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Technical Review of Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Environmental Impact Statement and Marine Shipping Supplemental Report: Effects on Marine Mammals

Science Response Process – Pacific Region

July 2016
Nanaimo, British Columbia

Chairperson: Lesley MacDougall

Context

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (previously referred to as Port Metro Vancouver) is proposing to construct and operate the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project (the project), a new three-berth marine container terminal at Roberts Bank in Delta, British Columbia. The project is proposed to be located next to the existing Deltaport and Westshore Terminals.  In addition to construction of the new terminal, the proponent has proposed to widen the north side of the existing Roberts Bank causeway from its east-end connection with the mainland to the entrance to the new terminal. The existing tug basin, connected to the north side of Deltaport Terminal, is also proposed to be expanded.  The new marine terminal is predicted by the proponent to process up to 260 container ship calls per year at full capacity, with the assistance of two or three large berthing or escort tugs to manoeuver ships into or away from assigned berths. Vessel traffic in the international shipping lanes, outside of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s jurisdiction to the 12 nautical mile limit of Canada’s territorial sea, is anticipated to increase by approximately three ship movements every two days. The proponent anticipates that the project construction could be completed over a five and a half year period. The terminal is designed to operate 24 hours per day year-round.

The main project components have a proposed combined marine footprint area of approximately 179 hectares (ha), listed below by specific component:

Roberts Bank, in the Fraser River estuary, consists of complex intertidal and sub-tidal habitats, including intertidal eelgrass beds and productive feeding and rearing habitats for many fish and invertebrate species, as well as providing habitat for marine mammals, including Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs), which are listed as endangered under the Canadian Species at Risk Act. The availability of prey has been identified as an important factor influencing the population dynamics of SRKWs, and Chinook and Chum Salmon are identified as representative species in the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The project is subject to an environmental assessment by a federal review panel pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. To characterize the potential environmental effects of the project, the proponent prepared the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Environmental Impact Statement (Port Metro Vancouver 2015a) which describes construction of project components, operation of the terminal, and the predicted increase in marine traffic within the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s jurisdiction. The proponent also prepared a Marine Shipping Supplemental Report (Port Metro Vancouver 2015b) to characterize the predicted environmental effects of marine shipping associated with the project beyond Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s jurisdiction and extending to the 12 nautical mile limit of Canada’s territorial sea.

As a federal authority in the environmental assessment for the project, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) will be asked to present information to the Review Panel and at public hearings in relation to its expertise on the effects of the project on fish and fish habitat, including marine mammals and aquatic species at risk, and the adequacy of mitigation and offsetting measures and monitoring/ follow-up programs proposed by the proponent.

DFO’s Pacific Region Fisheries Protection Program (FPP) has requested DFO Science Branch provide an evaluation of the proponent’s characterization of effects of project construction and operation, and the project-related increase in marine vessel traffic on marine mammals and marine mammal habitat. The assessment and advice arising from this Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Science Response (SR) will be used to assist in the development of DFO’s submission to the Review Panel during its review of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project.

Objectives

Science information and advice will be prepared based on a review of the information contained in the pertinent sections and subsections of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Environmental Impact Statement and the Marine Shipping Supplemental Report. With respect to the project’s potential effects on marine mammals and marine mammal habitat, this Science Response will address the following objectives:

  1. Assess the adequacy of the data, and the technical acceptability of the methods and models used to characterize the potential effects of underwater noise from:
    1. pile driving during project construction;
    2. increased local vessel activity within the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s jurisdiction; and
    3. increased vessel traffic outside of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s jurisdiction to the 12 nautical mile limit of Canada’s territorial sea. 
  2. Determine if the conclusions related to potential effects of underwater noise are adequately supported by the data, methods and models and identify key information gaps and uncertainty.
  3. Determine if the rationale and conclusions related to potential effects of ship strikes are reasonable, and identify key information gaps and uncertainty.
  4. In relation to availability of prey for Southern Resident Killer Whale, provide advice regarding the validity of the conclusion that the project would have a negligible effect on the combined productive potential of juvenile and adult Chinook and Chum Salmon, and identify key information gaps and uncertainty.
  5. Provide advice regarding effectiveness of measures proposed by the proponent to mitigate effects of underwater noise on Southern Resident Killer Whale, identify key information gaps and uncertainty related to these measures, and provide additional recommendations for mitigation, where possible.

Expected Publication

Participation

References

Port Metro Vancouver. 2015a. Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project Environmental Impact Statement, March 2015.

Port Metro Vancouver. 2015b. Marine Shipping Supplemental report, Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project, Addendum to the Environmental Impact Statement, October 2015.

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