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Environmental Baseline Study:
Light
Total E&P Canada Ltd.
Calgary, Alberta
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Environmental Baseline Study: Light
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 1.1 1.2 1.3 2 2.1 2.2 3 3.1 4 5 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1-1 Background .................................................................................................................................. 1-1 Focus of Baseline Investigations .................................................................................................. 1-1 Study Area .................................................................................................................................... 1-3 Methods ....................................................................................................................................... 2-1 Illuminance and Luminance at Receptor Locations ..................................................................... 2-1 Assessment Criteria for Illuminance and Luminance................................................................... 2-2 2.2.1 Illuminance Criteria......................................................................................................... 2-2 2.2.2 Luminance Criteria .......................................................................................................... 2-2 Results ......................................................................................................................................... 3-1 Illuminance and Luminance at Receptor Locations ..................................................................... 3-1 Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 4-1 References ................................................................................................................................... 5-1 List of Tables
Table 1.3-1 Table 2.2-1 Table 2.2-2 Table 3.1-1 Residential Light Receptors ............................................................................................ 1-3 Illuminance Criteria......................................................................................................... 2-2 Luminance Criteria .......................................................................................................... 2-2 Residential Light Receptors ............................................................................................ 3-1 List of Figures
Figure 1.1-1 Figure 1.3-1 Figure 2.1-1 TOTAL Lands ................................................................................................................. 1-2 Light Receptors in the Local Study Area ........................................................................ 1-4 Typical Landscape in the Study Area.............................................................................. 2-1 TOTAL E&P Canada Ltd.
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Environmental Baseline Study: Light
Table of Contents
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Environmental Baseline Study: Light
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Acronyms and Abbreviations
AENV ...................................................................................................... Alberta Environment
cd ................................................................................................................................. candella
m2 ........................................................................................................................square metres
IES ........................................................................................Illuminating Engineering Society
LEED...........................................................Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
LSA ..................................................................................................................local study area
lux ................................................................................... unit of measurement for illuminance
RSA ............................................................................................................ regional study area
TOTAL ........................................................................................... TOTAL E&P Canada Ltd.
TOTAL E&P Canada Ltd.
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Acronyms and Abbreviations
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Environmental Baseline Study: Light
Section 1: Introduction
1
Introduction
1.1
Background
TOTAL E&P Canada Ltd. (TOTAL) owns a parcel of land in Alberta’s Industrial
Heartland near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta (see Figure 1.1-1). The parcel is situated in
the following portions of Township 55, Range 21, West of the 4th Meridian:
•
•
•
Section 18:
• portions of legal subdivisions (LSDs) 11, 12
• all of LSDs 13 and 14
Section 19
Section 20:
• portion of LSD 3
• all of LSDs 4, 5 and 6
• northwest quarter
Throughout this document, this land (including small inholdings that TOTAL is intending
to acquire) is referred to as the TOTAL lands.
This report is one of a series of studies prepared to document the environmental baseline
conditions of the TOTAL lands and surrounding area.
1.2
Focus of Baseline Investigations
The purpose of the light baseline investigation is to evaluate current light levels at
residences near the TOTAL lands. The following issues were the focus of this
assessment:
•
•
Illuminance – the total luminous flux (i.e., the perceived power of light) incident on a
surface per unit area. Illuminance is measured in lux and can be thought of as the
amount of incident light available to read the text on a piece of paper at a specific
location.
Luminance – the luminous intensity (i.e., the power of light energy emitted) per unit
area projected in a given direction. A direct line of sight is required for this issue to
be of importance. Luminance is measured in candela per square metre (cd/m2). While
illuminance levels can be low at a particular location, bright lights in the distance can
still be objectionable to people looking at the light. Luminance can be thought of as
the “brightness” of such a light. Note that while brightness is subjective and cannot
be measured, luminance is a measurable quantity that closely corresponds to
brightness as both parameters are significantly dependent on the area and angle from
which the light is emitted.
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ska
Redwater
tch
ew
an
R ive
r
TWP 55
RGE 21
W4M
ek
Sa
Morinville
St
2
on
ge
ur
Ri
Gibbons
r
ve
No
LAMONT
COUNTY
Bruderheim
S tu r
28A
ge o n
637
Lamont
r th
in
to t
TWP RD 554
R iv er
15
Fort
Saskatchewan
21
STRATHCONA
COUNTY
As
S
RR 214
45
RR 215
Bon
Accord
RR 220
he
ka
tc
STURGEON
MUNICIPAL DISTRICT
as
Manawan
Lake
Ri
ve
r
rth
TWP 55
RGE 22
W4M
SMOKY LAKE
COUNTY
wa
Legal
ter
No
r
Re
dw
a
iv e
COUNTY OF
THORNHILD NO.7
TWP 56
RGE 21
W4M
Cre
831
WESTLOCK
COUNTY
TWP 56
RGE 22
W4M
B
nR
A
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IMPROVEMENT
DISTRICT 13
16
Edmonton
830
TWP RD 552
Alberta Industrial Heartland
Cooking
Lake
Beaumont
Devon
Municipal Boundary
TOTAL Lands
Paved Access
Tofield
Leduc
Paved Access - Divided
Paved Access
Unpaved Access
BEAVER
Watercourse
COUNTY
Railway
Urban Area
Watercourse
TITLE
FIGURE 1.1-1
TOTAL LANDS*
*includes small inholdings TOTAL intends to acquire
TOTAL Lands
Unpaved Access
Railway
LEDUC
COUNTY
Beaverhill
Lake
SCALE
A
B
5
0
5
10
15
Distance in Kilometres
500
0
500
1,000
Distance in Metres
1,500
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Environmental Baseline Study: Light
Section 1: Introduction
1.3
Study Area
The TOTAL lands are located along the north side of Highway 15. Dow Chemical
Canada, Keyera Energy, BP Canada and Sherritt International all have facilities located
along Highway 15 and southwest of the TOTAL lands. The Shell Canada Complex is
located directly to the north and North American Oil Sands Corporation is proposing an
upgrader to the east. The CN Scotford railyard lies between the TOTAL lands and
Highway 15.
Private residences in close proximity to the TOTAL lands are considered to be receptors
of interest to the baseline investigation. As such, a study area extending 2 km from the
TOTAL property boundary was selected to encompass these residences.
For the residential receptor location coordinates, see Table 1.3-1. For graphic
representation of the study area and receptor locations, see Figure 1.3-1. Because of
surrounding industrial facilities to the north, west and southwest, the majority of the
residential receptors are located to the south, southeast and east.
Table 1.3-1
Residential Light Receptors
NAD 83 UTM
Coordinates
Receptor
E
(m)
N
(m)
Comments
3
360792
5957202
Just south of Highway 15, treed lot, possible view of Upgrader
11
363857
5959150
South of Highway 15, treed lot, possible view of Upgrader
15
363965
5960478
North of Highway 15, treed lot, possible view of Upgrader
37
359410
5962062
Treed lot, possible view of Upgrader
38
360044
5962226
Treed lot, slight berm, possible view of Upgrader
42
5956511
5957303
South of Highway 15 on RR 220, treed lot, no view of Upgrader
48
359992
360430
50
362907
5958327
South of Highway 15, clear view of Upgrader, yard lights present at
Hutterite residences
520
364001
5958693
South of Highway 15, treed lot, possible view of Upgrader
TOTAL E&P Canada Ltd.
Just south of Highway 15, treed lot, possible view of Upgrader
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TWP 56
RGE 22
W4M
TWP 56
RGE 21
W4M
TWP 55
RGE 22
W4M
TWP 55
RGE 21
W4M
an
Ri
ve
r
38
ch
ew
37
363000
5963000
360500
5963000
358000
Search
sk
th
Sa
RR 220
at
r
No
15
5960500
5960500
15
11
520
5958000
5958000
50
48
TWP RD 552
3
830
42
Light Receptors
5955500
TOTAL Lands
Paved Access - Divided
Paved Access
5955500
Local Study Area
Unpaved Access
Railway
Watercourse
DRAFT
Urban Area
358000
360500
TITLE
363000
SCALE
FIGURE 1.3-1
LIGHT RECEPTORS IN THE
LOCAL STUDY AREA
500
0
500
Distance in Metres
1,000
1,500
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Environmental Baseline Study: Light
Section 2: Methods
2
Methods
2.1
Illuminance and Luminance at Receptor Locations
Baseline conditions represent current light levels in the study area. To assess these
conditions at the receptors, illuminance and luminance data were measured at a
representative point near each receptor property. As no development exits on the TOTAL
lands, baseline measurements are thus associated with other existing sources. Luminance
measurements are direction dependent.
Fieldwork in the Fort Saskatchewan area started on June 4, 2007 under a partly cloudy
night sky. The temperature was about 10ºC. A Sekonic L-558 Cine light meter was used
to record lighting levels. This particular light meter was selected as it is readily
obtainable and provides a range of measurements (e.g., illuminance, luminance and
aperture settings) in a single hand-held package.
For a photo of a typical landscape in the study area, see Figure 2.1-1.
Figure 2.1-1
Typical Landscape in the Study Area
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Section 2: Methods
2.2
Assessment Criteria for Illuminance and Luminance
Criteria are typically established by regulatory agencies to specify acceptable levels of a
specific parameter (e.g., contaminant levels or lighting levels). As there are no
regulations governing light trespass in Alberta, this assessment relies on information
researched from other sources.
2.2.1
Illuminance Criteria
Lighting criteria for illuminance are available from the U.S. Green Building Council
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED 2001) Reference Guide
Version 2 (see Table 2.2-1). To put these numbers in context, the Illuminating
Engineering Society (IES) of North America recommends a minimum lighting level of
5.4 lux for safety. Various other standards recommend 5 to 20 lux for pedestrian
walkways, and stairways are typically about 50 lux. Interiors of buildings measure in the
hundreds of lux.
Table 2.2-1
Illuminance Criteria
Item
Description
Maximum Illuminance
Lux
Intrinsically dark landscape
Parks
0.0
Low ambient brightness
Outer urban and rural residential areas
1.1
Medium ambient brightness
Urban residential areas
2.2
High ambient brightness
Urban areas with residential and
commercial areas
6.5
2.2.2
Luminance Criteria
Although similar regulatory criteria do not exist for luminance, estimated Upgrader
lighting levels can be compared with levels familiar from daily experience, (e.g.,
comparing an estimated luminance value with that from a full moon or a streetlight). For
sample luminance measurements for typical light sources, see Table 2.2-2.
Table 2.2-2
Luminance Criteria
Item
Sun
Street lamp
Approximate Luminance
(cd/m2)
900,000,000
23,000
Full moon
400
Typical industrial facility at 2 km
<10
Car with high beams at 1000 m
60
Car with high beams at 500 m
400
Car with high beams at 100 m
2400
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Section 3: Results
3
Results
3.1
Illuminance and Luminance at Receptor Locations
For baseline illuminance and luminance measurements at the selected receptors, see
Table 3.1-1. As luminance is source specific (and thus direction dependent) the light
source for each luminance measurement is also listed.
Table 3.1-1
Residential Light Receptors
Light Level
Receptor
3
11
15
Illuminance
(lux)
Eu1
1
Eu
1
Eu
Luminance
(cd/m2)
8.6
1
Eu
38
Eu1
42
48
1
Eu
1
Eu
1
50
Eu
520
Eu1
Dow Chemicals
14
CN Scotford Railyard
16
Keyera
2.1
Scotford Complex
2.3
CN Scotford Railyard
2.5
Strathcona Heartland Firehall
2.6
Intersection of Highway 15 and RR 214
4.3
Scotford Complex
26
37
Light Source for Measured Luminance
Gulf Chemicals
0.8
Dow Chemicals
9.8
Scotford Complex
28
Scotford Complex flare
11
Scotford Complex lights
7.5
Dow Chemicals
8.6
Dow Chemicals
14
CN Scotford Railyard
16
Keyera
2.3
CN Scotford Railyard
8
Scotford Complex
2.1
Scotford Complex
2.3
CN Scotford Railyard
2.5
Strathcona Heartland Firehall
2.6
Intersection of Highway 15 and RR 214
NOTE:
1
Eu indicates the lower limit of the Sekonic L-558 Cine light meter (0.63 lux) – this limit is well below an area of low
ambient light levels as defined by LEED (2001).
Baseline illuminance measurements at the selected residential receptors were all below
the LEED (2001) criteria for rural residential areas (1.1 lux) and also below the lower
limit of the light meter (0.63 lux).
Baseline luminance measurements ranged from 0.3 to 28 cd/m2. The highest value of
28 cd/m2 was measured at receptor 38 and is associated with a flare at the
Shell Scotford Complex.
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Section 3: Results
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Section 4: Summary
4
Summary
Baseline illuminance measurements at the selected residential receptors were all below
the LEED (2001) criteria for rural residential areas (1.1 lux) and also below the lower
limit of the light meter (0.63 lux).
Luminance measurements at the selected residential receptors were typically below levels
associated with an industrial facility at 2 km and the maximum of these measurements
was below levels associated with car headlights at 1 km.
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Section 4: Summary
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Section 5: References
5
References
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). 2001. Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design Reference Guide. Version 2: Sustainable Sites, Credit 8.
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Section 5: References
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