Disposal at sea permit 4543-2-03624
Please note that this permit has expired.
Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to section 127 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), disposal at sea permit no. 4543-2-03624 authorizing the loading for disposal and the disposal of waste or other matter at sea is approved. The permit is published on the Canadian Environmental Protection Act Registry on Tuesday, November 14, 2017.
1. Permittee: Rio Tinto Alcan Inc., Kitimat, British Columbia.
2. Waste or other matter to be disposed of: dredged material.
2.1. Nature of waste or other matter: dredged material consisting of rock, gravel, sand, silt and clay.
3. Duration of permit: permit is valid from November 30, 2018, to February 15, 2019.
4. Loading site: Kitimat Harbour, Kitimat, British Columbia, at approximately 53.99561° N, 128.69305° W North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83), as submitted in support of the permit application.
5. Disposal site: Kitimat Arm Disposal Site, bound by 53.97198° N, 128.68606° W; 53.97054° N, 128.67171° W; 53.95338° N, 128.67664° W; and 53.95485° N, 128.69098° W (NAD83).
6. Method of loading: loading will be carried out using a cutter suction dredge, a trailing suction hopper dredge, sidecasting, a barge-mounted excavator, a mechanical dredge or a grab dredge.
7. Route to disposal site(s) and method of transport: most direct navigational route from the loading site to the disposal site via reverse flow through pipeline.
8. Method of disposal: disposal will be carried out by pipeline, suction dredge or hopper dredge.
9. Total quantity to be disposed of: not to exceed 280 000 cubic metres, place measure.
10. Fees: the fee prescribed by the Disposal at Sea Permit Fee Regulations shall be paid by the permittee in accordance with those regulations.
11. Inspection:
11.1. By accepting this permit, the permittee and its contractors accept that they are subject to inspection pursuant to Part 10 of CEPA.
11.2. The permittee shall ensure that records of all loading and disposal activities are kept on site for the duration of the permit and are available for inspection by any enforcement officer or analyst, for two years following the expiry of the permit.
11.3. Ships operating under the authority of this permit shall carry and display a radar-reflecting device at all times mounted on the highest practical location.
12. Contractors:
12.1. The loading or disposal at sea referred to under this permit shall not be carried out by any person without written authorization from the permittee.
12.2. The permittee shall ensure that all persons involved in the loading, transport or disposal activities authorized by this permit conduct these activities in accordance with the relevant permit conditions.
13. Reporting and notification:
13.1. The permittee shall provide the following information at least 48 hours before loading and disposal activities commence: name or number of ship, platform or structure used to carry out the loading and/or disposal, name of the contractor including corporate and on-site contact information, and expected period of loading and disposal activities. The above-noted information shall be submitted to the Environmental Enforcement Division of the Department of the Environment, Pacific and Yukon Region, at ec.immersionenmerrpy-disposalatseapyr.ec@canada.ca (email).
13.2. The permittee shall submit a written report to the Minister, as represented by the Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Operations Directorate, Pacific and Yukon Region, 201-401 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC V6C 3S5, ec.immersionenmerrpy-disposalatseapyr.ec@canada.ca (email), within 30 days after the expiry of the permit. This report shall contain the following information: a list of all work completed pursuant to the permit, including the location of the loading and disposal site(s) used, the quantity of matter disposed of at the disposal site(s), and the dates on which disposal activities occurred.
13.3. At all times, a copy of this permit and of documents and drawings referenced in this permit shall be available at the loading site and on all powered ships directly engaged in the loading and disposal operations.
14. Environmental protection plan:
14.1. The permittee shall prepare an environmental protection plan relating to the loading and disposal at sea activities authorized by this permit. The plan shall be approved by the Department of the Environment prior to the commencement of the first dredging operation to be conducted under this permit. Project activities shall be carried out in accordance with all procedures and mitigation measures outlined in the environmental protection plan. Modifications to the plan shall be made only with the written approval of the Department of the Environment.
14.2. The permittee shall carry out loading and disposal at sea authorized by this permit in accordance with the Environmental Protection Plan approved by the Department of the Environment under condition 14.1.
15. Special precautions:
15.1. The permittee shall cease underwater blasting activities for the purpose of carrying out the loading authorized by this permit as soon as a marine mammal is observed within a 1-kilometre radius of the location of those activities. The permittee may only resume these activities once the animal has left the area within a 1-kilometre radius of the location of those activities or has not been re-sighted for 30 minutes.
15.2. The permittee shall cease any activity authorized by this permit as soon as a marine mammal is observed immediately adjacent to the activity such that there is a risk of physical harm from direct contact and shall only resume once the animal has left the immediate area or has not been re-sighted for 30 minutes.
15.3. The permittee shall only conduct underwater blasting for the purpose of carrying out the loading authorized by this permit during daylight hours.
Gevan Mattu
Acting Regional Director
Environmental Protection Operations Directorate
Pacific and Yukon Region
On behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Signed on November 8, 2017