Disposal at sea permit 4543-2-03763

Please note that this permit has expired.

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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. 4543‑2‑03763 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, September 1, 2020.

1. Permittee: Fraser River Pile & Dredge (GP) Inc., New Westminster, 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 gravel, sand, silt, clay, wood waste, or material typical to the approved loading site, except logs and usable wood. The permittee shall ensure that:

  1. every effort is made to prevent the deposition of log bundling strand into waste or other matter approved for loading and disposal at sea and/or remove log bundling strand from waste or other matter approved for loading and disposal at sea

  2. the percent volume of wood waste in the dredge material is visually estimated at the time of dredging and shall be included in the written report mentioned in paragraph 14.2

3. Duration of permit: permit is valid from September 8, 2020, to September 7, 2021.

4. Loading site(s):

  1. various approved sites in the Fraser River Estuary, British Columbia, at approximately 49.19833° N, 123.13133° W North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83)

  2. various approved sites in Howe Sound, British Columbia, at approximately 49.49700° N, 123.30400° W (NAD83)

  3. various approved sites in Vancouver Harbour, British Columbia, at approximately 49.31167° N, 123.13333° W (NAD83)

  4. various approved sites near Vancouver Island, British Columbia, at approximately 49.37416° N, 123.94032° W (NAD83)

5. Disposal site(s):

  1. Cape Mudge Disposal Site, within a 0.5-nautical-mile radius of 49.96166° N, 125.08333° W (NAD83)

  2. Comox Disposal Site, within a 1-nautical-mile radius of 49.69500° N, 124.74166° W (NAD83)

  3. Five Finger Island Disposal Site, within a 0.5-nautical-mile radius of 49.25333° N, 123.91166° W (NAD83)

  4. Malaspina Strait Disposal Site, within a 0.5-nautical-mile radius of 49.75000° N, 124.45000° W (NAD83)

  5. Point Grey Disposal Site, within a 1-nautical-mile radius of 49.25666° N, 123.36500° W (NAD83)

  6. Thornbrough Channel Disposal Site, within a 0.25-nautical-mile radius of 49.51666° N, 123.47166° W (NAD83)

  7. Watts Point Disposal Site, within a 0.25-nautical-mile radius of 49.64166° N, 123.23500° W (NAD83)

6. Method of loading: loading will be carried out using a cutter suction dredge, a trailing suction hopper dredge, a barge-mounted excavator, a clamshell dredge or crane equipped with a clamshell dredge.

7. Route to disposal site(s) and method of transport: most direct navigational route from the loading site to the disposal site via pipeline, hopper scow, towed scow or hopper dredge.

8. Method of disposal: disposal will be carried out by pipeline, bottom dumping, end dumping or cutter suction dredge.

9. Total quantity to be disposed of: not to exceed 90 000 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 as modified according to the provisions of the Service Fees Act. The applicable fee rates for April 1, 2020, are in effect for the duration of this permit.

11. The permittee shall obtain from the permit-issuing office a letter of confirmation for each loading and disposal activity prior to undertaking the work and shall conduct these activities in accordance with the relevant letter of confirmation. The permittee shall follow the procedures outlined in the document titled “Multi-Site Dredging Projects Involving Disposal at Sea: Requests for Letters of Confirmation - Standard Procedures” (June 2020).

12. Inspection:

12.1. Pursuant to Part 10 of CEPA, the permittee and its contractors are subject to inspection by enforcement officers designated under CEPA.

12.2. 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 2 years following the expiry of the permit.

12.3. 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.

13. Contractors:

13.1. 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.

13.2. 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.

14. Reporting and notification:

14.1. 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 following parties:

For the Department of the Environment:

Department of the Environment
Pacific and Yukon Region
201‑401 Burrard St
Vancouver BC  V6C 3S5

Fax: 604-666-9059
Email: ec.immersionenmerrpy-disposalatseapyr@canada.ca

For the representatives of potentially affected First Nations:

  1. Yeganeh Asadian
    Environmental Stewardship Manager
    Musqueam Indian Band
    6735 Salish Dr
    Vancouver BC  V6N 4C4

    Fax: 604-263-4212
    Email: engage@musqueam.bc.ca

  2. Aaron Marchant
    Referrals Analyst, Rights and Title
    Squamish Nation
    415 West Esplanade
    North Vancouver BC  V7M 1A6

    Fax: 604-982-0515
    Email: consultation@squamish.net

  3. Cora den Hartigh
    Referrals Analyst
    Tsleil-Waututh Nation
    3178 Alder Crt
    North Vancouver BC  V7H 2V6

    Fax: 604-929-4158
    Email: referrals@twnation.ca

  4. Lacey McRae Williams
    Community Planning Administrator
    Snuneymuxw First Nation
    668 Centre St
    Nanaimo BC  V9R 4Z4

    Email: laceym@snuneymuxw.ca

14.2. 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, 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. The report shall be sent to the regional director at the following coordinates:

Regional Director
c/o Tiffany Paul
Environmental Protection Operations Directorate
Pacific and Yukon Region
201‑401 Burrard St
Vancouver BC  V6C 3S5

Fax: 604‑666‑6800
Email: ec.immersionenmerrpy-disposalatseapyr.ec@canada.ca

14.3. 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.

15. Special precautions:

15.1. The permittee shall submit a written dredged material disposal plan to the minister, as represented by the regional director of the Environmental Protection Operations Directorate, Pacific and Yukon Region, identified in paragraph 14.2, for approval by the Department of the Environment prior to the commencement of the first dredging operation authorized by this permit. The plan shall address procedures to accurately measure or estimate quantities of dredged material disposed of at the disposal site(s), vessel tracking, and a schedule for use of the disposal site(s). Modifications to the plan shall be made only with the written approval of the Department of the Environment.

15.2. The loading and disposal at sea referred to under this permit shall be carried out in accordance with the mitigation measures summarized in the document titled “Environmental Protection Plan ‑ FRPD Multi-Site Disposal at Sea Permit #4543-2-03763” (July 2020).

15.3. Potentially affected First Nations listed in paragraph 14.1 shall be notified of any modifications to the environmental protection plan.

15.4 The permittee shall send all project-related notifications to First Nations identified in paragraph 14.1.

15.5 The permittee shall ensure that dredging, transportation and disposal activities do not impede Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s authorized food, social and ceremonial fisheries for Indigenous Peoples.


Saul Schneider
Regional Director
Environmental Protection Operations Directorate
Pacific and Yukon Region

On behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Signed on August 25, 2020

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