Corporate Profile
NTPC serves a population of approximately 42,000 people in 27 communities located in an area of 1.2 million square kilometres. Approximately 67% of the population is centrally located, while the rest reside in small communities widely dispersed throughout the NWT. NTPC’s facilities include hydroelectric, diesel, and natural gas generation plants, as well as transmission systems and numerous isolated electrical distribution systems.
Figure 1 NTPC Service Area
As one of Canada’s most widespread industrial companies, our Environmental Department has a lot of ground to cover. One of our main priorities is the management of our hazardous materials. Through the development and maintenance of comprehensive Spill Response plans for each site, our strict “Report All Spills” policy, and the provision of regular hazardous materials management training to our staff, NTPC conducts environmentally responsible business in the north. An example of some of our environmental initiatives follows
PCB Removal
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are chemicals formerly used in making transformer cooling oils. They are toxic if they enter the food chain. A million dollar, multi-year program to test and replace Corporation transformer oils was completed in 1995. PCB contaminated oils were sent to Alberta for approved disposal, and the clean-up was declared complete in 1997. The Corporation is now 100% PCB free.
Waste Oil Disposal
The Corporation produces over 300,000 litres of waste oils and lubricants each year. Waste oil can be shipped to a licensed recycling/disposal facility, however the preferred method of disposal is to burn waste oil in waste oil furnaces used to heat industrial buildings within the communities. The Corporation has assisted several private and municipal agencies with the purchase of these furnaces in exchange for using the Corporation's waste oils for heating. .
Used Glycol
Glycol is used as a cooling liquid in diesel engines. Waste glycol is sent to licensed recycling/disposal facilities where it is either recycled or safely disposed of in incinerators. The Corporation is currently developing a glycol distillation system for our Inuvik plant. Waste propylene glycol will be filtered through the system yielding reusable glycol and water as end products. This translates into a very significant savings on glycol purchase, transport, and disposal costs. Based on its performance the Corporation may install a second system at our Jackfish plant in Yellowknife.
Office Products
Paper, ink cartridges, and shipping crates are recycled where services exist. Biodegradable consumables such as cleaning fluids and rags are used wherever possible.
Streetlight Conversion Program
An ongoing streetlight conversion program replaces Mercury Vapour lights with the more energy efficient and mercury free High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights. To date 16 communities have converted every streetlight to HPS, saving 408 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in the past year and 2,146 tonnes cumulatively since 1995/96, while dropping the kWh/year/light from 668 to 662 (see Figure 2)
Figure 2: kWh per Streetlight per Year
Environmental Site Assessments
Site assessments have been carried out at each of our plant sites to identify any environmental risks on the sites. Consultation with communities and regulators is an important component of the site assessment program. This data helps the Corporation, communities, and regulators design the best plan for assessing, managing, and remediating risks at these sites where action is necessary.
Site Remediations
Once a former plant site has been cleared of infrastructure and is no longer required for NTPC operations a site cleanup is initiated. Any soil impacted with hydrocarbons or glycol is remediated until applicable criteria are reached. The newly cleaned site is then ready to be used for other purposes. Recent remediation projects include a landfarm in Deline, a biopile at the Tulita former plant site, and a biopile at the Tuktoyaktuk former plant site.
Environmental Health and Safety Audits
The Corporation audits plant sites on a five year cycle to ensure compliance with all environmental, health, and safety guidelines and regulations. Auditing ensures the proper storage and handling of hazardous materials, as well as monitoring site safety, security, and general cleanliness.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
At the forefront of our environmental initiatives has been the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Through reporting to the Canadian Greenhouse Gas Challenge Registry (formerly the Voluntary Challenge and Registry, or VCR), NTPC has documented emissions from 1990/91 to present. Please see the Greenhouse Gas Initiatives Section for details on actions taken to reduce emissions. Our emissions history from 1990/91 to 2005/06 is shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: NTPC GHG Emissions – 1990/91 to 2006/07
Spill Reporting
The Corporation employs a “Report All Spills” policy, ensuring that our regulators are the first to know of our actions. Spills are cleaned up, reported, and recorded, and measures are taken to prevent future occurrences through repairs, maintenance, and training.
Environmental Management System
NTPC is in the process of implementing an ISO 14001 compliant Environmental Management System (EMS). The EMS is a tool for systematically rating and managing environmental risks within the company. It will introduce Corporation-wide environmental standards and processes through which all projects and actions within the Corporation take place, officially including an environmental level to any and every action of the Corporation.
Conclusion
NTPC has taken a proactive and leading environmental role in the north, making environmental stewardship a top priority. We will continue to work towards remediating our impacted sites, reducing the use of fossil fuels, and exploring renewable generation technologies to remain leaders into a new era of environmental awareness.
