Disposal at sea permit QUE-00440-1
Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
Notice is hereby given that the Minister of the Environment, pursuant to section 127 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), is issuing disposal at sea permit no. QUE-00440-1, authorizing the loading for disposal and the disposal of waste or other matter at sea. This permit is eligible for a maximum of 2 renewals. The permit is published in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act Registry on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. All documents referenced in this permit are available upon request by email at immersionqc-disposalatseaqc@ec.gc.ca.
1. Permittee: Mines Seleine, a division of Windsor Salt Ltd., Grosse-Île, Magdalen Islands, Quebec.
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, or colloids.
3. Duration of permit: The permit is valid from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.
3.1. The loading and disposal at sea activities are restricted to the periods listed in paragraph 5.
4. Reference documents:
- Figure 2 “Lieu de chargement”, as submitted in support of the permit application, received on November 2, 2023
- Figure 3 “Lieu d’immersion 2024”, as submitted in support of the permit application, received on November 2, 2023
- Register of Disposal at Sea Operations – Dredged Material
5. Loading sites: The loading of dredged material is restricted to the segments of the Grande Entrée channel listed below and must be completed in accordance with the associated restrictions. The segments are bound by precise measurements marking out the course of the channel as defined in the document identified in paragraph 4a:
- Segment 0 to 10 720: dredging is prohibited from April 15, 2024, to July 15, 2024
- Segment 258 to 4200: in the event of a hopper overflow at the water surface, the loading of the dredge will be limited to 60 percent of its maximum loading capacity from July 16, 2024, to July 31, 2024
- Segment 258 to 4200: dredging is authorized two out of every three days from April 1, 2024, to April 14, 2024, and from July 16, 2024, to September 24, 2024
- Segment 258 to 4200: limit the increase in total suspended solids (TSS) concentration to 150 mg/L within the mussel park, over the daily dredging period
- Segment 4200 to 7350: dredging is authorized one out of every two days from July 16, 2024, to July 31, 2024
- Segment 4200 to 7350: dredging is authorized two out of every three days from April 1, 2024, to April 14, 2024, from August 1, 2024, to August 7, 2024, and from August 25, 2024, to September 24, 2024
- Segment 6400 to 8000: dredging is prohibited within the 200-metre aquatic strip around islet C from July 16, 2024, to August 9, 2024
- Segment 6400 to 8000: within the 200-metre aquatic strip around islet C, limit the average increase in TSS concentration to 5 mg/L compared to background levels over the daily dredging period or over a period of six consecutive hours if the dredging is continuous. This restriction applies only during the day, starting one hour before sunrise and ending at sunset, from July 16, 2024, to August 9, 2024
- Segment 6400 to 8000: limit the average increase in TSS concentration to 25 mg/L compared to background levels over the daily dredging period or over a period of six consecutive hours if the dredging is continuous. This restriction applies only during the day, starting one hour before sunrise and ending at sunset, from July 16, 2024, to August 9, 2024
- Segment 7350 to 9000: dredging is prohibited from September 24, 2024, to October 31, 2024
- Segment 9000 to 10 720: dredging is authorized two out of every three days from July 16, 2024, to July 31, 2024
6. Disposal site: portion of disposal area “Dépôt E”, bound by the 14 coordinates as described in the document identified in paragraph 4b. The disposal site is located approximately 6.5 kilometres south of the Grande Entrée harbour. Precise positioning devices must be used during disposal to accurately locate the disposal site. The accumulation of dredged material must not reduce water depth to less than 11.1 metres at any point in the disposal area.
7. Method of loading: Dredging will be carried out using a trailing suction hopper dredge.
8. Route of disposal site and method of transport: most direct navigational route from the loading sites to the disposal site via trailing suction hopper dredge.
9. Method of disposal: Disposal will be carried out directly from the vessel.
10. Total quantity to be disposed of: not to exceed 120 000 cubic metres, scow measurement.
11. Fees: The fee prescribed by the Disposal at Sea Permit Fee Regulations must be paid by the permittee in accordance with those regulations as modified by the provisions of the Service Fees Act. The applicable fee rates for April 1, 2023, are in effect for the duration of this permit.
12. Inspection and records:
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 must keep records of all loading and disposal activities aboard any powered ship involved with the disposal operations. The records must be accessible to enforcement officers designated under CEPA.
12.3. The permittee must maintain an up-to-date Register of Disposal at Sea Activities as provided by the Department of the Environment and identified in paragraph 4c. This register must be kept on board any powered ship involved with the disposal operations and be accessible to enforcement officers designated under CEPA.
12.4. At all times, a paper or digital copy of this permit and of documents referenced in paragraph 4 must be available at the loading site and on all powered ships directly engaged in the loading and disposal operations. The documents must be accessible to enforcement officers designated under CEPA for the duration of this permit.
12.5. The permittee must retain records of all loading and disposal activities at its principal place of business in Canada for the duration of the permit and for 5 years following the expiry of the permit.
12.6. The loading or disposal at sea referred to under this permit must not be carried out by any person without written authorization from the permittee. The authorization must be accessible to enforcement officers designated under CEPA.
13. Reporting and notification:
13.1. The permittee must provide the following information at least 48 hours before loading and disposal activities commence: name or identification number of powered ships, platforms, or structures to be 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 must be submitted to the following:
Regional Director
Environmental Protection Operations Directorate
Department of the Environment
Quebec Region
105 McGill St 4th Floor
Montreal QC H2Y 2E7
Email: immersionqc-disposalatseaqc@ec.gc.ca
13.2. The permittee must submit a written report to the minister, as represented by the regional director of the Environmental Protection Operations Directorate, as identified in paragraph 13.1, 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 names and coordinates of the loading and disposal site used, the quantity of matter disposed of at the disposal site, the dates on which disposal activities occurred and the Register of Disposal at Sea Activities.
On behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Éric Vachon
Regional Director
Environmental Protection Operations Directorate
Quebec Region
Signed on February 26, 2024