, according to the Safety Board, was poor communication between the city contractor, consultant and the pipeline owner. The VAFFC pipeline will be smaller and operate at lower pressure. VAFFC will choose the route with safety in mind. VAFFC will then map and mark the pipeline location and these records will be filed with the responsible agencies to minimize the risk of accidental damage.
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29. How big will the pipeline be?
The pipeline will be about 300 millimetres (about 12 inches) in diameter, and buried for most of its length at least 2.5 metres (eight feet) underground. It will be approximately 15 km in length.
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30. What route will the pipeline take?
There are a number of routing options on which we will be consulting with the public and other stakeholders. Potential pipeline routes have been selected to use primarily industrial land, transportation and utility corridors. The general route being proposed follows existing City of Richmond road right-of-ways, utility and/or transportation corridors for most of the route through Richmond to Sea Island. The route will be refined based on the outcome of consultations with the City of Richmond, First Nations, the public and regulatory agencies, as well as engineering and environmental studies.
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31. How will the pipeline be built?
All pipeline and associated infrastructure will incorporate the same fundamental standard civil design details. Such details include encasements for railway and road crossings, valve stations, rectifiers, anode beds, pressure transmitters, and cathode protection test stations.
The specific locations of these features will depend on the final pipeline route. Many of these features will require an aboveground fence or other similar measure to provide the necessary security.
The pipeline will consist of conventional steel pipe manufactured in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard A53 (Grade B) and will be installed to the standards established by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Standard Z662-03 for Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems.
Where more challenging or complex crossings may exist (e.g. major roadways such as Highway 99 and significant watercourses such as the Moray Chanel), construction is expected to utilize underground drilling methods to mitigate potential environmental and socio-community effects, and regulatory concerns.
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32. Would a new pipeline be buried under private property, in particular, private residences?
The pipeline will be buried approximately 2.5 metres (about 8 feet) underground through public rights-of-ways, existing utility corridors, and roads. Pipeline construction code prohibits pipelines of this kind to be buried under buildings.
Currently, there are no private property crossings anticipated along the preliminary route. However, if the best route turned out to have private property crossings, we would meet with the owners before building the pipeline to negotiate the location of the pipeline and right-of-way agreements.
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33. What is the life expectancy of an aviation fuel pipeline?
By implementing state-of-the-art design, construction, and maintenance methods, a pipeline could theoretically last indefinitely. The current pipeline is 40 years old and, although it doesn’t have the same level of design as pipelines built today, we are advised by the owner that the pipeline is operating safely at high capacity.
Safety, however, is not the issue on the current pipeline. It is not large enough to handle the projected peak fuel requirements. Nor, will it give the airlines the best access to the fuel supply market.
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34. You say the proposed project will eliminate the need for tanker truck deliveries, which will in turn eliminate the environmental emissions they produce. Won’t sourcing shipments of aviation fuel from Asia off-set those gains?
Aviation fuel is already being transported from Asia to western US and Canadian sea ports, including occasionally, Vancouver. Within Canadian waters, the distance traveled by marine carriers to the South Arm of the River, will be approximately half that currently traveled to Westridge Terminal, whereas at present, incremental increases in fuel delivered to YVR occurs by tanker trucks.
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35. What overseas sources will supply aviation fuel to the proposed Fuel Receiving Facility?
Any supplier with access to marine transport could potentially supply fuel. This is one of the benefits of the proposal. It provides a wider range of sources, thereby ensuring a reliable long-term supply for YVR.
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36. Why is offshore fuel being sourced instead of domestic?
Domestic sources cannot meet the current demand for YVR. The Chevron Refinery is the only domestic source available and it is producing aviation fuel at its maximum capacity. Those deliveries account for approximately 40% of the fuel supply. Another 40% is shipped into the Westridge Marine Terminal on Burrard Inlet from other sources, including the BP/ARCO Cherry Point Refinery in Washington State.
To meet the shortfall, aviation fuel is also trucked in from the BP/ARCO Cherry Point Refinery. The number of trucks per day ranges from 25 to 35 depending on seasonal demand. A temporary shutdown of either the Chevron or BP/ARCO refineries would effectively cut the supply of aviation fuel to YVR in half. The limitations of the existing fuel delivery system, coupled with diminished refining capacity in the Lower Mainland due to the closure of three of four refineries, has made access to competitive offshore of fuel supply increasingly important to the airlines serving YVR.
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37. By increasing the availability of sources for aviation fuel, do the airlines expect to find cheaper aviation fuel and achieve cost savings?
This project is about meeting the growing demand at YVR and ensuring the security of supply. VAFFC expects the ability to order fuel internationally will result in more competitive pricing.
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38. Media reports earlier this year claimed that growth in air travel has hit a five-year low; if that’s true, what’s the urgency in building this system?
North American travel demand, especially in the U.S., has experienced a slowing trend in recent years, notably due to the economic downturn. However, air travel has dipped in the past for a number of reasons, for example the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the SARS crisis. But demand for air travel bounced back after these incidents.
The slowing trend in number of passengers over recent years does not mean a continual decline in passenger demand. In fact, the YVR forecasts predict an average annual increase of 3-5% over the next 20 years.
The urgency for this project is that peak daily demand at YVR is on the rise and the current pipeline cannot meet current peak demand. Increasing truck deliveries is not a viable option.
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39. If air travel is slowing down, why is YVR expanding?
Airports operate in a long-term environment, and must invest accordingly. According to YVR’s Annual Report for 2008, 17.9 million passengers arrived and departed. In addition, YVR markets itself as a gateway airport, particularly between the Asia Pacific and North America. This, too, should contribute to continued growth over the long term.
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