Responsibility
Facilities Management
Facility Audits
Since 1991, SaskPower has conducted environmental audits at corporate facilities
across the province.
As an outcome of the facility audits, management action plans with implementation schedules are developed to ensure timely resolution of audit observations. Progress on the management action plans is reported semi-annually to the Audit and Finance Committee of the Board of Directors.
PCBs
PCBs were used by the electrical utility industry as cooling and insulating
fluids in some types of electrical equipment. Today they remain present
as a contaminant in some of SaskPower's equipment. Any equipment that may contain PCBs is
tested when it is removed from service, and each PCB-contaminated item is tracked
from storage through disposal.
Vegetation management
Our integrated vegetation management practices include the use of herbicides
as well as mechanical and manual clearing methods. This approach reduces the
risk of outages from falling trees and encourages vegetation compatible with
the lines. It also controls weeds on SaskPower property and around the
structures on power line rights-of-way. All of this helps employees to safely
inspect, maintain and repair power lines.
SaskPower worked with Saskatchewan Environment to implement an environmental protection plan for vegetation management on northern transmission line rights-of-way. Under this plan, we do not apply herbicides within 30 metres of water bodies. We also give special consideration to sensitive areas, such as the spawning grounds of certain fish species.
Site assessment and decommissioning
Before the sale, purchase or lease of property, or as a result of investigations
indicating the potential for contamination, all sites are assessed. If
necessary, we initiate site remediation once the assessment process has
been completed.
Major facilities undergo a formal decommissioning process that includes site assessment and remediation.
Details on assessments conducted at specific sites can be found in SaskPower's Environment Report.
