Corporate Responsibility

Environment

Our Environment. Our Future.

Headwater recognizes the value of our natural environment and the need to manage natural resources wisely. Headwater is committed to conducting all of its activities in an environmentally responsible manner and works to promote employee, contractor and public awareness about environmental issues. Further, we make constant efforts to share information and seek input from the local communities where we operate. We collaborate with government and other organizations to develop environmental and energy policies. Headwater has established environmental policies and procedures for all its operations, which are communicated to all employees and personnel working on our sites. They are founded upon three core principles:

  • The protection of the environment is the responsibility of each individual at Headwater.
  • All activities undertaken by Headwater will be executed in compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations.
  • Sustainable development can be achieved only through the prudent and respectful use of natural resources.

Prior to conducting any activities, the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project are identified and assessed early in the planning process. Measures are identified to avoid negative environmental impacts from occurring or to reduce the severity of the impact. After the project is completed, monitoring is undertaken to detect and measure changes in the receiving environment and to determine the effectiveness of the mitigation implemented.

Low Emissions

Many modern production facilities, like the McCully Gas Plant in Penobsquis, New Brunswick, are designed to be ‘zero emission’ facilities so that under normal operating parameters there will be no releases of contaminants into the environment.

Asset Retirement Obligation

Headwater evaluates and manages assets from a viewpoint that a portion of cashflow must be dedicated to managing ARO. By committing a portion of yearly cashflow to abandonments the corporation will maintain a healthy relationship between liability and producing value.

Noise Abatement

The design of facilities is intended to reduce the level of “industrial” noise emitted. Baseline noise surveys are conducted as well as periodic monitoring of noise levels.

Spill Prevention

From chemical storage to fuel transfer procedures, Headwater follows rigorous standards to ensure that accidental releases do not occur. In the event of such an occurrence, personnel are trained in spill response, report spills to the appropriate regulatory authority and conduct an incident investigation to determine the root cause and corrective actions to prevent a recurrence.

Waste Management

In addition to the stringent regulations for the handling and treatment of waste, Headwater employs strict standards that include the use of approved storage containers, storage areas, and methods of waste treatment and disposal. Wastes are only disposed of in approved and licensed facilities. All waste management activities are recorded and tracked.