Disposal at sea permit application guide: disposal site selection, appendix C.3


Appendix C.3: Disposal site monitoring and management plan

A disposal site monitoring and management plan is developed by the applicant and included as part of the permit application.

Introduction

  • Description of the project providing context for need of the site
  • Description and location of site (map and location coordinates, boundary of disposal area, boundary of release zone, bathymetry, etc.)

Anticipated use of site

  • Site capacity
  • Suitable materials to be disposed at the site
  • Summation of information utilized in determining the overall size of the site and its life span
  • History of waste material disposal at the site
  • Consideration of anticipated closure date for site, if applicable
  • Consideration of future uses of the site

Goals and objectives of the management plan

Where applicable, specific management activities designed to address concerns identified during the site selection process should be clearly stated.

  • Goals, for example:
    • ensure sensitive resources are not affected
    •  ensure dredged material remains within the site boundaries
  • Objectives, for example:
    • define site boundaries recognizing potentially dynamic nature of sediment transport regime at a given site
    • define capacity of site recognizing sediment transport regime dynamics
    • provide economically and technically feasible site use conditions necessary for protection of marine environment
    • establish monitoring objectives
    • establish schedule for review and revision of the plan

Regulatory regime

  • Identify the statutory and regulatory authorities: international, federal, and provincial, etc.

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Identify the roles and responsibilities of site monitoring and management actions
  • Identify responsible parties for conducting project implementation monitoring and any required management measures
  • Identify government agencies with approval authority

Description of the existing environment

  • Summarize the characteristics of the dredging, if applicable, and disposal sites and adjacent areas, including the water column, sediments, biota, resources and other uses (existing and potential) of the area

Description of the material for disposal

  • Provide a summary of sediment types, and their status relevant to the values in these guidelines

Description of potential impacts

  • Summarize both the potential short-term and long-term impacts and any uncertainties regarding the predicted impacts.

Consultation and engagement

  • Record of consultation and engagement activities

Disposal site history

  • Activities at the site should be documented, for example:
    • known historical uses of disposal site
    • transportation and disposal methods used

Disposal site monitoring during project implementation

  • Monitoring requirements should be designed to provide the following:
    • information documenting that disposal activities are occurring in compliance with permit and site restrictions
    • information indicating the short-term fate of materials disposed of in the marine environment are consistent with predictions
  • Should identify a tiered approach which links specific measured effects with predetermined management actions
  • Should be based upon development of realistic questions (null hypotheses) regarding potential impacts at the site

Management measures, conditions or practices

  • Identification of disposal controls, conditions or requirements
  • Identification of critical amenities and site conditions warranting further consideration or continuing evaluation (for example, unusual currents that could affect dispersal)
  • They may include:
    • disposal methods
    • quantity restrictions
    • weather restrictions
    • sediment grain size restrictions
    • seasonal restrictions
    • equipment restrictions
    • discharge point and allowable tolerances in position
    • provisions to address spillage and leakage of waste material

Disposal site monitoring and management plan review and revision

  • Frequency of review and revision of plan

References

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