Wednesday, April 2, 2008
St. George Legion, School Street
Present for the meeting were:
- Roger Burton, Brunswick Pipeline Co-chair
- Peter Fenety, Community Co-chair
- Kathryn Foster
- Peggy Thompson
- Lyman Spear
- Susan Harris, Brunswick Pipeline Community Relations Manager
- Guest: Tim Curry, General Manager, Atlantica Centre for Energy
The agenda was accepted as presented.
The minutes were accepted as presented.
Action items were reviewed and accepted.
Susan was asked to remind John MacMillan to speak to John Weir about his antique car.
On the question, Hemlock Knoll was identified as the location where acid rock was being disposed of.
To explain how the Atlantica Centre for Energy was created, Tim reviewed the Growth Strategy initiative that began in 2002 among the communities of Saint John, Grand Bay-Westfield, Quispamsis, Rothesay and St. Martins. The growth strategy focused not only on business development, but also on two other key community facets: supportive, consisting of service agencies, not-for-profit, etc.; and the enriching community, consisting of education, research, development, etc.
The True Growth explorer logo and the vision for the region were developed in the fall of 2003, with a better view of how the economy of a community fluctuates and how to work together to capture the best of the moments.
In June 2005, the "energy committee" of the True Growth strategy became the Atlantica Centre for Energy. Tim, who had retired from Aliant, returned to work in his new role. (Similarly, Propel Saint Minutes of July 30, 2008 Meeting Page 2 Brunswick Pipeline Saint John Community Liaison Committee
John, whose purpose it is to incubate small ICT companies, from the development committee.) The purposes of the Atlantica Centre for Energy include:
- to provide a voice for public engagement in an energy context
- to be the industry voice at various tables such as the Benefits Blueprints, self sufficiency task force, and the post-secondary education review committee, and
- to provide a forum where industry, often competitors, can gather to discuss common issues and solutions.
There are twelve members on the Board of the Atlantica Centre for Energy, including energy focused industry representatives, provincial appointees, community volunteers and economic development agencies. The goals of the Atlantica Centre for Energy are to:
- develop opportunities related to energy and research and development, and
- provide an environment where area people have a choice to make a life for themselves and their families in New Brunswick.
A discussion paper was released in September 2006 by the Atlantica Centre for Energy which asked what energy companies a community should want within its borders. It suggested that while government and regulators grant permits and licences, it is the community which grants permission for a venture to take root. It is the community which has to set the standards of behaviour, expectations, etc. Finally, it suggested that the community should consider companies, for example, which have investors with a solid business plan, which participate in the community, and from which employees also participate in the community.
Describing the building of an Energy Hub as a series of steps and ventures, Tim said that the approximately $3.3 B$ projects in progress, and the approximately $7.5 B potential projects can work together to create a centre of expertise for energy, research and development and other spin-offs to make the growth lasting rather than boom-and-bust.
Critical issues to be managed:
- Human Resources
- Benefits Optimization
- Coordination and Cooperation to create the synergy needed to maintain the growth cycle, and
- Community Engagement to create the permission to operate required.
Workers are becoming more selective about where and how they live. They are choosing communities with a high quality of life. The Saint John region is such an area, and it is important for communities to focus on health and environmental qualities, security, safety, etc.
No one in Canada has done this type of exercise before, and New Brunswick is taking a leadership role. To focus on the benefits of growth for the whole community, rather than focusing only on the economic benefits, creates a dynamic environment whereby the business growth carries the members of the community with it. It is a work in progress, but the dialogue is and will continue to make it happen.
Initial estimates say that success will provide 8,600 direct jobs, and 2,400 indirect and induced jobs at the peak. Forecasts indicate that the population of the greater Saint John census metropolitan area (CMA) could reach 140,000 by 2021, and that the approximately $15 B to $19 B in direct investment could be leveraged to produce between $35 B and $44 B in direct, indirect and induced investment during construction. Tax revenue estimates range between $10 and $14 B for the first wave of investment.
Strategic initiatives need to be put in place in order to prepare the community, prepare businesses to participate and to guide investment and benefits to the community. Some of these initiatives are: Minutes of July 30, 2008 Meeting Page 3 Brunswick Pipeline Saint John Community Liaison Committee
- Supply Chain Development Program
- Business Productivity Enhancement Program
- Workforce Expansion Initiative
- Energy Skills Centre of Excellence
- Construction Skills Training Program
- Child Care Expansion and Upgrading
- Education for Tomorrow: Support for Secondary School Students
- Priority Neighbourhood Capacity Building
- Develop and Integrate Social Enterprises
- Environmental Capital Committee
- Healthcare Capacity Expansion Project
- Industrial Land Readiness
- Supportive Infrastructure
- Immediate and Appropriate Housing Strategy
Discussion turned to what the benefits would be for Charlotte County. Tim pointed out that the Atlantica area includes all of Atlantic Canada and the New England states on a NE/SW axis. Charlotte County lies between the two, and also holds a number of potentials for opportunity. These include Pt. Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station, tidal power, Huntsman Marine Sciences Centre. As well, the province is building a model to help get businesses ready so that they are able to participate when the "next" major project arrives. Success will depend on this initiative, but business owners and workers also have a role to play. Communities, too, may have to accept some development and increased activity.
Roger updated the committee on the construction progress to date.
In the rural spread:
Grading: 50% completed
Ditching: only 15 km completed; 2 weeks behind due to the volume of acid rock that was encountered
Welding, overall: 5-8 km have been welded
Automatic welding: accomplishing an average of 2 km/day
Manual welding: used in hilly areas and tie-ins, which accomplish an average of ½ km/day
There are currently 72 days in which to do about 55 days worth of work to meet the mid-October construction completion date. Hydrostatic testing will follow between mid and late October. [Hydrostatic testing: fill the pipe with water and pressurize it to 1.25X its operating pressure for a period of 8 hours.] If there are no leaks, then Brunswick Pipeline can then apply to the National Energy Board for its License to Operate.
HDD at St. Croix River is complete
HDD length under the St. John River is 1293 m
- currently reaming to the final diameter of 42"
- a series of cleaning passes will then be done
- the final process will be to pull the pipe through the hole, from Milford to Spar Cove (west to east)
In the urban spread:
- 80% of the pipe has been welded
Minutes of July 30, 2008 Meeting Page 4 Brunswick Pipeline Saint John Community Liaison Committee
- backfilling done from the Canaport road at Red Head Road to the Irving Oil Refinery on Grandview Avenue, along with a few other places
- expect urban completion by mid-September
- laying in, tying in to watercourse or road bore pipe joints will follow
- then sand padding of pipe in the trench
On the US side (Maritimes & Northeast Pipelines):
- pipe is strung and welded
- construction of compressor stations is proceeding
- expect the US side to be the first finished.
i) An overview of Smart Pigs was provided.
ii) The Integrity Management Plan for the pipeline will be filed with the National Energy Board.
iii) Automatic welding video was shown to the committee.
iv) Donations made have included:
- Musquash Community Centre
- Ross Memorial Library in St. Stephen
- St. Stephen Civic Centre
- St. George Legion Summer Cadet Program
- Canal Beach Clean-up, tentatively scheduled for August 23 outside of St. George
Wednesday, September 10, 2008.
Download Minutes (pdf)